The Hardman's

Water Baby

2011-06-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

First off let me start by saying "Happy Birthday Poopa!" Today was my daddy's birthday and I got to enjoy lunch with him on our lunch breaks. That's what i love about working right down the street from my daddy! I can truly say that I have the best daddy and Marlee is lucky enough to have the best "Poopa" in the world!

Marlee is my water baby! If she could stay at the pool all day she would! She's so easy this year, she enjoys the baby pool the most, but is starting to enjoy "swimming" in the big pool. Right now "swimming" consists of Marlee bobbing up and down and laughing! Maybe by the end of the summer she will be swimming like a big girl :)

Future artist??

2011-05-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

Marlee has loved to draw since she was very little, but just recently she has actually started drawing real things instead of just scribbling. This morning she ran to me to show me that she had drawn a "Potato Head," a "Dinosaur" and a "heart." They certainly aren't perfect, but i see it! I'm very proud of her! :)

Fun at the Park with Eli

2011-04-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Monday night Marlee and her friend Elijah went to the park together and had a wonderful time. Marlee constantly wanted to know "What Eli doing next?" and "when Eli coming back?" whenever he would wander off. I'm an overprotective parent and just cant allow Marlee to climb all around the playground by herself. I'm scared to death shes going to fall off one of the openings or the platform. I know Marlee would rather me let her have free reign, but i just cant do it quite yet! Marlee and Mommy are going to be going to an Easter Egg Hunt this weekend with mommy's best friend "Jessca" and we cant wait!

Spring Time Fun!

2011-04-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

It was such a beautiful weekend, so we decided to let Marlee play in her swimming pool. She loved the pool last year and may love it even more this year! She has gotten really brave and is practicing her "wimming" by laying on her stomach and kicking her feet! She is also putting her whole head in the water and laughing! She must be holding her breath because she never has coughed! I think we will try swimmies this summer and see how Miss Priss likes them! Oh and yes Marlee wears a bow in the pool! haha. She tells me to "Put my bow on!" all the time, but she normally wont keep it in for more than 10 minutes!

Disney World!

2011-03-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

My mom, Kayla, Marlee and I had a FANTASTIC time at Disney World last weekend! My wild child 2 year old, was PERFECT and that doesn't happen very often! She loved meeting all of the characters and even stood in line for 2 hours to meet Mickey and Minnie! Minnie Mouse grabbed Marlee by the hand to walk her up the ramp after meeting them, but Marlee politely told her, "No, I want Mickey!" and ran back to grab Mickey's hand! I wish we could spend every day at Disney World, it was like being a child again! Enjoy this special video I made of Marlee's trip!

Fun at the Zoo

2011-02-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Mom, Kayla, Marlee and I spent our Valentine's afternoon at the zoo. Poor Marlee had been sick since Saturday, but was starting to feel better so we went ahead and went. She is definitely more interested in the zoo this year than last year. Her favorites were the "Monkeys" and "goats." She was very disappointed that the pig had already been put to bed when we got around to the petting zoo. I'm pretty sure that we will be buying a membership so Marlee can enjoy the zoo all spring and summer. Notice the 3 pictures of Kayla and Marlee, that is their "sassy face," "silly face," and "happy face!"

Fun Weekend

2010-12-19T17:09:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, Marlee was in the hospital twice last week for a nasty stomach virus that she just couldn't get over. When Marlee was discharged on Wednesday, we told her that we would make this weekend all about her!

Lastnight we went to Hollywild Zoo with "Nana" and "kayla." She did not enjoy sitting in line for almost 2 hours, but did enjoy feeding the "reindeer!" She actually fell asleep while we were feeding the goats their bottles!

Every year our neighborhood has Santa come around and give out candy canes. Marlee waited not so patiently for Santa to come today and was very excited to finally see him! She went straight to him, but decided not to talk to him this time, but she thouroughly checked him out!

We are so thankful that Marlee is starting to feel better, even though she's still not 100%. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow for a hospital recheck and hopefully everything will check out fine! We are looking forward to next weekend and seeing what all Santa brings Miss Priss!

Meeting Santa...Again

2010-11-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

I just love this picture. I didnt think that Marlee had changed that much since last Christmas, but I was definitely wrong! Last year Marlee wasnt too sure about Santa, so I made sure to talk up meeting Santa several weeks ahead this time. When we got to the mall, Marlee immediately starting yelling "Ho Ho...Santa!" She went straight to him this time. Santa asked Marlee, "What do you want for Christmas?" Without missing a beat Marlee said, " I want Jo Jo....a barney book...and Chuck!" Yes, my prissy little girl wants Chuck the Dump Truck for Christmas!

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and marlee enjoyed pulling out all the ornaments and placing them on the tree. Actually she still is....she keeps pulling off an ornament, bringing it to me and saying "help mommy." I'm pretty sure this is going to get really old after a couple days!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T03:49:00.001-08:00

We had a very good Thanksgiving this year. We went to my Aunt Bidney's for lunch and Marlee got to play with all of her cousins. We cant wait to see everyone again at Christmas!

