Rob, Lindy, Little Miss Marle Jo & Gracie

Marley Jo & Gracie

2010-08-25T09:14:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago our family photographer; Wendy Tittsworth; whom we love dearly took a bunch of picture of the girls and needless to say we absolutely love them. Where we got our pictures taken was in Greenback, TN. It was beautiful and so us. This is not the first time that Wendy has taken our pictures but these pictures by far are our girls and could not be more perfect! Since the girls are getting a little older this is one of the first pictures we have of the girls where they are both smiling and looking at the camera! Even though it was 100 degrees outside Wendy was still able to capture our girls exactly how they are. Thanks you so much Wendy and we can't wait for you to take our pictures again in November.

Mary-James Birthday Party....

2010-08-20T10:51:00.002-04:00

While Rob and I were in Alabama for Wendy and BJ's wedding mom and dad took the girls to Mary-James' birthday party at the Knoxville Zoo. They said Marley had so much fun. Dad had to take Gracie to an air conditioned building because she is our little hot box (obviously she gets that from my dad) and was over being in the heat. Marley, Mary-James' and Maddie are all in the same class at school and are such good friends. As you can tell by the pictures it was hot but nothing could stop these little ones from having fun! We are so fortunate to have my parents and for them to take the girls to special events like this when we are not able to! Thanks mom and dad! I know the girls had a great time with y'all and had a blast at the birthday party as well!

I love stickers...

2010-08-10T10:01:00.003-04:00

This is what happens when Aunt HayHay comes over and plays "stickers" with Marley. Marley loves putting stickers on anything but paper and of course Aunt HayHay let's that happen but we wouldn't change it for the world! They have such a wonderful time together! Marley loves her HayHay!

Jumping...

2010-08-10T09:45:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday we went to Pump it up for Mia's 4th birthday party and as you can tell by the pictures Marley has a blast. She loved going down the big slide by herself and through all the obstacle courses with Rob. We hope Mia had as much fun at her birthday party as we did!

Cookie time....

2010-08-10T09:35:00.004-04:00

Marley and I baked "Cherrybrook Kitchen" chocolate chip cookies the other night. Since Marley is allergic to eggs baking isn't the easiest thing for us to do. I finally found some egg free chocolate chip cookies that we could bake together and to our surprise the cookies did not taste bad at all but I am sure it helped that we did add some extra chocolate chips. Marley and I had so much fun doing this together! I can't wait until we can do this again!

Loving life...

2010-08-10T09:31:00.002-04:00

Here are some cute pictures that were taken at Mom & Dad's a few weeks ago! We love going out to mom and dad's and spending time out there. We have been there almost every Sunday this summer and the few Sunday's we did not go Marley sure did remind us that we were suppose to be there!

Little Miss Marley Jo...

2010-08-02T14:43:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures that I just had to share of Marley and her friends from school. We have always known that Marley loves going to school but when I saw these pictures; especially the ones of Marley and the girls,it made me realize how blessed we are to be able to send Marley to Maryville Children's Academy and what wonderful friends Marley already has at such a young age! She is growing up so fast!

Such a cutie...

2010-07-22T10:26:00.003-04:00

This picture of Gracie was taken on Tuesday when Mom was keeping the girls. Gracie was eating some applesauce in this picture. She is so stinkin cute!

2010-07-21T10:01:00.005-04:00

Man oh man it's been a while since I updated our blog. It seems like there isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done. Marley and Gracie are doing great and growing like weeds. Marley is talking up a storm and putting sentences together, absolutely loves her little sister and is turning into such a big girl. Gracie is rolling over, starting to eat baby food and absolutely love watching and talking to Marley. I cant' believe that in less than 4months Marley will be 2 years old and that in less than a month Gracie will be 6 months old. Where does time go? It seems like Gracie is growing up faster than Marley did at this age. Marley is starting to look exactly how I did at her age - I absolutely love it and Gracie still had her big beautiful blue eyes and is definitely a daddy's girl especially right before bed time. We absolutely could not ask for a better life. We have the best time with our girls and our family! We are truly blessed!

My girls!!!!

2010-06-08T15:01:00.003-04:00

I just had to share these picture that my mom took of the girls today! I absolutely love them! So sweet! They are my life and I honestly don't know what we did without them!

Picnic & Lake...So much fun with family!

2010-06-08T09:46:00.014-04:00

A few weekends ago we took the girls to the mountains and had a picnic and then went out to the lake. Marley had so much fun playing in the creek in the mountains and she had a blast at the lake with Nana & Papa. Gracie seems to really enjoy being outside and is starting to notice more and more especially when it comes to Marley. It is so much fun to watch Marley interact with Gracie. It is almost like she thinks she is the momma! Marley is head over hills in love with Gracie and wants to make sure she is taken care of. Hopefully in several years I will be saying the same thing!!

Mother's Day Weekend...

2010-05-18T14:26:00.009-04:00

Mother's Day weekend was an absolute blast! Saturday Aunt KT, cousin Elli, Nana, me and the girls went to the zoo and had a great time! The weather was perfect and the girls had alot of fun. On Sunday for Mother's Day we all went out to mom and dad's and got to enjoy hanging out with our family. We are all truly blessed to have each other and we always have an amazing time together. It is wonderful being able to watch the kids interact with each other and play. It is crazy to see the difference from this time last year. Just when we think it can't get any better it does. Being a mommy is the best thing that ever happenend to me and I am so grateful/thankful to have such an amazing family! Life is good....

Memphis trip....

2010-04-27T14:46:00.012-04:00

Me, Mom and the girls loaded up and went to Memphis a few days to visit with family and we had a blast. The girls got to see family and Marley even got to play with Abbi and Ava (my best friends girls) for a while. We also went to the ball park to watch John and Chris play baseball. This was the first time some of our family had seen Gracie so it was a much needed trip. We can't wait until we get to go back and see everyone again! As you can tell by the pictures we had a great time.

Sorry there are not captions under the pictures but for some reason it is not allowing me to type anything under or above them...hopefully that will get fixed before my next post!

Pictures, Pictures & More Pictures

2010-04-27T11:04:00.011-04:00

To get our blog back up to date I am have put some recent pictures of the girls on here that we think are super cute. This should get us back on track to where I can update the blog weekly or every other week from this point forward! Sorry for the delays!

More pictures....

2010-03-08T21:41:00.011-05:00

I hope ya'll enjoy the below photo's. I know there are quite a few of them but I just had to share! Enjoy!

She's here....

2010-03-08T20:40:00.009-05:00

Gracie is here! She arrived February 15, 2010 at 8:35am; weighing 6lbs and was 18 1/4inches long. I was 36 weeks 6 days - yes once again early but not as early as I was with Marley and thank goodness Gracie didn't have to go to Children's Hospital.

Here is the story!

I had been having contractions all weekend that were about 4-6 minutes apart but never got any closer and my back pain was pretty constant. Sunday night I went to bed not thinking a thing. Needless to say at 2:34am (that is actually the time that Marley was born) my water broke and the fun began!

