Yin and Yang

I'm starting to think that the "Terrible Twos" are inadequately named. Sometimes they can seem pretty bad, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're terrible. If you ask me, the "Terrible Twos" should be renamed to something more along the lines of 'The super frustrating, make you lose your temper, downright defeating twos." Yeah, something like that.

Don't get me wrong here. Marleigh is a really good girl. Most times, she doesn't give us too many problems and she is usually a good listener. She has one of the sweetest, most sensitive souls I've ever known. But there are times when she turns into the other Marleigh. The one that asks "Why?" when we tell her to do something. The Marleigh that argues "But I'm still playing this" when it's time to put her toys away, the one who has borderline meltdowns about the silliest things like having to wipe after she goes to the bathroom, the Marleigh who takes TWO HOURS to fall asleep at night because she was tucking in every single stuffed animal she owns (which, I admit, is way too many) and "making meatballs" out of the stuffing that she rips out of their faces.

That Marleigh tests our patience. She stretches us to our limits and then continues to stretch some more. She takes us to our breaking points.

Parenting is a lot of work from the start. For women, it's a lot of work from before the start. But parenting a toddler is quite possibly the most work of all. You have to be on your A-game all. the. time. There is no rest for the weary...even when a certain baby brother keeps you up all night. Scratch that. Especially when he keeps you up all night.

There are days that this toddler phase is my all time favorite. Every day brings something new that I want to remember about Marleigh. The way she giggles when we're driving home from work and she gives me "the look" from her carseat. The belly laughs she gets when Luke tickles her. When she tells me she loves me, or that she thinks I look pretty when I look like a mess. How she tells us we're her best friends and asks us if we're happy. She really is the sweetest little thing.

But every once in a while, usually only for little bits at a time (thank goodness), she doesn't seem quite so sweet. And that is when Luke and I learn our roles as parents, and in turn we're learning more about each other along the way.

We are yin and yang.

I have a lot of patience. Sometimes (most times) to a fault. I will give Marleigh the benefit of the doubt one too many times. I'll let her bring her Pooh Bear in the car to avoid a meltdown because I know she'll be too busy crying to go potty and wash her hands before we leave if I say no. I'll give her a few extra minutes before bed to read a book. I'll give her a second packet of fruit snacks. I'll let her watch an extra show, play an extra game. I'll tickle her back and sing "one more beautiful song" even though I said the last song was the last one for the night. I'm a pushover, and she knows it.

Then there's Luke. Where I am overly patient, he is quick to react. He is a firm believer in only having to ask one time. He is stern and strict and he thankfully keeps Marleigh in line when I can't. He is famous for his "walks" with her -- removing her from the situation when she is misbehaving and calmly talking to her until they straighten it out. He doesn't stray from how he thinks she should behave or what he thinks should happen, even if she is only two. He believes (rightfully) that now is the time to establish the good habits, rather than try to break the bad ones later on from going too easy on her.

What I'm trying to say is... we balance each other out.

When I am losing the battle, he steps in and takes control. When Marleigh is having a meltdown that he can't get her to snap out of, I am there to talk it out with her. And at the end of those really, super long days, when we both sit on the couch together -- him with a giant bowl of ice cream and me with a glass of wine about the same size -- it's almost like we can tell what the other is thinking without having to say a word. Another day in the books. We tuck Marleigh in and end the nights with "no more games...go to bed. I love you," and "Goodnight, my little Pajanimal," and she will sleep soundly and dream sweet and build up all the energy she needs to start a new day in the morning, "when it's light out." 

Trying to raise good, kind-hearted, well-mannered children is a full time job in and of itself. It's hard. Really hard*. But I'm so grateful that we are a team. True, sometimes it may feel like we are taking on opponents that are much better than us -- even if they are much smaller. We definitely don't go undefeated in the games, but if we can win just a few here and there, hopefully we will come out on top with kids who love us, respect us, and like us. As parents, that's the best winning record we could ask for.

*That's what she said.

Marleigh at 19 months

Oh, this little girl! I took this picture of her at 18 months and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. Remember the first bear photos? I feel like it was just yesterday that my little girl was so, well, little. 

At 19 months, Marleigh is talking up a storm. She knows well over 50 words and is stringing them together into complete thoughts these days, which is amazing to me. She is never lacking in energy (or personality, if you couldn't tell by the above picture!) and she keeps us on our toes every minute, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

She is sleeping really well lately - from around 8:15 until 6:30 most nights, which is fantastic!

She loves Baby Einsteins ("Baby eing-geyns"), Elmo, and Barney, but prefers to watch it on our phones rather than the TV. She eats raisins like it's her job and gets so excited when she gets to have fruit snacks -- picking them out one by one and telling us every color before she eats it. Speaking of which, she knows all of her colors: red, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, and brown; and some of her shapes: circle, square, and triangle. We think she's the smartest kid ever, obviously ;) 

Marleigh also knows more songs on the radio than I do. Her favorites right now are "Happy," "Let Her Go," "Say Something," and "I'm the Man," although she knows at least 5 more than that. It's so funny listening to her sing and actually say the words along with them!

We have been dealing with some toddler tantrums lately and MJ has gotten pretty accustomed to the time out corner! It seems to be pretty effective so far, but her little meltdowns definitely have us a little worried about what's to come when she really hits the terrible twos! 

Overall, I am just so proud of our little girl. Her face lights up my day every day and I swear she really is like my best friend. I am so lucky to be able to call her mine. Besides the snuggly, squishy  newborn stage, this stage is definitely my favorite so far. I can't wait to see all the fun we have in store for us this spring and summer (if spring and summer ever really come, that is)!

I love you with my whole heart and soul, Marleigh Jo. "Thiiiiiis much!"

MJ Turns One

Today, my baby turns one. A whole year living in this crazy world - learning, experiencing, and doing new things. This past year has flown by faster than any year has ever flown. Marleigh has grown so much right before our eyes. Today, we will celebrate our second wedding anniversary and one year since the beautiful day that our lives changed forever in the very best way. 