Meeting Elmo!!

2010-10-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Marlee is starting gymnastics on Monday and her gymnastics class had a fall festival today. Marlee was in heaven getting to see Elmo, Dora and Diego! She had so much fun loving on them and dancing! Im sure she will love Disneyworld! Maybe next year!?! Pictures coming soon! (as long as we can steal the camera fron NaNa!)

Happy 2nd Birthday Marlee!!

2010-08-25T15:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, let's pause for a moment to recognize the awkward silence for how long it's been since I've blogged......ok, now onto Marlee's 2nd birthday! Marlee turned 2 on August 11th and we had an Elmo ("Mo") party this year. I have always said ever since Marlee was born that I refused to ever let my child wear anything with a character on it. Well.....Marlee wanted a Mo party, so a Mo party she got. At least I was able to find an adorable dress that doesn't scream "Sesame Street!" We had a blast and I had so much fun planning this party! Jason told me that if I don't stop, he can only imagine what her sweet 16 will look like. haha!

Marlee got lots of exciting things for her birthday, but her favorites are her kitchen, baby nursery and Baby Alive doll. She loves to feed "baby" every morning and give her a bath. She's going to be a great big sister SOMEDAY! :) Thanks everyone for making her party so wonderful! Marlee is a very loved little girl!

Beach trip

2010-04-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

This post is a little old, but the week before Easter, Kayla, Mom, Marlee and I decided to take a quick trip to the beach. Marlee had a great time and enjoyed feeding the seagulls the most! Here are some pictures of our beach trip!

Marlee's new favorite thing to do is "count." Gram bought Marlee some bathtub numbers that stick on the wall. Marlee's favorite number is "nine", we will say...7,8, and she yells "nine!"...so cute! Also, knock on wood, Marlee has been eating better! Tonight for dinner she ate a whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a toddler cereal bar! Let's keep our fingers crossed that she keeps this up. She still is very limited on what she will eat and will only drink ice water out of her sippy cup! We go to the Nutrionist next week. My thoughts as an OT are that she has some sensory issues. She doesnt mind picking up any food, but when it gets to her mouth, if she doesnt like it, she spits it out! We will see!

New Pictures

2010-04-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

My very talented friend Cindy came and took some pictures of Miss Marlee at Falls Park recently. They turned out so cute! Thanks so much!!

Easter Egg Hunt 2010

2010-03-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

Marlee with my favorite resident, Mrs Keefer

Popping bubbles with the other girls

Giving Jed some lovin'

This afternoon, I took Marlee up to one of my facilities where I do therapy because Tara ( the best activity director ever) was having an Easter Egg Hunt for the resident and families. Marlee found about 6 eggs all by herself! No help! She loved putting the eggs in her basket. At the end, Miss Tara gave Marlee a beach bag with squirt guns, since we are heading to the beach Monday! How sweet is that! Marlee was a little upset that she didn't get to keep her eggs, just the candy, so we went and got some eggs and brought them home and had another hunt! She still loved it! :)

New Friends

2010-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Marlee and I went to Falls Park and met up with Cindy and Natalie! Miss Cindy took some new pictures of Marlee for us! (which we cant wait to see) The girls loved playing together and became fast friends! These two have a lot in common, they are both cute as a button and very petite! I have never met anyone else that knows what we go through on a daily basis with Marlee to get her to eat! Miss Natalie is the SAME way! We cant wait to get together again very soon!

Playhouse

2010-03-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to get Marlee a playhouse for some time and FINALLY on Sunday, we ventured out to Toys R Us and got one! To say that Marlee likes the house would be an understatement. She LOVES the house! She enjoys opening and closing the door and shutters! It also has a table with 2 seats, a phone and a ringing doorbell! We plan on enjoying this house a lot this Spring! Marlee would live outside if I let her. Gram took her to the park today and she loved running around and playing with the other children. We are so glad that spring is almost here!

Project Runway??

2010-02-28T14:31:00.001-08:00

Haha!...not really, but I did learn to make some pillowcase dresses/tops! I'm constantly having one certain lady make Marlee dresses and I decided to ask my parents for a sewing machine for Christmas! I was just thinking, why am I spending all this money when I can learn to make these myself! Of course they are nowhere close to perfect! Maybe one day. Carol Hannah from Project Runway is one of my friends on facebook. ( She is the best friend of one of my friends) She was asking for interns to come and help her with her new line. I informed her that I was packing my bags and heading to New York, as long as it's pillowcase dresses that she needs! :)

Marlee has a new infatuation with Dora the Explorer! She loves her! We went to the grocery store this morning and as soon as we walked in the door, she started pointing saying "Doa, Doa!"...we honestly had no clue what she was pointing to and kept walking! Well at the checkout she started doing it again. Finally we realized that there was a balloon at the front door with Dora on it! Jay and I got her this Dora doll when we went to Carowinds last year. She loves to hug and kiss Dora and share her bows! Marlee will be a great big sister ONE day! :)

Uncle Nick and Aunt Jill gave Marlee this stringing farm set for Christmas. It was aged at 3 years, but I thought it was so cute and figured that she would be able to use it one day. Well...one day has already come! My princess can string beads (farm animals) like a pro! Go baby girl!!