Rob called and woke up mom and dad up so they could come to the house to watch Marley until Aunt Kriston got there so they could come to the hospital to be with us.(Yes we already had this planned as you can tell) I got in the shower, put my make up on, did my hair and then Rob made us wait in the car until mom and dad got to the house - he was afraid that Gracie would come faster than Marley did which wouldn't have been good!

When we got to the hospital it was about 3:30am. I was admitted and at this point was dilated 3cm and was 80% effaced. Once I was dilated around 5cm I got my epidural (which I didn't have a chance to get with Marley). It was perfect. I could not feel from my boobs to the top of my legs but I could feel everything else and I stopped feeling my contractions almost immediately it seemed.

Since Kriston's sister Whitney is a labor and deliver nurse and just had a baby of her own she told Kriston about "laboring down" which allows the baby to come "naturally/on its own" instead of pushing for so long. Well thanks to Whitney giving us that wonderful information I was able to "labor down" and at 8:15am I started pushing. I pushed 5 or 6 times and Gracie made her grand appearance at 8:35am. She was absolutely perfect and so tiny!

I can honestly say that giving birth to Gracie was amazingly easy and I know I am truly blessed to be able to say that. It was definitely bitter sweet especially since we are not sure that we will have anymore. Rob thinks that living with 3 females is all he can handle...but only time will tell! No matter what we have the perfect life and couldn't ask for anything more!

We truly could not have done any of this without our family. Aunt Kriston, Uncle Jason and Elli allowed Marley to spend the night with them as well as Mom and Dad. It was so nice not to have to worry about if Marley was being taken care of etc. Thank all of ya'll so much! We love all of ya'll more than you will ever know.

Where is Gracie???

2010-03-01T15:39:00.001-05:00

For months now we have been asking Marley "Where is Gracie"? and she would either point to her stomach or my stomach. Then Marley would come and kiss my belly when you asked her to kiss Gracie...it was oh so sweet.

I am definitely not one to like the "pregnant belly pictures" especially of myself but I thought this picture of Marley kissing my belly/Gracie was to cute not to share. Hopefully she will continue to kiss Gracie once she arrives!!! At least her kissing my belly now is a good start!!!

So much catching up to do.....

2010-03-01T15:23:00.006-05:00

Man.... I have a lot of catching up to do!!!

Several, several weeks ago on a Friday; Marley and Elli got to spend the morning/afternoon together while Aunt Kriston went and got her hair done. Mom was going to watch Ellison for a few hours and Dad was going to go and get Parker around lunch so all the kids could play. As you can tell by the above pictures Marley and Elli are starting to have a big time together. Unfortunately Parker got to the house after the photo shoot but he did get to go the "Jerry's - aka Chili's" with his Papa for lunch before coming over to see the girls. Marley, Ellison and Parker love playing together and it is so much fun watching them interact with each other. Especially since Elli is starting to walk! Before to long they will be chasing each other! I am so glad that we all live so close to each other where our kids are able to play together!

Sweet, Precious Girls

2010-02-02T13:12:00.004-05:00

(Elli on left, Marley on right)

This picture was taken a few weeks ago when Marley and Elli spent the day together with Nana and Papa! I absolutley love this picture!. They already have so much fun together and it is only going to get better! Aren't they just sweet, precious girls!

Elli's First Birthday....

2010-01-13T10:01:00.010-05:00

Elli - the adorable Birthday girl!

Our little family

Marley & Mommy

Elli's Aunt Whitney (36 weeks pregnant) & Aunt Lou (32 weeks pregnant)

Marley and her Aunt KT!

I can't believe that my sweet niece Ellison just had her first birthday! We had such a wonderful time at her birthday party. Marley absolutely lovers her cousin Elli to death. They are now about to interact with each other and are starting to really enjoy each other's company. I hope they are the best of friends as they grow up and when they get older! Elli we hope you had a wonderful birthday and thank you so much for allowing us to come and celebrate with you!

Finally Christmas pictures!

2010-01-13T09:47:00.011-05:00

Marley absolutely loves her cousin Elli

Elli says...lets keep going Marley don't stop for the picture!

Elli, Marley & Parker in their Christmas PJ's

I know I am a little behind on updating the blog these days but hopefully I will get back into the swing of things shortly. We had a wonderful Christmas as you can tell by the above pictures! We are so blessed with wonderful friends and family. Christmas is so much fun with so many little ones around! We hope ya'll had a wonderful Christmas/holiday season as well!

Wilson Family Christmas

2009-12-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

Here is a little peek at our Wilson Family Christmas from this past weekend. What a great family picture and how adorable the little ones look in their Christmas pj's. As soon as I get more pictures downloaded I will post them as well! We hope everybody is having a Happy Holiday Season!

Where does the time go...

2009-12-01T15:37:00.004-05:00

I cant' believe that it is almost time for Christmas - where has the time gone? We are looking forward to all of our family Christmas activities this year. Marley is going to be so much fun. It is hard to believe that Marley was only 5 weeks old this time last year and now she is every where and turning into such a big girl!

I am now 26 weeks pregnant and everything is going wonderfully (only 14 weeks to go at the most). This pregnancy has definitely flown by!I think knowing what to expect and having a little one to chase after helps out alot. I can't wait to see if Gracie looks like Marley! I have a feeling they are going to look alot alike...only time will tell!

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now it's time to get decorated for Christmas, I can't believe it is already that time of year!

Just a little glimpse....

2009-11-24T10:33:00.005-05:00

Here is just a little glimpse of how adorable Marley's 12 months pictures are. I am so happy we have Wendy taking our family pictures again! She is absolutely amazing! We can't show you to many of them because it will ruin all of our upcoming suprises! Enjoy!

Happy First Birthday Marley Jo...

2009-11-11T12:36:00.011-05:00

Our little family

Such a big girl...

So much fun!

Gigi, Marley, Nana & Great Nana

Such a cutie!

Marley's Smash Cake

Seems like yesterday I was waking Rob up to tell him that my water broke and that we were going to have Marley soon. Everything happened so fast that night and Marley was definitely ready to be here. I don't think she has slowed down since - and now we just had her first birthday party...I just can't believe it.

Great Nana, Great Papa (Rob's grandparents) and Gigi (Rob's mom) came in town and we all went to mom and dad's house to have Marley's birthday party. Uncle Jason, Aunt Kriston, cousin Elli, Uncle Adam, Aunt Angie, cousin Parker, Aunt Haley and Mimi Sue also joined us! We all ate bar-be-que, watched Marley play with her cake and opened presents. Marley didn't smash her face in her cake like I was hoping but she did have fun playing in it. Marley got so many wonderful gifts. I think all the kids (Marley, Elli and Parker) enjoyed playing with all the new toys. We couldn't have asked for a better birthday party with family and friends. We are truly blessed!

So much fun at the Pumpkin Patch...

2009-11-09T17:43:00.008-05:00

Several weekends ago we took Marley Jo to the pumpkin patch and she absolutely had a blast. As soon as we got her out of the car she started waving and saying hi to the people on the hayride. We put her down beside all the pumpkins and she had to check all of them out and talk and wave to everybody who came by. It was such a beautiful day in East Tennessee and we had so much fun at the pumpkin patch! We can't wait until next year when Gracie will be here to go with us!