Marleigh's Birth Story. Finally.

A year ago today, it was the day after our best friends' wedding which I had to miss due to early labor contractions. The day and night before were long, filled with (what I thought at the time was) a lot of pain, an anxious husband standing as the Best Man in said wedding, and a trip to the hospital that night, only to be sent home and told I was "dehydrated," not in labor.

A year ago today, I woke up from about an hour of sleep (the most I had gotten in two days) and decided this was it. I called our doctor, who told us to head into the hospital that afternoon. Even if I wasn't in labor, he would induce, seeing as I was almost an entire week past due. I took a shower through the pain and all my hopes of arriving to the hospital looking pretty with my hair and makeup done flew out the window. It was hot, I was exhausted, and my contractions were getting harder and longer. I threw on a trusty maxi dress, we grabbed our hospital bags, and headed out the door.

In the car on the way to the hospital, I was terrified. This was all really happening. We wouldn't be coming home again without our baby with us! I had a small nervous breakdown, complete with an ugly cry, and Luke reminded me time and time again that I could do this, I would be great, and it was all going to be worth it soon.

40 minutes later, I waddled into the hospital and we got admitted into a big, spacious birthing room. I put on the oh-so-flattering hospital gown and waited to get checked. The rest seems like a whirlwind of events. My contractions were getting more and more intense but I wasn't in active labor yet, so my doctor decided to start the induction process with Cervadil. Once it was inserted, the contractions started getting stronger and stronger. I was given Nubane to help with the pain, but mainly to help me sleep - seeing as I had only gotten about 4 hours total in the past 3 days. The Nubane was crazy. I would fall into a deep sleep in-between contractions only to be jolted awake by another about 3 minutes later. This continued for a few hours until the contractions started coming along a lot stronger and a lot faster. Finally, I was checked after about 8 hours to see if the Cervadil worked, and it did! I was finally dilated and in active labor. Somewhere in-between all of this, I think at around midnight, I got my epidural and they broke my water shortly after that. 

(By the way...The epidural was a life saver. I wasn't sure if I would get it or not, and to be honest, it was the part that I was most nervous about with the whole process of giving birth. I'm not a fan of needles and I was terrified when the anesthesiologist came in and made Luke leave the room before he gave it to me. I almost broke down, and I definitely would have if it weren't for the amazing nurse who held my shoulders and reassured me that it was all going to be okay. She walked me through the process as the anesthesiologist attempted the epidural THREE times before he got it right (awful), but it was totally worth it. The medicine kicked in pretty fast and it was a total game-changer. I was re-energized and ready to have our baby!)

From then on, my labor went relatively fast. I can't really remember the timing of it all, but at one point, Marleigh decided it would be fun times to flip upside down (face up), which can make pushing extremely difficult for both mom and baby. We had learned about "Sunny side up" babies in our birthing class, and I was so afraid that she wouldn't flip back and I would end up having to have a c-section. After rolling from side to side on the hospital bed (which is a sight to see when your legs can't move and you're about as large as a beached whale), Marleigh finally flipped over (and back over, and over again). At one point during this all, the monitors lost her little heart beat and I was given an oxygen mask. The silence of those machines was deafening. Those were the longest seconds of my life. Finally, our nurse was able to pick the heartbeat up again, and all was well. Such a relief!

It wasn't long after Marleigh flipped that I felt the urge to push. This feeling was unlike anything I've ever experienced. So much intense pressure and discomfort, but no pain (thank you, epidural). The midwife called my doctor, who lived about 10 minutes from the hospital, and told him that it was go time. I waited for what seemed like a lifetime for him to get there. When he arrived, he couldn't believe how far along I was! (He told me later that he was fully expecting me to have a c-section later that afternoon)

As soon as he put on his scrubs, there was no turning back. I did a couple "practice pushes" for them to tell me if I was doing it right (I had no clue!) and after they gave me the OK to push, I went into super-mom mode. I pushed as hard as I could for almost twenty minutes straight, and at 4:23 AM, our beautiful baby girl was finally brought into the world! She was suctioned right away since she had a bowel movement inside (common for overdue babies), and then they placed her on my chest. Thinking back on meeting her for the first time still brings tears to my eyes. This little girl that I had known and bonded with over the last 41 weeks was finally here, and I already couldn't remember what life was like before her. 

The whole thing was by far the hardest thing I've ever done and the most beautiful experience of my life. One of my favorite moments of Marleigh's birth, other than of course seeing her for the first time and finally getting to hold her and kiss her, was seeing Luke become a daddy. He fell into his new role so naturally, and I could see the love he had for her immediately. Everyone tells you that you'll fall in love with your husband all over again during the process of giving birth, and I can agree that it's 100% true. Luke was the best supporter for me during my entire pregnancy, but especially during labor and giving birth. Having him there by my side was the icing on the cake of a perfect day, and I loved him more that day (and every day since, watching him as a father) than I ever thought I could.

Marleigh was born on our one year wedding anniversary, a perfect gift from Up Above, and she is the best present we have ever been blessed with! 20 weeks of intense morning/all day sickness, more pounds gained than I'd like to mention, and 41 weeks of pregnancy were all more than worth it when we finally got to welcome our sweet girl into our family!

Every day since her birth, I have ended the day by thanking God for trusting me to be her mommy and bringing her into this world. Being a mother, and watching Luke as such an amazing father, warms my heart in ways that I could have never imagined before. I feel like I have found my true calling in life, and I will forever be thankful for that September day when we welcomed our beautiful bundle of joy!

Marleigh Jo... Our sweet, sweet girl... We love you to the moon and back and are more grateful for you than you will ever know! Happy first birthday, little one! No matter how old you get, you will always be our baby! We are so proud of you and cannot wait for all of the wonderful years to come. Xoxo

11 months of Marleigh

Hang on for a second while I choke back my tears...

11 months old. How did this even happen? I feel like it was yesterday that I found out I was pregnant and got to see the most beautiful little dot and flickering heartbeat on the ultrasound screen, and now we are a month away from having a toddler. Didn't I tell time to slow down the minute she was born? It must not have gotten the memo.

