To Hold You Over

Here's a little something to hold everyone over...I've been working on a Thanksgiving post but I'm making more of those collages so it's taking a little longer. PLUS, Marley is on ear infection #4 right now...one so bad we had to go to antibiotic injections. She had her third and final one today, so after 3 doctor appointments in 3 days we now get to wait to go back until next week. We have an ENT appointment scheduled for after Christmas...

Happy Viewing Amanda, We can't wait for you to come back!

Just Had To...

I just had to post these pictures this morning...doesn't she look like such a BIG girl?

Sicky Update Then Back to the Bows

Apparently my pleas to the sickness Gods last Monday fell on deaf ears. It's been quite the week, hence my blogging absence.

An update...after taking Marley to the doc. on Monday only to find out she had an ear infection, she then decided to stop taking fluids. She took a bottle on Tuesday morning then promptly vomited up half of it, then didn't drink much for my mom the rest of the day. HOWEVER, she did seem she was feeling much better so my mom headed back to Williamsburg and it was off to daycare on Wednesday.

Tuesday night though, she didn't take any of her bottle, and wouldn't take any juice or water (or solids for that matter) either. Wednesday morning I sent her to daycare with a full bottle because she refused to drink it at home. I called to check on her around 9 am only to find out that she had only had 1/2 an oz. So the fact that she had had less than 5 oz. in 24 hours and minimal wet diapers prompted yet another call to the doc. (I swear, we've financed the office this month).

They wanted to see her right away because they were concerned, as were Brett and I, about dehydration. We went in and they had to do a urine catheter :( because she was so "dry" and then, because her white cell count was up, they sent us for blood tests to see just how dehydrated she was and to figure out if whatever it was that had her down was bacterial or viral.

That afternoon I got a call back saying that she was dehydrated but not so severly that she needed IV fluids, her blood work did not indicate any bacterial infection so whatever was keeping her from getting better had to be viral.

Thankfully, and I don't think I could say 'thank you' enough, my mom was able to reschedule anything planned and come back up Wednesday night to watch Marley for us on Thursday and Friday so I didn't have to send her back to daycare. I wanted her to have the best opportunity to get better and I didn't want her to get anyone else sick. Plus, we had to syringe in fluid and I figured that might be recieved better coming from Fancy as opposed to Bethany at daycare. Well, luckily for Fancy, after the first few times of me shooting Pedialyte down the back of her throat, Marley decided to start drinking juice again on her own. It was just recently though that we were able to get her to start taking the same amounts of formula that she had been taking prior to being sick. She still doesn't have the best appetite but we are much more ourself these days, talking up a storm, crawling into everything she shouldn't be into, and cruising the furniture.

And playing with things that Daddy gives her...does anyone know what this is? ANYHOW, that's that...Now back to the Bows

I decided I would just update again with all the pictures, even ones I've previously posted...

Bowtie Bows $4 a set

Boutique Bows $6 and Up



Pinwheel Bows $3 a piece or 2 for $5

Korker Bows $4 a set
This is a Flower Bow that I made for cousin Jaelynn so Auntie Em could put it on her headband. I haven't priced these out fully yet, partially because I'm waiting on headbands. But, I can put a Flower Bow on a clippie for $4

Ribbon Lined Snap Clips and Small Bow on A Clippie both $3 a set So that's that...see anything that strikes your fancy? Leave a comment...

We're headed up to NY tomorrow night to spend Thanksgiving with Aunt Chris and Uncle Mike. We're going to introduce Marley to all of her NY friends, take a trip into the city and of course Midnight Shopping on Black Friday!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it...I just hope they heeded my warning and baby proofed a bit...

THANKS MCKMAMA!

So I've been dying to learn how to do little photo collages and MckMama, for those that follow her blog, just did a tutorial post on hers to teach us all how! It'll take some fine tuning on my part but now I have the basics and I love it...check out her blog through the link on the left...

And Blogger had no trouble loading this one but I'm going to wait to post the rest of the bow pics tomorrow!

Marley's Mommy's Making...

BOWS!

Okay, so I've been trying to do this post for the last...ummm...close to hour and a half...and Blogger is having trouble loading my pictures. SO, I am going to post with what I have but know there are more options to come...