Marley is going to have a...

2009-10-09T11:40:00.002-04:00

Little Sister....

We went to the doctor on Tuesday for our anatomy ultrasound and we are definitely having a girl! Gracie Leigh Edwards! Leigh (actually Lee) is my Granny Dot's middle name, Rob's mother's middle name and my grandfather's brother's name. So Gracie will have a "family" middle name just like Marley. We are very excited about having another girl! Rob thinks Marley and Gracie are going to look alot a like. From the ultrasound picture it looks like Gracie's face is the same shape as Marley's.

When I think about having two girls this close in age; part of me feels like at times it will feel like we have twins. I have always said that I wanted twins so I guess in a way I am getting what I have always wished for but just in a different way! Only time will tell...

Just a little update!

2009-09-29T10:33:00.005-04:00

Marley is growing up so fast. We can't believe in less than a month she will be a year old. She is walking every where and getting better and better at it daily. She loves to be chased and to play hide and seek. She is transitioning from formula to regular milk and starting to eat "big people" food - which she absolutely loves. She is starting to recognize objects (blanket, ball, book etc.) and when you ask her to bring it to you she will. Marley also laughs constantly these days. She is such a little character.

The above pictures were taken at Parker's 2nd birthday party last weekend. We had so much fun and needless to say there was never a dull moment with all the kids playing together. Parker got lots of wonderful present and is such a joy to be around.

We find out Monday, October 5th if Marley will have a little brother or sister! We can't wait. I am definitely ready to start getting everything together and decorating the nursery. Before we know it this little one will be here! I can't believe I am almost half way there.

Until next time....

Such a fun weekend!

2009-09-17T10:13:00.009-04:00

First car ride together!

Nana and her girls!

So much fun swinging!

Just playing!

Marley & Elli - oh to cute!

First bath together - they had so much fun!

This past weekend Nana and Papa watched cousin Ellison while Aunt KT and Uncle Jason went out of town. Saturday we took the girls to the park and Sunday they played at Nana and Papa's. Saturday took some time warming up to each other but on Sunday they had a blast. The only time they stopped was to eat or take a nap. It is so exciting to see the girls reach the age where they are able to start playing and interacting with each other. We all had a great time and as you can tell by the pictures the girls did as well!

Too cute not so share...

2009-09-17T10:09:00.004-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from the UT/ Western Kentucky game. I thought they were too cute not to share. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Go Vols...

2009-09-09T10:56:00.012-04:00

Hi Everybody - It's football time in Tennessee!

Such a happy girl!

Marley & Smokey

Marley & Nana

Oh so sweet!

Marley & Mommy

Too cute!

Saturday Marley and I went to mom and dad's to watch the football games since Rob was out of town. We had so much fun. I must say that Marley is definitely the cutest little vol fan! It was such a beautiful day and a great ball game! Go Vols!

So sweet...

2009-09-09T10:53:00.002-04:00

Rob took this picture of Marley last week when they were in the truck. I absolutely love it. It looks like she is smiling at him saying "I love you daddy"!

So much fun at the park...

2009-09-01T15:08:00.008-04:00

The girls!

I love swinging

Marley & Ellison

Drinking my "milk" but I think there is really juice in there

So much fun!

Today Nana and Marley met Aunt Kriston and cousin Ellison at the park to play for a little while. It was a very pretty day and it looks like they all enjoyed themselves.

So many new things...

2009-09-01T14:46:00.009-04:00

These stairs look so much fun!

Papa has the touch - sweet girl

Little wiggle worm!

So comfy!

I love to stand by myself!

This past weekend Rob and I went to Nashville to meet Matt and Ashley to hang out and go to the Keith Urban/Sugarland concert. We had a great weekend!

While we were in Nashville Marley stayed with her Nana and Papa. Needless to say her and Papa are big buddy's. Marley was also showing Nana and Papa the new things she has started doing. Like standing by herself, taking a couple steps, falling asleep on Papa (and Rob), and finding the stairs at Nana and Papa's for the first time.

Marley is definitely growing up. She loves to fake cough, laugh by herself and when your laughing, she will mock you and thinks that every time you are eating she needs to eat as well -she is definitely our little piggie. Marley is also saying dada, mama, nana, hi, bye and is trying very hard to say dog/doggie. Marley is also only having a bottle in the morning and at night time. The rest of the day she is using her big girl "sippy" cup! I don't know who it is going to be hard on giving up the night time bottle her or me!!! Before to long we will drop the morning bottle and then we will drop the night time bottle which will make me a sad momma - I know she will still have her "sippy" cup but it won't be the same! I know this is part of the process but Marley is still our little baby and it doesn't seem like we should already be doing these things. We just can't believe how much she changes and the new things she tries daily!

10 months old already...

2009-08-26T09:47:00.003-04:00

Where in the world does the time go? I can't believe that Marley is already 10 months old and that we have already started to plan and prepare for her 1st birthday party. Marley is changing daily and is becoming such an independent little girl. She is crawling every where, cruising, pulling up on everything and will try to stand there by herself every once in a while. Marley is also trying to say new words, making new sounds daily and is definitely getting the cutest personality.

We finally made her start wearing shoes all day and she looks like such a big girl. I am so happy/excited that we are having another little one because Marley is definitely not a baby anymore. Rob and I can't believe how fast she has grown up. I will post more pictures soon! Sorry I have not done well on keeping the blog updated. Things have been crazy around here but I promise to do better!

Something was funny...

2009-08-05T12:14:00.003-04:00

Even thought Marley isn't looking at the camera, I just had to share. We were outside playing in the yard one afternoon and she just kept laughing. I don't know if the grass was tickling her or what but whatever it was she thought it was too funny!

Guess What....

2009-07-23T14:28:00.003-04:00

Baby Edwards 7 weeks and 1 day

Marley is going to be a big sister!!!! Our little family of 3 is fixing to turn into a wonderful family of 4. Rob and I found out I was pregnant on July 1st and went to our second doctor's appointment yesterday. We got to hear and see the baby's heart beat; which was amazing and the doctor said everything looks great! Baby Edwards is due March 8, 2009! We know that Marley is going to be a great big sister and lots and lots of help! We truly feel blessed.

To cute not to share...

2009-07-21T11:49:00.002-04:00

Since the girls (Marley & Ellison) were born we would ask Parker where the baby's were and he would point at them. Now we are trying to teach him to say their names instead of saying baby. Well when Parker says Marley it sounds like he is saying Money so now we have been calling Marley, Money when Parker is around. It is just to precious hearing Parker say Marley (aka Money). Hopefully Money won't stick but for now it is just too cute!

First trip to the zoo....

2009-07-21T11:33:00.015-04:00

Aunt Angie, Parker & Uncle Adam

Say Cheese

Parker & Papa

Marley & Papa

Papa, Marley, Nana & Parker

Marley & her Nana

Me & Dad

Marley's first trip to the Brewery!