Anyway...

I was beating myself up about being so late with Marleigh's 10 month update, because I thought for sure I wouldn't have any new updates for this post. Boy, was I wrong! In the past couple weeks, even the past couple days, it seems that our little girl decided to grow up quickly right before our eyes. Every day, it's like she has a new favorite tone of voice or a new "word" (more like syllable). And, oh yeah, she started WALKING yesterday! Right across the room! My sentimental momma heart is so happy and so sad that my baby girl is getting to be so big!

At 11 months, Marleigh is still impressing us every day with her silly, sweet personality. She is still sassy, but in a funny good way (most of the time). She tests the limits and knows when she's being naughty, she finds nothing wrong with "hand slaps" when she continuously touches things she's not supposed to (and goes back for more with a smile on her face the whole time), eats anything and everything she can get her hands on (including and especially her cardboard books), and she's the. best. ever. at giving open-mouth baby kisses!

She still uses crawling as her main form of getting around, but in the past two days alone, she's gotten a whole lot more brave with walking. She's taken a few steps here and there for the past month or so, but lately, she is taking more like 10 at a time -- turning from one thing and walking to the next, walking across the living room, walking from her toy box to the couch, you name it. It won't be long until we're chasing her everywhere! 

She hasn't learned many new words since the last post, but so far, she knows: what a doggy says (woof woof), what a lion says (raaawrrr), what a cow says (mooo), and sometimes when she's feeling up to it, what a kitty says (yeeeow)! She says "All done" (aaaah duhh) when she's done with her dinner, has been trying to say please (either an "eee" or a "puh puh"), night night when we tell her it's time for bed ("nii nii") and of course, says "hi" every chance she gets! Another favorite "word" is Bruce ("boo"), which she calls every single dog and animal she sees -- in real life and in her books. She's a little smarty pants, and I swear her voice is the cutest thing I've ever heard.

Marleigh is down to one nap a day for the most part, and is doing pretty good at sleeping through the night, give or take a few restless nights when we pull her into bed with us. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that we've been gone away from home so often with camping and visiting family out of town. It's hard to keep a good sleeping routine in the summer!

As far as clothes go, she's all over the place. She STILL wears her 3-6 month onesies (and they're baggy in the legs), 9 month pants, and 12 or 12-18 month pajamas. I bought her the cutest Minnetonka moccasin booties in the Adirondacks last weekend, which are size 3 and they still give her a little bit of room to grow. I'm looking forward to building her wardrobe up for Fall and Winter (don't tell her daddy ;) haha)!

Now... to find a way to stop the clock before September 3rd rolls around and my baby turns ONE!

Marleigh Jo,

 This 11 month stage has been my absolute favorite so far. You are so fun to be around and I absolutely love watching you learn and discover new things. You are so curious, so funny, so sweet, and so smart. I know I say it all the time, but I am seriously blessed to be your mommy. I love you, baby girl!

{Bear photo outtakes}

MJ at 10 months

Well... Marleigh turned 10 months old on the 3rd, and it's now the 22nd, so it pretty much goes without saying that I completely dropped the ball on this update! Oh well. I'll still do my best to recap the month without giving too much away for the 11 month post that I WILL be on time writing for August!

{Definitely forgot to take the 10 month bear photo. I'm the worst}

At ten months, Marleigh has developed quite the little personality. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and you are in for it if you tell her no! She is strong willed and stubborn and at e same time, the sweetest little thing I've ever known. She gives the best open-mouthed baby kisses, is a fantastic snuggler (when she's sleepy), and when she randomly comes up and hugs me, it melts my heart every time!

She is crawling at turbo speed now, but we aren't quite brave enough to walk yet! She takes 4-5 steps on her own now before she realizes what she's doing and chickens out! She has mastered couch climbing, and works her way right up to sitting on the couch with no assistance. I think Luke is already getting excited to take her hiking in the Adirondacks when she gets a little older! She's a natural! ;)

Her favorite word is still "hi," usually followed up by "boo" (Bruce, my parents' dog), "dad," or sometimes something that sounds like "hi there!", complete with a backwards wave, my new favorite Marleigh-ism.

She loves to share (binkies, books, toys, and bottles), loves mooching off our plates for food (especially daddy's morning cereal), playing peek-a-boo, and tickles from daddy. She hates having her face wiped off after dinner, sitting still for diaper changes (this girl's core strength is unreal! Straight up sit-ups when you lay her on her back!) and when we take her puffs away!

At ten months, Marleigh experienced camping for the first time when we took a trip up to the adirondacks in our new pop up camper! She was such a good girl and seemed to love the great outdoors :) We leave in a couple weeks for another long weekend in the mountains, and Luke and I are both so grateful to be able to make happy family memories with her - even if she won't ever remember them!

I absolutely love this 10 month old age - the independence, sweetness, and sometimes sassiness of our little girl are so fun to witness as she comes into her own little person. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that she has been here almost a whole year already. It's the strangest thing how I can hardly remember life before her, like she's been here forever, yet at the same time I feel like she was just born yesterday! I may be in a bit of denial that I will have a toddler soon. She is going to be my baby forever, whether she likes it or not!

Happy ten months, mar! Mommy and daddy love you oh so much. You are our best little buddy and the brightest part of our days! 

Monthly Marleigh - 9 months

Am I terrible at blogging these days or what? Marleigh turned 9 months old on the 3rd and she's now closer to being 10 months old. I think I have been in a slight state of denial putting off this monthly update post. I can't even think about the fact that her first birthday is less than 3 months away. Just stop it, time! I'm begging you to let my baby stay a baby just a little bit longer!

At 9 months, Marleigh is so much fun! She's seriously like my little best friend and I absolutely love spending time with her. She's a little spitfire and definitely knows what she wants and when she wants it, which gets her into trouble every once in a while.. But overall, she's the sweetest, silliest little girl with a big personality - fake laughs, belly laughs, goofy faces, furrowed eyebrows, and -my favorite- plenty of hugs reserved for her mommy!