Anyway, the bow making has kind of taken on a life of it's own and I am starting to take custom orders so I figured where better to showcase then on the blog. So here are a few that I'm making now and I will upload the others pics later.

This we shall call a "Boutique Bow" I have a couple of other variations. These run $6 and up a piece.
Of course the famous "Korker Bow" that started the obsession in the first place. $4 a set

These next two pictures aren't the greatest but they are ribbon lined snap clips and then just a small bow on a clippie. $3 a set

I've also got "Pinwheel Bows" which will be $3 a piece or $5 for two, "Bowtie Bows" (quickly becoming my favorite) $4 a set and just plain "Bows" that are $3 a set.

I've got quite a bit of ribbon now but if I don't have what you're looking for and you want to place an order I may need your payment (or part of it) prior to completion of the order so I can get the materials (sorry guys but it hasn't quite taken off that well yet).

Enjoy...I will keep trying to post the other pics!

UNCLE!

Okay cold/stomach virus/ear infections...we give! UNCLE!! Leave us be, let us get healthy...please??

So, after Daddy had it Saturday, I came down with the bug that Marley brought home on Friday, last night and woke up at around 3 with a 101.8 fever, which then escalated to 102.3. Well, having not been fever free I put in for a sick day at work only to have Marley wake up even more miserable (if that's possible) than when she was vomiting and having diarrehea on Friday and Saturday. So I called and after yet another visit to her doctor, Little Miss has some nasty ear infections. Hopefully now with the antibiotics started, which should help her ears and whatever secondary infection she may have in her sinuses, we should all start feeling better. What a way to spend my sick day huh? On the bright side of things I am starting to feel better and even though I will not have been fever free for the full 24 hours I will be headed back to work tomorrow.

And did I mention today is Marley's Daddy's 29th birthday? Happpy Birthday Daddy! Poor guy, he's not feeling top notch either.

So again, to the cold/stomach virus/ear infections, we give!

8 Months and Sicky...

I had every intention of posting last night for Marley's 8-month day but my plans were put on hold by a vomiting baby. It seems that her cold really has her down and last night she couldn't keep anything in that sweet belly and today, even though she was no longer vomiting (it's now coming out the other end), she was running a fever at or around 101.5 all day...even with Tylenol...and even though she was drinking juice she wasn't eating. Oh well, maybe these pictures should have clued me in that she was feeling a little worse yesterday morning...

In all honesty, she was just mad because I pulled her away from the step down from the kitchen to the family room and tried to make her sit still for a picture...I think it's really sweet how Rosie is all concerned...I think the expressions says "How could you Mommy?"This is the best one of the morning...even though she's a little pissed (for lack of a more accurate word) she's still looking cute in her black and white polka dots!I only put this picture in because of the boots...not because of the face she's making. Aren't they just the cutest things? Cousin Kaley has them too but unless Marley's feet grow substantially before Christmas (which I think our chances are slim) they will remain in the closet because they are too big. I had taken another one right after this one when she was in the process of falling because she tried to walk in them...Oh Well...beauties must suffer (isn't that how it goes Fancy?)She can crawl! Yes, it's official, even though Daddy says it's still a scoot, Auntie Em, the professional Occupational Therapist, says that Marley is indeed crawling (proof of it in the video posted on the 8th) because her butt and her belly are off of the ground!
And her new favorite hang out spot? The step down from the kitchen to the family room. Yes indeed, she pulls herself to a stand there now on a daily basis. AND, she does get her right knee up but then isn't sure what to do. She turned and looked at me the other day as if to say "Now what?" I refuse to facilitate that though because knowing Marley's personality she'll be up (and probably falling down) our steep stairs in no time. So, she has to figure it out for herself, which she undoubtedly will in the next few days...There are a lot of other things Little Miss Marley can do at 8 months old. She can pull herself to a stand in her playpen and in her crib...not to mention her exersaucer and the ottoman and on any body that's near her. Jasper's had his hair pulled a few too many times lately because she tries to use him as a base as well...plus...he's in desperate need of a haircut! She has also figured out how to get herself to a sit. No more rolly polly Marley! When she gets into the turtle position she still attempts to get to a sit by doing her ab exercises but now she knows if she rolls to her belly she will be able to push up into a sit. This has come in exceptionally handy when I don't get her at the first peep in the morning. It was a surprise to walk in the other day and see her just sitting there...she looked up at me with the biggest smile. She gets so proud of herself.
Marley also has a tendency to be a bit of a daredevil and she has no fear. She will pull herself to a stand on whichever apparatus is available at the time then just let go, stand and balance. She's getting quite good at it actually. And she learns quickly. She was standing independently the other day and bent down to get something on the floor...well let's just say that didn't work out that well for her...we may have actually had to pull out one of her "BooBoo Buddies..." so now if she wants something on the floor she reaches out to lean on something first. And if she sees something she wants she goes for it...regardless of what precarious position it may put her in. Reports come from daycare that she keeps up the boys no problem and often they wear out long before she does...and they're all two...and in love with her...I get pictures all the time of one or another little boy kissing on Marley. Daddy is definitely going to have his hands full...