Marley & Mommy

Marley & Daddy

Parker & Aunt Lou

On Saturday Nana, Papa, Uncle Adam, Aunt Angie, Parker and the three of us meet at the Downtown Brewery for lunch and then went to the zoo. The weather could not have been any better. Marley and Parker had a blast at lunch and at the zoo. Marley loved looking at all the animals, people, playing with Parker and the rest of the family. She even went on her first carousal ride which she absolutely loved. We had so much fun at lunch and the zoo with our family and are looking forward to our next trip!

4th of July...

2009-07-07T10:43:00.007-04:00

Cousin Lauren & Marley

Aunt HayHay & Marley

Little Miss Marley Jo

Mommy, Marley & Aunt HayHay

Nana & Marley playing "patty cake"

We had a great 4th of July with our family and friends. Aunt Kathy and Lauren came for a visit and had a great time with everybody especially the kids. We had a shrimp boil, went swimming and hung out on the dock at Mom and Dad's on Saturday. It was fun watching Marley and Ellison try to play with each other. Ellison is still so soft and gentle where Marley was ready to play and play hard. It won't be to much longer until they are running around every where and can do just about whatever together.

Marley now has her top 2 and bottom 2 teeth and another one on the way. She is trying her hardest to crawl and is getting so frustrated because she seems to always go backwards or in a circle. Bless her heart she might be like her daddy and never end up crawling. She is also starting to pull herself up and stand up while holding onto things. She will get brave and let go of whatever it is she is holding onto to see how long she can stand alone and sometimes she does very well. Marley is now saying "dada" and "nana" and every now and then you can hear a "mama" in there but not to often.

We hope everybody had a wonderful weekend! Love ya'll!

A year ago today...

2009-06-23T13:49:00.004-04:00

On June 13, 2008 (I was 17 weeks pregnant) I called Dr. Schwarz (my old "girly doctor") to see if she would do an ultrasound for us to try and see what we were having since it was Rob's birthday and because Father's day was 2 days away. She said for us to come in at noon (which was her lunch break) and she would try and see if she could tell. I immediately called Rob and told him to meet me at the doctor's office at noon and he said is everything ok, what's going on and I told him that we could possibly find out the sex of our baby. I remember Rob's voice, he was so excited, he almost sounded like a little kid at Christmas time. Once we got to the doctor's office Dr. Schwarz kept looking around and talking for what seemed like forever (ok it was like 25 minutes) but since the baby was being so active it was hard for her to be 100% sure. Dr. Schwarz said she would bet her car that we were having a girl. We were so excited but since we were not 100% sure we still had to wait until June 23, 2008 for the definite answer.

On June 23, 2008 (I was 18 weeks 3 days pregnant) Rob and I went to see my OB/GYN, Dr. Schroeder for our anatomy ultrasound. We got to see all of the baby's body parts and once again the baby was very active. Rob and I were both prepared to hear boy or girl, either way it didn't matter to us as long as the baby was healthy. At the end of the ultrasound the nurse said "would ya'll like to know what ya'll are having" (and I remember Rob grabbing my hand) and we both said yes. She said.....it's a girl. I remember looking at Rob with a tear running down my face and he had the biggest smile imaginable. I looked at the nurse and said are you sure and she said yes it's definitely a girl. We were so excited and couldn't believe that we actually knew what we were having. From this point forward everything felt and seemed so real and our little bug was no longer baby Edwards but little Miss Marley Jo!

I think what meant the most to me was that I got to name my little girl after my nana and my best friend (Betty Jo Durham). My nana passed away unexpectedly 3 months before Rob and I got married (5 years ago) and I truly believed that we had a girl for a reason. Marley Jo is already so much like my Nana and she is still so little. I know that my Nana is watching over little Miss Marley Jo and is so proud of her and the parents that Rob and I have became. I can only imagine what it would be like if my nana was still with us today. I can not wait until Marley is older so I can tell her all about her wonderful "great" nana. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think or talk about my nana and I am so glad that I will have Marley to share all of these stories with!

Time sure does fly... I can't believe that a year ago today we found out we were having a baby girl - little Miss Marley Jo and can't believe that she will be 8 months old tomorrow. We love our little bug and couldn't imagine our lives without her! We are definitely blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.

So cute and growing up so fast

2009-06-22T13:28:00.005-04:00

Little Miss Marley is growing us so fast. I promise there is not a day that goes by that she doesn't do something new or something to amaze us. Marley has 3 teeth on the top that are trying to come through so needless to say the past few nights she has been waking up at least once for us to put some medicine on her gums. As soon as we put the medicine on her gums she is good to go and goes right back to sleep.

Marley is trying to pull herself up while holding onto her bouncer. She is so close to being able to pull herself all the way up. We have learned one thing, Marley isn't afraid of anything. She will just let go of the bouncer and fall to the ground and act like it was no big deal. Marley is also very close to crawling. When she is sitting down she falls forward and gets everything in the correct position; except she can't figure out how to get her feet behind her. She is so adorable when she is trying to figure all of this out. For now she is either rolling everywhere or scooting on her belly "backwards" to get where she wants to go. She loves standing up and "walking" while holding our hands. She is getting brave and has started to only hold one hand instead of both. I have a feeling that before to long we are definitely going to have our hands full, but it will be so wonderful and worth it!

Marley is also saying "dada" and "baba". If you could only see Rob's face when she says "dada". He lights up like no other. We both know she doesn't know what "dada" means yet, but before to long she will and we can't wait.

This Friday we are taking Marley to get allergy tested. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this 4 hour appointment goes well and that everything comes back negative! I'll keep you posted on the results once we get them.

We hope you have a great week and thanks for checking on our little bug!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-06-22T13:14:00.006-04:00

Rob, PawPaw (Marley's Great Grandfather) & Marley

Grand dad (Rob's father) & Marley

Marley in GiGi's (Rob's mom's) high chair

GiGi & Marley

June 13th was Rob's birthday and we had so much fun. We went to Columbia, TN to GiGi's (Rob's mom's) house and had birthday dinner with the family. Then Saturday morning we went to MawMaw and PawPaw's house (in Pulaski, TN) to have birthday breakfast with Rob's dad's side of the family. We had a great visit with all of the family and we are so glad that everybody got to spend a little time with Marley.

Such a fun Sunday...

2009-06-10T10:47:00.017-04:00

Playing in the creek

Marley & Mommy's feet

Marley's first boat ride

Marley getting ready to drive

Nana & Marley

Papa & Marley

Marley, Nana & Papa

Such a yummy zipper

Well hey there...

I'm on a mission

Grand kids take 1

Grand kids take 2

On Sunday we went to Nana and Papa's to celebrate their anniversary. Marley got to go on her first boat ride and she absolutely loved it. Aunt Kriston, Uncle Jason, Ellison, Uncle Adam, Aunt Angie and Parker also joined us that afternoon. We had a big time as usual. We cooked out, enjoyed each other's company and the beautiful day. The little one's enjoyed swimming, hanging out at the dock and playing with each other. The only thing that could have made the day any better would have been for Rob to be there with us. He had to work all weekend so he didn't make it out until Sunday evening. I hope mom and dad had a wonderful anniversary! We enjoyed celebrating this special day with you and we love ya'll very much!

Some of my favorite pictures from Mother's day...