To keep from rambling on, here are a few of my favorite things about this 9 month stage:

- Teeth!* Marleigh so far has two lonesome little bottom teeth, with a few more visibly on the way. I finally gained the courage to let her eat "Puffs," which she loves, and I always sit in amazement while she eats them like such a big girl! *it should also be noted that, while baby teeth are insanely cute, the teething process s-u-c-k sucks. Hard.

- Not as many dietary restrictions. Going along with the whole teeth thing, we have really loved watching Marleigh discover new foods. Mashed potatoes (or any potato variety), kiwi, bananas, fluffs, ice cream (in tiny portions of course), lemons, pickles, and more! I still get paranoid about choking so I don't give her too many things to try, but we are slowly but surely adding more foods to the Marleigh menu!

- Personality. Marleigh sure does have a big personality for such a tiny little thing! She is stubborn and strong willed, goofy, adventurous, and so sweet (when she wants to be)! She always knows how to make me smile with her fake laughs and mimicking noises, she adds so much fun to my days with peek-a-boo and dancing, and she melts my heart with random moments of snuggling. Don't get me wrong -- there are days I want to rip my hair out and/or drown myself in a bottle of wine at the end of the day, but one glance at her sleeping soundly in her crib usually slaps me out of it!

- Belly laughs! Marleigh had her first laugh right around Christmas time (3 months-ish), but she's just recently started laughing more often, and I swear it is the best sound in the world! Her daddy always seems to be the best to get those real deep belly laughs with tickling, peek-a-boo, and smothering her with kisses, and she loves watching people dance and make fools of themselves! (and "Prancercising with her Mimi)

- Power naps. Marleigh does this thing lately where she will be playing and having a good ol' time and then, out of nowhere, she will decide its a good time to lay down and rest. She lays her little self down on the floor, puts her head down, and closes her eyes for a few seconds, then gets right back up and continues playing! 

- Morning snuggles. Lately, it seems Marleigh's sleep schedule has changed a bit and she's been waking up almost every morning between 5:30-5:45 for a bottle. Rather than sitting in her room rocking her, we usually just bring her into bed with us, give her the bottle, and let her fall back asleep in between us for another hour or two. If you haven't started your day with baby cuddles, you haven't lived! It's the best to have her zonked out in bed with us for those much appreciated extra moments of shut eye.

- Greetings! Marleigh's first official word was Hi, so it kind of goes without saying that we hear it multiple times a day! In the mornings when she wakes up, when either of us walk back into a room after being away for any amount of time, when daddy gets home from work, when she sees my parents' dog/cats, you name it! Her little voice saying hi is so stinkin' cute, and the excited little waves that accompany it are just as adorable!

People have been telling us that 9 months is such a fun age, and they weren't lying! It's so nice to have MJ as my little companion and I seriously cannot imagine my life without her!

9 month stats:

18 lbs. 5 oz.

29" long

Still fitting into 3 month onesies

6 or 6-9 month pants

9 or 9-12 month footie jams

Size 2-3 shoes/socks

Miss Marleigh,

Watching you learn and grow these past 9 months has been nothing short of amazing. It might sound silly, but you really are one of my best friends! I love spending time with you, being silly with you, and smothering you with hugs and kisses all day long. Even though you sometimes test my patience, I wouldn't trade these days for anything in the world. You light up my life and I love nothing more than being your momma! Happy 9 months, my sweet girl. 

8 month recap

A couple weeks ago, Marleigh turned 8 months old, which kind of chokes me up to see it in writing and say it out loud. 8 months. For some reason, it seems like such a milestone age. She's so much closer to 1 now than she is to newborn, and I catch myself wishing that I could freeze time for just a little while, to keep her little just a bit longer.

At 8 months, Marleigh is really coming into her own with a spunky, happy personality and a stubborn nature that can make you so frustrated and sneaky grins that make it so hard not to laugh when she's being naughty. She knows the way to my heart and is a constant source of entertainment!

She is becoming such a little smarty pants -- just like daddy. She knows how to put the balls into the circles on her toy dragon  and dances whenever she hears a catchy tune. She especially likes theme songs to shows (Parenthood and Grey's Anatomy, to be exact), and cranks her head around to the TV every time she hears them come on. My dad ("Papa") taught her how to wave hi and bye a few weeks ago and she's definitely mastered it, which seems to melt our hearts every time. ;)

She is in the process of getting lots of teeth in, making her pretty miserable from time to time and making us feel pretty helpless when nothing seems to be soothing her. Hylands teething tablets still seem to work pretty well, but I'll definitely be glad when those little suckers pop through her gums! (Even though I'm going to desperately miss her gummy, toothless smiles).

I think we must have gone through a growth spurt lately, because she is starting to grow out of her 6 month pajamas and 6 month pants are starting to look more like capris on her! her 3 month onesies still fit, though... oddly enough. Time for a shopping spree, perhaps!?

Overall, miss Marleigh is the best natured baby I have ever known. She lights up my life with her smiles and gives me hugs and kisses that go deep down to my soul. Even through the frustrations of days with no naps and grumpy moments here and there when her teeth are bothering her, she is my best little buddy and I am so happy and so incredibly blessed to be her momma.

Now if we can figure out how to get the time to at least slow down a little bit, for goodness sakes, that would be great.

I love you with my whole heart and soul, Marleigh Jo! I can't wait for this summer as a family together, watching you explore the world around you and making so many happy memories. Thank you for being mine :)

7 things at 7 months

As we can all probably see by now, I'm not doing so hot at keeping up this little blog these days. And I'm not sorry about it. I've been spending lots of time playing and snuggling with my baby girl, and when I'm not doing that, I'm either working (usually), or spending time with that handsome husband of mine (not enough)!

So... to switch things up a bit for this month's Marleigh update, I decided to make it a bit more concise (and less of me rambling on and on) with 7 things at 7 months. Without further ado, here are those things, in no particular order.