We also had an episode in which Marley threw a bit of a temper tantrum the other day. Because of our recent bathroom mishap (which I never did blog about) there is a lot in Marley's room right now that isn't usually there. Aunt Sarah and I had her up there the other day and she was crawling all over. She tried to get into some of the stuff from the linen closet so Sarah told her no and turned her around. Well, Marley turned right back around and went back to it. After it happened a couple of more times Sarah actually moved her across the room and Marley sat down looked right at me and started to cry her head off. Oh, my poor daughter, this will never work on her Mommy. I deal with it every day at school...I don't give in to it there and I'm not going to give into it here either. She stopped and has only tried it once again since...

And did I mention...she still has the most expressive face, especially when she's unhappy...

There is more...much, much more...this I'm sure of...HOWEVER...We've all been sick, some still are...and if I'm gonna have to have another day tomorrow like I did today...well then I need to head to bed.

More later...especially the bows...

Pumpkin Pictures

So I wish I could say that I was just late posting these pictures but, alas, that would be a lie. Today was the last day, the VERY LAST DAY, that Belvedere Plantation was open for the fall season. One of my co-workers works there on the weekends and had given us free tickets so we decided to take advantage of what we hoped would be no crowds and take Marley to have her picture taken with what was left of the pumpkins.

Here's Marley and Daddy on the John Deere tractor. Unfortunately they already plowed over what was left of the pumpkins in the field so there were no hayrides (I guess that's what happens when you wait until Nov. 8th). She was pretty happy up there on the tractor The first of many shots amongst the pumpkins...I don't think she was too sure about the whole thing... I kid you not, the only way we could get her to smile at all was by giving her Daddy's glasses. Sunglasses are her new favorite toy. Since the time change she sees me with mine on in the morning and for the entire walk from the car into daycare all she tries to do is rip them off my face.

Again, not so sure...

"What's this?"

Getting a bit more adventurous "Mommy what are you doing down there?" (This was my second favorite shot)

"HEY DADDY, did you see this really big pumpkin?"

"It's way bigger than me!" "Mommy, how about you? Did you see this really big pumpkin?" (This is my favorite shot) "But Daddy, I want to take it home!"

Anyhow, no matter how late it was...it was a fun trip to the Pumpkin Patch...and I got a couple of good shots out of it!

You Judge

So, Brett said I wasn't allowed to post that Marley is crawling. And, I suppose, in the technical sense of having both hands out front and BOTH knees under you she isn't BUT she has figured out how to get quite speedy. AND, she does it differently on the wood floor than she does on the carpet upstairs so I just say, judge for yourself.

You'll see in the video that part of the reason she doesn't get that other knee all the way under her is because she tries to stand from a crawling position. In the first clip she was on one knee with her other foot flat and she let go of the Pack and Play and I kind of freaked out; I was so afraid she was going to fall. And in the last two clips I put her shoes on so she wouldn't slip as easily.

Oh and I picked the cheesy music (you might want to turn your volume down a little) because it was called something along the lines of "The Perfect Saturday" and that's when I took the video :)

ENJOY!

I'll try to get some video of her on the carpet so you can see how different her movements are when she has more traction.

Marley Loves Her Daddy