2009-06-10T10:39:00.008-04:00

Our little family...

Mommy & Marley

Nana, Mommy & Marley

Here are some of my favorite pictures that were taken on Mother's day. I know it is a little late but I just realized I had not put them on our blog and I wanted to share. I hope everybody is having a wonderful week.

Swim time...

2009-06-03T11:14:00.016-04:00

Big splashes for such a little girl...

So much fun

I love my new float

Such a little cheese

So relaxing

Such a big girl!

I am just to stinkin cute!

Precious

Go faster daddy!

Yesterday was the first day that Marley got to truly go "swimming" and she had a blast. She had been in the pool previously but only for a few minutes because it was so close to her nap time. So yesterday after Mom and Marley ran some errands they decided to have some fun and go swimming. Rob got to mom and dad's right around this time to pick Marley up so he got to have some fun in the pool with Marley as well. Since Rob is working for the Tennessee Smokies as well as his regular job, this was the first time he has gotten to see Marley in the water. They had so much fun. Marley absolutely loves the water, had fun in her float that she got to use for the first time and especially loved playing with her daddy. We are going to have so much fun with her in the pool and at the lake this summer. We are so fortunate that mom and dad have such a wonderful place for the kids to go and play and have so many different things for them to do and enjoy.

*As you can tell by the pictures, Rob didn't know that he was going to be in the water yesterday seeing that he was still in his work clothes but he will do anything for his little girl!

Look at my bow!

2009-05-27T13:47:00.003-04:00

Marley's hair is finally getting long enough to where she is able to wear bows. This is the first time we have had a "real" bow in her hair and I must say she looks precious. I think that the bows make her look more like a little girl. I can only imagine how many more bows we will purchase in the years to come! Our little bug is just changing daily and we love her so much!

Welcome back....

2009-05-27T13:44:00.003-04:00

We are excited that Aunt Haley (Rob's sister) has moved back to Knoxville to finish up her last few years of Pharmacy school. It is going to be so nice to have Aunt Hay Hay back in Knoxville so she can be around Marley alot more and watch her learn and grow! Aunt Hay Hay we are so excited you are back!!! Welcome home!!!

Memorial Weekend...

2009-05-27T11:16:00.018-04:00

Hold me tight Papa

Am I precious or what!!!

What a fun new toy...

So sleepy

Can I tell you my story please...

Such a big girl...

I love playing with my Papa

Susan & Marley

Over Memorial weekend Marley stayed with her Nana and Papa while Rob and I went to St. Louis for a long weekend. Once Rob and I got past being stuck in the Atlanta airport for 11.5 hours we had a great trip. Nana, Papa and Marley definitely had a great weekend. They had several friends come visit, went to lunch, went shopping and sat on the dock and enjoyed each other's company. There is no doubt in my mind that Marley kept Nana and Papa entertained!

On Sunday when we got back, Rob and I could not believe how much it looked like Marley had changed in 3 days. Her hair has definitely grown and she is starting to look like a little girl now instead of like a baby. Mom and Marley met us at the airport and once again I wish I would have had my camera to capture Marley's face when she saw us. It was definitely priceless!

We are so thankful to have mom and dad in East Tennessee with us to help us out with Marley. Marley loves being with them and there is no doubt in my mind that as young as she is, they are already spoiling her. Thanks so much Mom and Dad for watching Marley while Rob and I were out of town. We greatly appreciate it and so does our little bug!

Marley Jo Update

2009-05-14T12:58:00.003-04:00

It seems like everyday Marley is changing and there is something new going on with her. I know I have said it a hundred times, but I can't believe how fast our little bug is growing up. In the past week Marley has started cutting her 2nd tooth, eating the 2nd foods baby food, is sleeping with out being swaddled, has learned how to "jump" in her jumper and has started to laugh when we laugh - which I must say is the best sound in the world.

Marley absolutely loves sleeping on her stomach. We put her in bed about 7:15pm and do not hear a peep out of her until about 6:00-7:00am. I think she sleeps so much better on her stomach and without being swaddled. It is fun to go in her room in the mornings to see where she is going to be in the bed. Some nights she moves around every where and other's she doesn't move much at all.

Marley also loves going to her daycare/school. The teacher's told me the other day that Marley is already a social butterfly and that her and the other little girls love playing together. They sit there and talk to each other and sometimes start to get upset/cry when it is time for one of their friends to go home for the day. It is so fun and sweet to see Marley with her friends. Even though they are all so young it is amazing how they interact and know so much about each other already.

Marley has also started pulling her legs up under neither her when she sleeps and when she is in the floor playing. I have a feeling she is starting to prepare herself for crawling, but for now she knows how to get where ever she wants to by rolling. I can only imagine what it will be like when she starts crawling. I am sure that day will be here before we know it.

We are so blessed to have such a healthy, happy and wonderful baby girl (yes I could keep going on and on and on - but y'all get the point)! I don't know what we did to deserve it, but we must have done something right!

Thanks for keeping up with our little bug! Love to all!

So much fun...

2009-05-14T12:51:00.005-04:00

My Nana is so silly!

So much fun!

Taking a little break from playing

Marley and Nana once again had a lot of fun on Tuesday. They played at Nana's house for a while then went to our house where Nana and Marley played in her room most of the afternoon. As you can tell by the pictures Marley was having a blast. Nana always has fun and exciting new stuff for them to do. I can only imagine what they will be getting into once Marley is a little older!

Mother's Day...

2009-05-14T12:25:00.007-04:00

Our little family

Marley & her Daddy!

Our little bug

Marley & Ellison

All the girls with their baby's!

On Mother's day Rob, Marley and I went to mom and dad's to have lunch and enjoy the pretty day. Later in the afternoon Aunt KT, Uncle Jason, cousin Ellison, Uncle Adam, Aunt Angie and cousin Parker joined us. It was a pretty day outside so we got to spend it outside at the dock. The kids got to play with each other, spend time with the family and play (or stand) in the water in the creek. Parker was also excited about throwing rocks into the water. The big kids (meaning the boys and dad) tried to fly a kite that Adam had bought, needless to say it was not much of a success, but it was absolutely hilarious. When all the kids get a little older they are going to think that you need a golf cart to fly a kite. Parker has gotten to where he knows which baby is which and Marley and Ellison are still trying to figure each other out. Our family has always had fun together no matter what the occasion, but now that all of us have kids it is fun to watch them learn about each other and interact. Mother's day was very relaxing and I am so fortunate to have been able to spend the day with my mom and family. Rob and Marley are the best gifts I could ever receive. I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such a wonderful husband, daughter and family. I hope every body's mother's day was as wonderful as mine!

Tuesday - Fun day

2009-05-06T11:12:00.016-04:00

Marley trying to kiss Parker

Papa reading to Marley

What a cutie and such a big boy!
(Parker)

Marley's trying to figure out what Parker is doing

Nana, Marley, Papa & Parker

Parker & Marley

My Nana is starving me...hehe

Yesterday while Marley was at Nana's; Adam brought cousin Parker over for the afternoon. Marley loves watching, talking, giving kisses and "trying" to play with Parker. I know Marley and Parker enjoyed their afternoon together and had fun trying to figure each other out. Needless to say Marley loves her Tuesday's with Nana & Papa and greatly enjoyed her vist with couisn Parker and Uncle Adam.