1. Marleigh has decided that normal crawling is for the birds, and she has since moved on to speed crawling and climbing (legs, suitcases, etc.) over and onto almost everything in sight. She stands up on anything that is raised off the ground, and has had quite a few topples and crashes to show for this newly acquired skill. She is determined, to say the least, and we are constantly kept busy chasing after her crazy little self!

2. We survived our first long (14 hour +) road trip during the week of Easter on our trip to Myrtle Beach! Marleigh was the best little passenger, never crying once (unless for the usual reasons: hungry or wet/dirty diapers) and she took nice long naps in her comfy car seat on the way there and back. She even slept like a champ (sorta)  in the hotels we stayed at along the way (we split up the drive into two 7-hour chunks each way). Needless to say, she exceeded all expectations we had for the trip!

3. She is growing like a weed! We've officially entered the 6/6-9 month clothing stage for everything but onesies (still rockin' the 3 months) and she is still so tall and skinny! At her last doctor's appointment (more on this in #4), she weighed a whopping 16.1 pounds :)

4. We suffered through her first ear infection a couple weeks ago, a double ear infection, actually... and to make matters worse, she had a terrible head cold on top of it! Our poor girl was pretty fussy for a couple of days, and definitely not her smiley, goofy self. It was sad, to say the least, and we got a few sleepless nights out of the ordeal, which wasn't fun for any of us in the Gill household! Luckily, after 7 days of antibiotics twice a day, she seems to be on the mend and she sprung back to normal pretty quick!

5. Still no teeth, but lots of chewing-on-everything-in-sight these days. Hyland's Teething Tablets and baby Tylenol have saved our lives a few times already. We can see her "tooth buds" (such a weird term) through her gums, but those little suckers are being stubborn and don't seem to want to make their way through just yet. I'm taking advantage of those big gummy smiles while they're still here!

6. Marleigh has lots of new tricks these days! Her favorite "words" to say are dada, blablah, and di-did. My dad (her Papa) taught her how to wave hi and bye, and she now knows how to put a toy phone up to her ear! She also walks behind her walker-toy, and loves to play with her tongue in her mouth (daddy taught her that one), in addition to blowing raspberries and clicking her tongue!

7. Last but not least, she is becoming a little bit clingy/attached, which I not-so-secretly love. She's starting to get that baby "shyness," burying her head into my shoulder all flirt-like when someone is talking to her! She had a little phase where she was afraid of men (had a major meltdown in a hotel elevator on the way home from vacation when a man was talking to her), and was even afraid of Luke's dad (grandpa) and our brother in law, Brian for a few days! I felt so guilty about it! She seems to be over it now, for the most part, and I'm hoping that it won't continue going forward!

I could go on and on about my sweet girl all day, but I know that's just the proud mom in me talking ;) so I'll stop there! Time is going so fast, and before we know it, we'll be planning Marleigh's 1st birthday (cue the waterworks just thinking about that)! For now, I'm enjoying 7-month young Marleigh, trying not to miss anything, because these days will be gone before I know it!

Marleigh Jo, 

Your daddy and I are so, so proud of you and the goofy, silly, sweet little girl you are becoming! Your smile lights up a room, and everyone who knows you loves you so very much. You have your daddy's determined spirit (and temper), and mommy's snuggly side (and stubbornness)! I am still so amazed that we made you, and that God has blessed us with you. You are the best baby, with the best personality, and I am incredibly grateful for you each and every day. Happy 7 months, little one! This has been my favorite month yet, and I can't wait to watch you learn and grow in the months and years to come. I love you with all my heart and soul!

Happy Half Birthday, Marleigh!

Another month has gone by and I am in awe that my baby girl is already half a year old! It is so bittersweet watching her grow up so fast. I am so incredibly proud of her, but at the same time, I wish she could stay my tiny little girl forever!

At 6 months old, Marleigh is crawling. And I'm not talking Army crawling or scooting across the room. She is full-blown, into everything crawling! We've baby-proofed the house with outlet covers and closing the doors to our staircases, and I have a feeling that I'm going to be losing the baby weight a little quicker than I thought with how often I'm chasing her around on my days off!

This past month, Marleigh and I have been really enjoying spending more time together with my new schedule, and I am incredibly grateful to be able to soak it all up! She greets me every morning with that big bright smile of hers and we have a pretty good routine down already, which is great!

Marleigh is eating 5 oz bottles at a time, and she's up to 2-3 meals of babyfood/cereal a day. Fruits and cereal for breakfast, sometimes a little bit of fruit in the afternoon after her nap, and a veggie for dinner. We still haven't come across anything that she doesn't like to eat, and she's such a good girl at meal times! She doesn't let much go to waste!

Her latest loves are her sock monkey and her Sophie. She also loves bath time, when mommy and daddy make fools of ourselves trying to get her to giggle (still working on this! Giggles are a rare occurrence despite her almost constant smiles), and crawling every chance she gets.

The doctor gave us the OK for sippy cups at her 6 month appointment, and I'm not going to lie... it made me super sad watching her drink out of it for the first time. Probably because I always associate sippy cups with toddlers, and I am by no means ready to picture her as a toddler yet! She LOVES water, and is constantly trying to steal our cups away from us when we drink it, so obviously her sippy cup is a big win in her book!

Marleigh is doing great developmentally. She chats up a storm in her precious baby babble (her favorite "word" lately is blablah), she's almost mastered sitting up (although she's too busy to sit still), and much to my dismay, she's already trying to pull herself up on the furniture! Slow down!

Luke and I have her bedtime routine down to a science, trying to get her used to sleeping through the night. We give her a bath every night (unless we're out somewhere, of course) between 7:30-7:45, I give her a baby massage with lotion and get her into her jammies at around 8, and daddy reads her a bedtime story while I give her a bottle and rock her in the glider until she falls asleep. Once story time is over, Luke gives us both a kiss on the forehead and I finish feeding Marleigh her bottle while I soak up a few peaceful, one on one moments with my girl. I sing "Dream a Little Dream of Me" every night, followed by the series of prayers that my parents said with me at bedtime ever since I can remember. These quiet 15-30 minutes are by far my favorite part of the day with her, as she gently runs her little fingers through my hair and rubs her sleepy eyes until they close.