Big week of "First"

2009-04-30T09:21:00.005-04:00

Marley sleeping on her belly at night for the first time...so sweet

Goodness gracious....who would have thought that Little Miss Marley Jo would have so many "first" within 4 short days. This week has definitley made me realize that our baby girl is definitely growing up. I am so happy she is accomplishing all that she is, but it is very hard on her momma with all of this happening so quickly (especially in 4 days). In the past 4 days Marley has cut her first tooth, is sitting up, rolling over both directions, sleeping on her belly and sitting in a high chair while eating her baby food. I am not kidding all of this is really has happened in the past 4 days. I guess when little Miss Marley decides to do something she definitely does it all. Rob keeps saying that if she keeps doing things at this rate she will be crawling by next week and talking and walking by the next...hehe...I know that won't happen but if it was to happen I think this momma might just have a break down!

Fun Tuesday....

2009-04-29T12:01:00.006-04:00

Marley in the new jumper/bouncer that Nana & Papa bought for the grandkids

Marley & Tammy

Marley sleeping on her tummy for the fist time

Yesterday Mom and Marley had a fun day. They went to the bank to see Lana and to Uno's to eat lunch with Tammy. After they got home Marley got to play with Papa for a while. Marley wasn't very interested in looking at Lana while she was holding her because she didn't want to miss any of the action going on at the bank or miss any of the cars going by. Marley is a very observant little one. Tammy also said she got initiated into Marley's "good friend club" at lunch since she got spit up. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends that love our little ones the way they do.

Marley also had a "first" yesterday and Nana was so excited that it happened while Marley was at her house. While Marley was taking a nap she rolled over from her back to her stomach and started crying. Mom went in there and patted her back to let her know it was ok and she slept on her stomach the rest of her nap! This was the first time that Marley has ever slept on her stomach since she was just a few weeks old. She is changing and growing up so quickly! We can't believe it.

Such a big girl!!!

2009-04-27T12:51:00.005-04:00

On Friday, we took Marley for her 6 month well baby visit. Dr. Dee said Marley was growing wonderfully and everything checked out perfectly. Now we are to give Marley baby food 2-3 times a day. Actually we are only giving it to her twice a day because she isn't a big eater yet. As of Sunday, Marley has been sitting in the high chair when we are feeding her. In the mornings we give her baby oatmeal and a fruit (sounds like alot, but honeslty she doesn't eat much at all) plus her bottle. She gets her normal bottles through out the day and at night we give her a veggie and a fruit before her bath and night time bottle. We were also told to start giving her water or fruit juice, but no more than 4oz per day. So yesterday afternoon I put some apple juice/water in her bottle and you could tell by the look on her face that she was so excited because she wasn't expecting a bottle. Well Marley tried it and you could tell that she definitley wasn't to sure about it. I am sure she was thinking"mommy this isn't my milk and if it is something is really wrong with it".

Marley also started rolling from her back to her tummy this weekend. Now she is really on the move. She will play on her back for a short period of time, then will roll to her tummy. I think she just likes the fact that she can finally do this. I wish ya'll could see her face, her eyes get real big and then she has a huge smile right after she rolls to her tummy. She is growing up so fast!

Marley's 6 month doctor's visit stats:

Weight: 15lbs 12oz - 45 percentile
Length: 26.5 inches long - 40 percentile

Marley has gotten an inch longer in the past two months and gained a little over 2 pounds. From her previous appointments (RSV shots etc.) we are able to tell that her weight gain is leveling off. She is no longer gaining an ounce a day. Our next well baby check up is at 9 months! We can't believe that she is already 6 months old!

Happy 6 months Marley Jo!

2009-04-24T09:37:00.015-04:00

Marley Jo, her first day home, 10 days old

I can't believe that 6 months ago today at 2:34am little Miss Marley Jo entered this world. It seems like yesterday that she made her suprise entrance. The past 6 months have been the best 6 months of our lives and we look forward to many, many more. Just when you think it can't get any better; Marley Jo lets us know that it definitley can. When looking at her newborn pictures I can't believe how tiny she was. The first 10 days of her life were very hectic to say the least. I think because of some of the issues we had to face it is hard for me to realize that she was so tiny. Now looking at her you definitley would never know she was a premie, she is still little, but not premie little. She has done wonderfully! Rob and I have been truly blessed to have such a wonderful baby girl. We honestly never knew true love until we have our little bug! Happy 6 months Marley Jo - we truly love you more than you will ever know.

Ready for a swim...

2009-04-21T14:28:00.007-04:00

Marley and Nana are having so much fun today! Last Father's day I gave dad a little bathing suit, baby sunglasses, a baby beach towel and a life jacket (all girl related) since we had just found out that we were going to have their first granddaughter. Since mom and dad live on the lake this was the perfect gift, especially since all of this stuff could stay at their house and during the summer we are out there quite a bit. So this morning I received the above pictures from mom. Looks like Nana likes playing dress up with Marley - actually Mom said Marley is already looking forward to going swimming at Nana and Papa's. I know they are having a blast and I thought the pictures were to cute not so share.

Marley's First Easter

2009-04-20T11:11:00.010-04:00

The Edwards Family!

Too Precious!

Marley!

What a sweetie!

Now this could be fun!

So tasty!

Nana, Papa, Marley, Parker & Ellison

We had a great Easter! We went to mom and dad's to eat lunch not only to celebrated Easter but Dad's birthday as well. Then Jason, Kriston & Ellison came over along with Adam, Angie and Parker late afternoon. It was such a beautiful day. We got to be outside and were able to sit at the dock for a whlie. This is the first time all 3 grandchildren (Marley, Ellison and Parker) had been together and it was so much fun. Marley really liked giving Parker kisses! Since the girls are still so young and Parker is able to move around everywhere it was rather hard to get a picture of all of them, but the ones we got were great! We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and enjoyed spending Easter Sunday and celebrating dad's birthday with them.

Marley & the Easter Bunny!

2009-04-20T11:03:00.003-04:00

Marley did great while taking her picture with the Easter bunny! Even though you can't tell it by the picture she was a happy girl! There was just so much going on around her that there was no way we could have gotten her to smile at us much less look at us. She was looking everywhere - she is very observant. At least she was a happy girl and even though still so young we were able to have her picture taken with the Easter Bunny on her first Easter! What a cutie!

Happy Girl....

2009-04-20T10:42:00.007-04:00

I just wanted to share the above pictures with you and give you a quick Marley update. Marley absolutely loves playing. She has gotten to where while playing in her gym; she will play with a toy with her hands and at the same time she will be playing with another toy with her feet - you can definiltey tell she knows exactly how her feet and hands work now.

Marley has also started rolling over from her stomach to her back and is almost there when it comes to rolling over from her back to her stomach. She is also sitting up by herself for a few seconds and she can also pull herself back up to the sitting position when she falls to her stomach (while sitting). She loves to stand up and to jump in her jumper.