We've started "Sleep training" her this past week, and so far it's going okay; although I hate having to hear her cry in her crib! She's slept straight through the night two times since we've started, and I'm hoping that she gets the hang of it soon. It seems to be working *knock on wood* and the crying (more like whimpering) only lasts a couple of minutes until she falls back asleep now. I'm hoping it will stick soon. Mommy and daddy are very sleepy!

At her six month checkup, Marleigh weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs 8 oz (42nd percentile) and 27" tall (92nd percentile). She's still our little string bean; tall and skinny just like her daddy!

Marleigh is the light of my life and sometimes I feel like I can't even remember what life was like before she came along. I am such a lucky momma to have her as mine :)

Marleigh Jo, you are so loved by everyone who knows you, and I thank God every single day for giving you to us! You make my every day wonderful with your bright blue eyes and big gummy smiles; and your happy little personality melts my heart! Your daddy and I love you more than words can say. You make us so, so proud, baby girl! Happy half birthday!

Outtakes:

5 months!

Stop it right now, time. You are going way too fast!

Marleigh turned 5 months last Sunday, and we have lots of updates to note this month, so get comfy because this is going to be a long one!

For starters, she has mastered rolling over, and flips to her belly within seconds of laying her down on her back. Every now and then, she gets "stuck" on her belly and yells at us until we turn her back over, just so she can flip back over again immediately... little stink! She's rolled from her belly to back a few times now, so it's only a matter of time until she's rolling her way across the room!

Along with rolling, she has also started the "scoot". I notice this most in the mornings while I'm getting ready for work, and she's getting quick at it! I'll put her on her back on her blanket with a couple toys, and before I know it, she's somehow made her way to the other side of the blanket and to the entrance of the bathroom! I have a feeling she'll be crawling soon, which makes me so excited and sad at the same time! Slow down, baby girl!

We started feeding her rice cereal after her 4 month appointment in January, and a few days later, we were given the go ahead to start with veggies and fruits. Little miss is a piggy! She loves her food and will "Growl" and open her mouth wide until we shovel more food in! We have yet to feed her anything she doesn't like. She's a good little eater, and when she doesn't blow raspberries in-between bites, she doesn't let much go to waste in the food department!

She's also starting to learn how to sit up on her own, and will do it for a few seconds at a time before she topples to one side or the other (always with mommy or daddy there to catch her, of course). She loves grabbing at her piggy toes, and is completely mesmerized by her hands! Chewing her fingers, or just staring at her hands can buy us at least 10 seconds of quiet time.

Marleigh also LOVES to read books and tries to grab at the pages every time we read with her on our laps. She will usually sit still and quiet for an entire book, even the lengthy Dr. Seuss books! She especially loves "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and anything with bright, vibrant colors on the pages.

After a couple weeks of hell in the sleeping department last month, we've started a pretty strict bedtime routine as a family and it seems to be working pretty well (knock on wood). Dinner at 6:30, quiet play time for an hour, bath at 7:30, baby massage from mommy after the bath, jammies, a bottle and a bedtime story from daddy, and asleep by 8:00 until usually 6:30 (give or take). We've been doing this for a couple weeks now, and we've gone from waking up around 7 times every night to just about 3, on average.

We've also cut out her nighttime feeding, and she seems to be doing pretty well with it. The only reason she seems to be waking up lately is if she gets uncomfortable and wants her binky to soothe her back to sleep – so Luke or I walk into her room like zombies, stick her binky in her mouth, cover her back up, and we all return to dreamland within a minute or two. We also think she's cutting her first tooth, so the past couple nights have been rough to say the least. We're both looking forward to when she sleeps through the night uninterrupted more regularly!

Marleigh has just graduated to size 2 diapers, and drinks 5 whole ounces of formula at a time now (sometimes 6 in her bedtime bottle). She is wearing 3-6 or 6 month pajamas, 3-6 or 6 month onesies, and 6 or 6-9 month pants! She's still a skinny little thing, but she's getting some of those famous baby rolls on her thighs and they're the cutest fat rolls I ever did see! ;)

Our days home with her are constantly filled with sweet baby noises – coos, growls, gurgling, and raspberries, and she has the fake cough down pat! She also loves when we tell her how terrible her fake cough is. It's always followed by a big gummy smile!

Likes:
Rolling over
Mommy's stuffed duck (yes, I still have stuffed animals. Don't judge me)
"Singing"
Sophie
Mr. Raccoon
Hands
Pulling mommy's hair
Touching mommy and daddy's faces (one of my most favorite things)
Reading stories
Baby food
Bath time

Dislikes:
Being left alone in a room (heaven forbid one of us has to go to the bathroom!)
Playing with one toy for long periods of time
Getting "stuck" on her belly

Marleigh,
It's hard to believe you have been here for almost a half a year already! You are growing so much, so fast, and daddy and I love discovering new things about you every day. You make us so proud with your wonderful little personality, and you bring more love into our lives than you will ever know! I love you with all my heart, baby girl. And more every single day!

4 month update

Can someone please tell me where the past four months have gone? Little miss Marleigh is getting bigger by the day and changing right before our eyes!

This month has been a big one in milestones for our little peanut. She's getting so very smart – interacting with all of her toys, grabbing at whatever she can get her hands on (especially mommy's hair..!), and mastering the fine art of growling, yelling, ooo-ing and aah-ing. Most recently, she's discovered that if she tries hard enough, she can get a fun little gurgle going, and her voice is the cutest sound I've ever heard! Daddy finally got her first giggles out of her the week of Christmas, but she unfortunately hasn't done it since. (Sidenote: we both cried when she did it for the first time. haha) Hopefully she will grace us with her laughter again soon!