As of now we have tried all the "first food" veggies and she did great with them all. She loved the peas and squash and seemed to like the carrots and green beans, but you could tell they were not her favorite. Now we are trying the fruits. Saturday was the first time she had eaten any of the fruits (apple sauce) and she did great. Before to long she will be eating baby food all the time!

Marley has also started laughing alot. When she gets really tickled she will laugh and then this high pictched squill comes out. I wish I could bottle up her laugh and keep it forever - she definiltey knows how to make us smile!

Marley goes for her 6 month check up on Friday so I will post her stats etc. on Monday! I can't believe she is going to be 6 months already. It seems like yesterday when she suprised us and was born! We truly can't imagine our lives without her! These past 6 months have been the best ever!

Oh so tired....

2009-04-20T10:26:00.003-04:00

Marley now stays with Mom (Nana) on Tuesday's and goes to daycare "school" the rest of the week. We absolutely love Maryville Children's Academy and are so blessed that mom can watch Marley for us on Tuesdays. Well Mom was watching Marley and they were at the house when I got home from work. Needless to say, when Marley stay's with mom she is a tired little girl after their day of playing, strolling, visiting friends, shopping etc. They were sitting in the chair and Marley was so tired she just fell asleep. Mom and Marley sure do have fun when they are together as you can see from the picture above...oh so tired.

Little Miss Bunny Ears...

2009-04-10T10:27:00.006-04:00

Marley is at Mom's house today and they are having so much fun. I had to share the pictures mom sent. Marley looks too cute and you can tell her Papa is having fun with her as well. I hope everybody has a great Good Friday and a Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Papa

2009-04-06T10:00:00.002-04:00

Sunday was my dad's birthday and it was such a beautiful day! We put Marley in one of her Wilson's Hot Rod Garage outfits and sent dad this pictures! Too cute!

I love peas!!

2009-04-06T09:53:00.005-04:00

Little Miss Marley is growing up so fast! For about the past month, we have been trying to get Marley to eat rice cereal every now and then and let me just tell you - she does not like it at all. So I decided to see if she would eat something else. I went and bought some peas (which I had been told that most baby's do not like) and she absolutely loves them. She is such a neat eater, except when you are taking her picture and she decides to show you what she is eating. We are now trying squash and she seems to like them as well! She gets so excited when she sees the spoon coming towards her. She opens her mouth really big and moves her head forward to try and get it quicker. She is too cute! I am so glad at this point that Marley seems like she isn't going to be a picky eater. It is so much fun feeding her and watching how much she changes from day to day!

Our first "girls" lunch...

2009-03-30T12:17:00.006-04:00

Before Marley and Ellison were born; me, mom and Kriston would usually meet for lunch on the weekends. Well this Saturday was the first weekend that Kriston and Ellison have meet us (me, mom and Marley) since Ellison has been born. The girls were great and it was so much fun. We are going to have so much fun with the girls being so close in age. Of course getting a picture where everybody was looking at the camera was not accomplished this trip but the pictures that were taken were adorable. Poor Nana was taking the pictures so she is not in any of them...next time we will have to get somebody to take a picture of all of us.

Just a little update....

2009-03-27T11:11:00.004-04:00

Little Miss Marley Jo is just growing like a weed and continuing to amaze us daily. She has started to discover her feet. She will hold her left foot with her left hand, but with her right hand she will grab her gown, pants leg, whatever it may be (instead of her foot) and pull her legs back as far as she can. She is also getting so close to rolling over. She has discovered that she can roll on her side; but that is as far as she has made it. I am sure before to long she will figure out exactly what to do.

Marley has also started to giggle/chuckle ever now and then. She will not do it constantly but it is like she knows she will catch you off guard when she does it and then she gives a big smile...it is precious. We have continued to try and give her rice cereal every now and then. She is getting better at figuring out what to do but a few bites is about all she wants. She is just growing up so fast. We can't believe she is already 5 months old.

Wednesday night when I was cooking dinner Rob and Marley were behind me and I heard him ask her "if she would like some cheese or some noodles." I started laughing and told him that she couldn't have any of that yet. I know he was joking but I can only imagine what it is going to be like with those two when she can start eating solid foods. Rob has already fed her a piece of his bananna - but he was just sharing...hehe

We did find a new daycare for Marley and she will start going there 4 days a week as of Monday, April 6th. Marley's Nana will be keeping her once a week as well. I know they are going to have so much fun together and we are so blessed and thankful that my mom is able to do this for us. Marley and my mom are going to create so many memories together just like I did with my nana!!!

I hope everybody has a great weekend! Thanks again for checking on us!

Mommy night - without the girls!

2009-03-23T14:22:00.002-04:00

Kriston and I finally got to have our first girls night since Marley & Ellison were born. This was a much needed evening for both of us. The girls stayed with their daddy's and everything went wonderfully! Kriston and I truly enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to our next girls night.

I will update the blog on Marley in the next few days. Until then I hope you have a great week!

Such a cutie....

2009-03-17T09:23:00.027-04:00

Well not much has changed at for the Edwards family over the past week. Marley is still the happiest baby ever and continuing to grow and attempt new things daily. She has now figured out that when she is holding a toy with her hand (still 90% left hand) she can put it in her mouth. So needless to say everything is going straight to her mouth most of the time. She is getting to where she is trying to laugh and the sound is just priceless. We can only imagine what the real laugh is going to sound like.

I know the pictures above are pretty random, but I thought they were all to cute not to share!

Thanks again for checking on Marley and our family. I will continue to give weekly updates!

Mommy's Home...

2009-03-09T15:04:00.011-04:00

Well I am back from my conference in Phoenix and even though we had wonderful weather and a great conference, I was super ready to be back home. So many people asked "how I could leave for such a long time" and to be honest with you it was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I knew Rob and Marley would be perfectly fine, but needless to say Thursday could not have came any sooner. Rob's mom Gigi came for the weekend and we truly appreciate all of her help. I know they had a good time and were able to make many memories.

Everyday Rob would send me a new picture(s) of Marley on Stacey's (a co-worker of mine) phone since my phone does not have the email options. This was the best thing that could have happened. Each day I looked forward to my pictures. Just being able to see Marley and Rob made a world of difference. Even though I took pictures of Marley and Rob with me, they were not the same as receiving new ones. My mom also sent pictures of Marley when she picked Marley up from school one day so they could go shopping. Thank goodness for technology!

While I was gone Rob went and bought Marley a bouncer since "she needed a new toy since her mommy was gone". When he called to tell me about it I could have cried, I mean how sweet of Rob to do someting like that and it meant more to me than he will ever know. Rob picked out a pink bouncer and even went to a few different stores to find the perfect one for our little bug. As you will be able to tell from the picture below, she absolutely loves her new bouncer.

I promise you I don't think I have ever kissed anybody as much as I have kissed Marley the past few days. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and daughter and so thankful to be back home.

Here are a few pictures that Rob and Mom sent me while I was gone~

My how time flies - Marley's 4 months already...

2009-02-24T20:07:00.007-05:00

We can't believe that Marley is already 4 months old today. It just seems like yesterday that we found out I was pregnant...my how time flies. We have absolutely loved every second of the past 4 months with Marley and we are so excited we get to watch her grow and learn from her daily!