She is SO close to rolling over (back to belly) and likes to hang out on her side lately, which makes me so proud and sad at the same time. She's also trying her best at holding her own bottle, and is pretty good at it  until she gets too excited and flips it out of her hands. Such a big girl!

As you can probably tell from the blur of this month's picture, it's getting more and more difficult to make her sit still. She's constantly trying to sit up on her own, and lunging for and "eating" everything in sight!

Luke and I are having so much fun watching her develop her little (big!) personality. Her "talking" and quirks crack us up all the time, and we're still so amazed at her (I feel like I say this every month).

At 4 months old, Marleigh is wearing 3-6 month onesies, 3-6/6 month jammies, and even fitting into some of her 9 month clothes! Her feet are a perfect size 2 (but not for long, I'm guessing) and her head finally fits into her winter hats!

Our little string bean is weighing in at 14lbs and 25"! Tall and skinny like her daddy!

Likes:
Playing with her snail from Avalee
Kicking her piano and talking to her friends on her playmat
Playing in her exersaucer (especially staring at the butterfly)
Attacking Sophie's face
Attacking mommy & daddy's faces/shoulders (Dino baby!)
Chewing on her hands
Growling / yelling / gurgling / blowing raspberries
Mr. Raccoon
Reading stories
Smiling
Watching the fishies from her projector
Taking showers
Playing with her tongue
Rice cereal! Mmm!

Dislikes:
Waking up (she has such a hard time opening her eyes!)
Being bored / hungry (obviously)
Playing alone for long periods of time



Marleigh Jo,
You are by far the biggest blessing of my life. Your smiles in the morning light up my whole day, and I look forward to your snuggles and noises all day long while I'm at work. You are growing to be such a loving, easy-going, goofy little girl, and you provide daddy and me with endless entertainment. These past four months have been the greatest months of my life, and I know that the best is yet to come! I am so proud to call you my daughter! Happy 1/3 birthday! 

Marleigh Jo -- 3 Months!

I cannot believe our little girl is already 3 months old! Where oh where has the time gone? Our little miss Marleigh is such a joy, and we find new reasons to love her every minute! This month has been a big one for her, and we're noticing so many changes in her daily. I love watching her grow big and strong, and watching her learn is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced!

At three months, Marleigh is talking up a storm. She tells us so many wonderful little stories, and greets us every morning with big gummy smiles! She is such a happy baby! She fights nap times during the day quite a bit, but she's sleeping really well at night – down at around 7:30, up for her last bottle of the day (up to 4oz. now!) at around 9:30, asleep by 10/10:30, and she usually doesn't wake up again until around 5:15, give or take.

She has started really interacting with her "friends" (aka her toys), and she loves her kick and play play mat with the built-in piano! She plays us many-a-tunes on it, likes to stare up at herself and talk, and grab "Mr. Elephant" and "Mr. Frog" (I'm clearly really creative when it comes to naming toys). 

This past week, we tried out her exer-saucer, and she loved it! She's not quite tall enough to reach the bottom and bounce yet, so we put a pillow underneath her feet, and she spent a good 10 minutes playing all by herself! She's starting to be more content without constantly needing attention, which is nice for when we have to cook dinner, take showers, or clean the house! She has no problem, however, letting us know when she's bored or tired of being alone – and she'll cry hard until she sees one of us coming to pick her up, at which point she will look up at us and smirk. Little stinker! 

Her head control has been so good since day 1, but she's getting extra strong lately – starting to try to prop herself up and sit up when we hold her in our arms, and hanging out in her Bumbo like a big girl! She's also starting to get really good with her hand/eye coordination – grabbing at her bottle and her toys and bringing everything she possibly can to her mouth!

Speaking of bringing things to her mouth, she has been acting like she is teething lately, which is pretty insane at only 3 months old. She's always gnawing on her little hands, drooling a ton, and every once in a while, she'll get super fussy for no reason. Poor girl! I'm hoping that if she is teething, her teeth will come relatively quick so that she doesn't have to deal with sore gummies for very long!

In the clothes department, she's now pretty much officially grown out of her newborn clothes (sad face), and is into mainly 0-3 month onesies, 3-6 month sleepers, and 3 month pants. It varies a bit, depending on the brands, but she is getting so big! I really need to re-organize her clothes in her dresser and pack away all of the items that are too small for her, but I just can't bring myself to do it! Denial much?!

A few likes and dislikes as of late:

Likes:
- Smiling at daddy
- Kicking and talking
- Chewing her hands
- Dancing with Papa
- Staring at "her friends" on her projector/sound machine
- Rocking in the glider while doing this ^
- Singing the "I Love You" (Barney) song with Mimi
- Snuggling with, sleeping on, and talking to mommy
- Mr. Owl
- Bath time
- Mornings on mommy & daddy's bed
- Her crunchy rattle toy in the car

Dislikes:
- Being overtired
- Falling asleep for nap time
- Kisses on her neck (daddy's beard is scratchy!)
- Wet diapers (although we're improving in this department)
- Stop lights, stop signs, and traffic jams while riding in the car
- Tummy time (trying to work on this)

Happy 1/4 birthday, Marleigh Jo! You are growing so fast, and I love watching you develop your fun little personality (even though I sometimes wish you could stay little forever). You are the absolute love of our lives, and we are still very much in awe of you every single day. We really lucked out with you, kiddo! You are such an easy going, happy little girl, and I couldn't be more proud to be your mommy! You are our greatest blessing, and each new day with you brings a whole new level of joy to our lives. I love you to the moon!

Marleigh Jo -- 2 months

It's been 2 months (and 5 days) since our precious little girl entered the world. She is growing so much, so quickly, and changing more and more each day. Over the past two months, we've learned so much about being Marleigh's parents. We know her different cries and what she needs, and most of the time, we have the tricks it takes to make her happy! We are completely in love with her, and our hearts are fuller than we ever thought they could be. I have definitely fallen in love with being a mommy!

At her two month checkup, our little string bean weighed 11lbs 8 oz and was 23 inches long!

Likes:

- Mr. Owl

- Raspberries on her tummy

- Our hair tickling her face

- Sucking on her hands

- Laying on her back

- Playing the piano on her play mat

- Looking at herself in the mirror

- Listening to mommy sing "You Are My Sunshine"

- Sitting on daddy's shoulders

- Sleeping on mommy's chest/in daddy's arms

Dislikes:

- Being left alone for any amount of time

- Naps in her swing

- Kisses on her chin/neck

- Wet diapers

- Burp breaks when she's eating

 Baby girl,

You have filled a void in our lives that we never knew existed. Words cannot express how much we love you and all your quirky little ways! You are starting to show quite the little personality, cooing and smiling and telling lots of stories, and I cannot wait to continue to watch you grow! "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," and I am so proud to call you my daughter! Happy 2 months!

One month.

As I type this, I am laying in bed with a sleeping Marleigh napping peacefully on my chest. I am listening to her breaths, her little sighs, listening to her quietly moving her mouth as she rests. I am in awe of her every movement.

It seems surreal that one month ago, I was bringing this tiny little peanut into the world. I was suffering through contractions, focusing on MY breathing, watching my husband in the last few moments before he became a daddy, and surrounded by a room full of medical professionals ready to take care of us when Marleigh finally came. And then it was my turn to take care of her.

Now, four weeks later, I feel like I can't remember my life before her. She has fit into our lives so perfectly that it seems like she's been here forever.

At one month, Marleigh has already gone through so many changes. For starters, she eats A LOT. 3-4 oz every 2-3 hours, on average, with longer time between feedings at night. She now has 2 chins because of this, where the formula likes to dribble - giving her more of a stinky cheese smell than new baby smell after a day without a bath. Bath time, by the way, is her biggest frenemy. Sometimes she loves it, and sometimes she flips out. It's slowly getting better and I think she'll eventually be a good little water baby! She still has a ton of hair that I don't even try to tame, and thankfully not much seems to have fallen out yet! It's dark like her daddy's, but showing signs of getting lighter with some auburn coloring. She has beautiful big blue eyes which are staying open longer during the days, and getting good at focusing. She is very alert and strong - moving her head around like crazy and even propping herself up with her tiny little chicken legs from time to time! Despite a couple crazy growth spurts (she gained over 1 lb. in 11 days between her first and second checkups), she is still wearing newborn clothes, some of which are still too big for her little self! I'm hoping this means that she'll grow up to be tall and skinny like her daddy! She has the most precious little face I've ever seen, and despite a little bit of fussiness from time to time and a really bad temper (I wonder where she gets that from...!), she's  a very good baby!

Fun Facts:

• Baby hiccups are a normal occurrence around here. Sometimes they can be really annoying (when they keep her from falling asleep at night). Other times (most times), they're adorable.

• No sneeze ever stands alone. Always 2-3 at a time, sometimes even more than that! It doesn't seem to bother her at all, and I love the sound of them. So little!

• Smiles are in our near future, and she gave daddy a little preview the other night (which I missed because I was out shopping for newborn clothes). We can't wait until they start happening more often!

• Taking the bottle away for a burp break before she's ready may result in serious meltdowns. Avoid when possible.

• When in doubt, check the diaper. Baby girl seriously hates any amount of potty in there. We might as well take stock in Pampers now! I'm pretty sure we could singlehandedly keep them in business.

• Every morning begins with a visit with her "friends," the gear wall hangings in mommy and daddy's bedroom. She sits and stares at them for 10-15 minutes at the start of each day, always accompanied by flailing arms and baby talk (aka dinosaur noises), and followed by a nice snuggle session with mommy.

I know I sound like a broken record, but time honestly seems to be going faster than ever before. One month down, and a lifetime to go! I am truly in my element as a mommy, and I feel like I have the best new job in the world. God has truly blessed our little family of 3, and I have never been happier or more content with my life.

Happy 1 month birthday, little girl! You've had us wrapped around your little finger from the start, and we find something new to love about you every day. We are so proud to be your parents!

3 weeks in

I can't believe it's already been over three weeks since we welcomed this sweet little girl into our lives. Every day, I wake up to her precious face and wonder how I ever got so blessed to be her mommy. I constantly stare at her little self, and all of her precious newborn parts, and I get this overwhelming sense of love and pride. We made this little human. I carried her in my belly for 9 months and went through three days of pain and 20 minutes of pushing to welcome her into our world. It's really surreal to look at her and think of how she came to be. The fact that she is the perfect blend of her daddy and me, our perfect little creation, is so amazing. It really makes you appreciate the miracle that babies are.

These past three weeks have passed by so quickly already, and it seems like she's growing so fast. I feel like the days are flying by and I wish time would just freeze for a while so I can soak up all of these moments -- the peacefulness of our 4am feedings, her funny little facial expressions, the way she snorts when she gets mad that her bottle isn't ready the second she wakes up from her naps... Every little thing she does makes me love her even more, and even though most days I'm exhausted and covered in spit-up, I have never felt so much joy.

 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

Marleigh Jo,
These past three weeks with you have been the greatest of my life. I thank God every day for bringing you into my world. You are and will always be my baby and my greatest accomplishment. There is nothing I love more than being your mommy! Your daddy and I love you more than you will ever know.

A tiny update

{photo credit: Agape Photography}

I've been so quiet around here lately, and I promise that sometime soon I will get back to updating and posting more regularly. Until then, you can find me changing diapers, holding bottles, snuggling, singing, and soaking up every second of newborn-ness with my little girl. These days are truly precious, and time is already going way too fast. Happy 3 weeks, Marleigh Jo. You are the light of my life!

An Introduction

She's here!

Marleigh Jo Gill

Born September 3, 2012

4:23 am

7 lbs, 11 oz / 21 inches

Marleigh is finally here, and she was the best 1 year anniversary gift we could have ever asked for! We've been spending our time soaking in all of the wonderful newborn sounds, smells, and yes -- even cries, and have to basically force ourselves to do anything other than stare at her perfect little face. We have never loved anything more. To say we are blessed would be an understatement!