Over the past few days Marley has started to "bat" her eyes (which is absolutely precious I must say), has gotten to where she wants to stand up while you are holding her instead of sitting, follows her bottle and knows exactly when it is time to eat, and she talks, coos, babbles - whatever you would like to call it, constantly. The best part of it all is the big smile that Marley always has on her face! We are absolutely in love with her.

We took Marley to the doctor today for her 4 month check-up and shots. Marley did great. She talked and smiled the entire time the nurse and doctor was in there with us and she only cried for a few seconds when she got her shots! Bless her heart; I think she has had more shots in the past 4 months than I have my entire life.

Here is Marley's stats as of today:

Weight: 13lbs 2oz. - 20 percentile
Length: 24 1/2 inches - 30 percentile
Head: 40.5 cm - 12%

Marley checked out wonderfully! She is pretty much right on target and what she hasn't quite yet accomplished is because she was so early, but she will get there with time.

Well I am leaving for Phoenix this Friday for a conference and will not be back until next Thursday. I am going to miss Marley and Rob terribly, but I know that Marley will be in wonderful hands and that I have no worries. If Marley wasn't such a good baby I would definitely be worried, but since Rob is so hands on and knows her exact routine I know he will do great! They are going to have so much fun together. I will update the blog after I get back to let you know exactly how it goes!

Until then, thanks for taking the time to check up on our little bugs progress!

The first of many....

2009-02-18T15:25:00.008-05:00

Well little Miss Marley got to spend the night with her Nana and Papa on Valentines (she was 16 weeks 1 day). This was the first time she had ever been away from Rob and I at the same time, and the first time that I had ever been away from her (over night). Rob and I went to dinner, Aubrey's for a few drinks and then came home. We could not believe how quite it was at home without her. Even when she is sleeping we still hear the monitor or something. We definitely like the noises she makes; better than the silence without her, she just brings so much life, happiness and joy to our home! Rob and I had a great time and enjoyed our time together, but were definitley ready to have Marley back home. We were at mom and dad's by 8:30am Sunday morning to get her. Nana and Papa said she did great and that she was a little angel! She is truly a happy and easy baby - we are so blessed!

I am sure this was just the first of many over night visits with Nana and Papa! Before we know it she will be calling her Nana and Papa asking them to come and get her so she can spend the night like I did with my grandparents! I am sure those days will be here before we know it!

A Special Thanks....

2009-02-18T14:58:00.017-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Aunt Kriston and cousin Ellison for the wonderful/thoughful Valentine's present they gave Marley. As most of you know Aunt Kriston is very creative! Kriston and I have talked about getting the girls pictures taken together, but it is so hard with them being so young (they are 10.5 weeks apart). So, Aunt Kriston contacted Brittany Conner; who took Marley and Ellison's pictures the same day, just at different times and had her put some of their pictures together. Needless to say they turned out amazing. Ellison gave Marley all three pictures but put one of them in a frame that matches her room perfectly. We absolutely love how Aunt Kriston had these pictures done. Even though the girls did not have their picture taken "together," we now have some pictures of them "together".

Thank you so much Aunt Kriston and cousin Ellison! We love the pictures and we love ya'll!

Just because...

2009-02-11T11:05:00.006-05:00

I just absolutely love this picture so I had to share.

I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks again for looking at our precious little "bug"...yes that is Marley's nickname sometimes from her mommy and daddy!

How do I work???

2009-02-11T10:09:00.017-05:00

Marley is still sleeping through the night. She has been sleeping from around 7:45pm until 6:30am or later. I know some people may think I am crazy but I kind of miss not getting up with her anymore. This week she has been taking her bottle at night, then staying up for a little while talking and smiling, but when she is ready for bed there is nothing eles that she wants. Daddy swaddles her and she is asleep within minutes.

This week Marley has still been trying to discover what she is all about. While in the bathtub last night, Rob had her sitting up playing and she was trying to reach for her toys, but she just hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

Tuesday night, Marley was sitting on Rob's chest and trying to hit her foot with her hand, not realizing that she was the one controlling her foot as well. She would swat at her foot and when her foot would move she would look really confused, but she would try again. We sat there and watched her do this for a while and it was absolutely amazing...if we only knew what was going through that little mind of hers.

Marley has also discovered her tongue. She will sit there and lick her hand like it is an ice cream cone. She is just too precious. So many things to discover for such a small little one.

We just can't believe how much she has changed and some of it seems to have been over night. It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital finally. We absolutely love every minute we get to spend with her; watching and learning as well. She definitely has her mommy and daddy wrapped around her little finger.

More Memphis/Playtime Pictures

2009-02-10T20:20:00.017-05:00

Here are some more pictures from Marley's First Visit to Collierville and of her playing in her Fisher-Price Rain Forest Deluxe Gym when she first started to figure out her hands. Sorry it has taken so long to post these. I hope you enjoy!

Finally all of the girls are together!

Stephani, Marley, Lindy & Ava

It must be lunch time for these girls!

Marley loves her Granny Dot's rocking!

Marley & her PawPaw A

Marley figuring out her hands while playing!

Exciting Milestone Update (14 weeks 2 days):

2009-02-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

Marley started sleeping through the night on Sunday, February 1st and slept through the night last night as well. At first we thought she slept through the night Sunday because she was worn out from traveling so much, not being in her bed and having a cold, but when she did it again last night we are thinking maybe this is for real. Also, Marley has started to figure out her hands. She will lie underneath her Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym and hit the toys that are hanging down with her hands. She has figured out that she is hitting the toy with her left hand, but has not realized that she is hitting the toy with her right hand yet. She smiles really big when she does this! She absolutely loves her gym; and will lie underneath it for 30+ minutes at a time playing. She is growing up so fast!

Marley’s first visit to Collierville...

2009-02-03T10:59:00.018-05:00

We have the car loaded and ready....

Papo & Marley(14 weeks old)

Aunt Carol & Marley

The Durham's & Marley

Aunt Kathy, John, Chris & Marley

Marley had an exciting first trip to Collierville with her mommy and Nana. We loaded everything up in Nana’s vehicle and could not believe how full it was. Marley slept the entire way with the exception of stopping in Nashville so we could feed her. This was the first time the Durham family, her Great Aunt Carol, Great Pawpaw A, Stephani, Abbi and Ava got to meet her. Everybody enjoyed getting to spend time with us, but especially Marley. Even though Marley had a cold while we were there she was a very happy baby and a great traveler. When we got home on Sunday I wish everybody could have seen her face when she saw Rob …it was priceless...to bad I didn't know I should have my camera ready.

I will post more pictures soon!

Okay - so I give in...

2009-01-28T14:05:00.002-05:00

After following some friends blogs for a little while, I've decided to start my own. This is generally not my thing, but with the birth of our beautiful baby girl three month ago, I think this is a good way for friends and family to keep up with us; especially since we have some many that live out of town. So until I get the hang of this, I hope you enjoy the picture of Marley. (Rob took this picture one morning on their way to "school". She was 11 weeks 6 days when this picture was taken).