We hope everyone had a great weekend! Another work week starts tomorrow! :( Oh and guess what...Marlee is over 20 pounds and 32 inches ( Heart mommies, you know what a BIG deal this is)!! I didn't know if she would EVER get there! Dr Flanders said that he was more than satisfied with Marlee and said that in 20 years she will appreciate being petite!

Zoo

2010-02-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

It was such a beautiful day today that Jay, Gram, Poopa and I decided to take Marlee to the zoo! She had so much fun running (literally) around the zoo and was not satisfied sitting in her stroller! A funny little story....in the 3rd picture you see Marlee with a little boy.( she has to find a child/friend to be with all the time! Social butterfly!) She was very distraught because her "friend" had "dropped" a cracker into the chicken pen! She kept pointing to it and saying "Uh Oh!" over and over again! She even tried to stick her hand in the pen to get the cracker to give it back to him! She just couldn't understand that the little boy was trying to feed the chickens! :)

Craft Time

2010-02-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Marlee, Gram and I made a craft project! Marlee loved painting with the brush and her fingers. ( and even attempted eating some paint!) Her favorite thing was the door hanger. Marlee is in love with stickers, so I just let her go to town putting them wherever she wanted! As you can see the frog's crown is nowhere close to it's head! :)

Marlee has also been having a little too much fun hiding things from mommy and daddy! This afternoon I found her paint brush in the toilet and the remote in the refigerator! What in the world!?! Gram also had a little mishap with flushing Marlee's paci down the toilet! She also likes to throw different things in the bathtub and after she does it, she will run out of the room, yelling "Mama, Mama" and point to the bathroom and walk me in to find something that she threw! She also likes to tell on the dog when he does something that he's not supposed to!

Marlee may have a mild speech delay ( she actually has 11 or 12 words) but she understands almost EVERYTHING!! You can ask her to do something and she does it with little or no prompting! Her therapists say that she's very smart! That's for you Joanna! Okay, I never brag on my baby girl, so I'm done! We hope everyone has a GREAT rest of the week!

Behind your scar

2010-02-16T15:14:00.001-08:00

Behind your scar...

Sometimes I have those "moments"

when I think...life's just not fair.

Then I think of all you've been through,

and I see the scar you bear.

A faded line right down your chest,

made with such careful precision.

We wanted you to have a chance,

could their have been any other decision??

And so I trace that perfect scar

made with the utmost care,

and I realize their is purpose

behind this scar you wear.

What have you taught us??

You've taught us how to face a storm,

(some things are just out of our hands)

Life has no handy guidebook,

(things dont always go as you had planned)

People come into our lives

(sometimes only for a season)

But God brings them into our lives

(and I know that he must have a reason)

Normal, Uneventful days

(the kind we'd always hoped for)

these are the days that I say "Wow God!"

we just never know what lies in store.

If I can place a feeding tube without even getting distraught.

perhaps, maybe, I might be...

Much stronger than I thought

Its ok to be afraid and it's alright to cry.

It's ok to feel lost sometimes..

It's even okay to ask...why??

You face life with courage

(knowing that God set you apart)

Every little thing you do,

you do with all your heart!

No crystal ball exsists for us,

( to see us through each strife)

We only have one wish for you..

An ordinary life.

You've taught us to love one another

(Helping each other to cope)

You've taught us compassion for others,

You've taught us to never lose hope.

You already have quite a story,

which someday you will share.

And I can see it's beauty...

behind the scar you wear.

I found this poem on another heart mom's blog and fell in love with it. Marlee's scar is hardley visible now, but it will forever be there reminding us that she is a MIRACLE! Marlee is the most speical little girl to Jason and I and our entire family because she has been through more than most people do in their entire lifetime! Through every struggle, our God has seen us through. We know that with faith our daughter is and will be completely healed! Thank you Jesus for your amazing promises!!

Matthew 15:28

Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great, it shall be done for you as you wish."

and her daughter was healed at once.

MMMM....Lollipop!!

2010-02-15T16:26:00.001-08:00

Note to Readers: I am a dirty mess after eating my PB&J sandwich! I promise that my mommy and daddy do give me baths!

Happy Heart Day!!

2010-02-14T16:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Marlee and mommy have had a wonderful Valentine's this year! To start, Daddy took mommy to Outback and surprised her with a beautiful peridot ring! ( Marlee's birthstone!!) I was shocked! Gram and Poopa came over Friday and brought Marlee a 3-piece Ring Stacker, ( which Marlee has mastered!) books and a precious outfit for spring! Also, we had the special treat of having Nanny and Pa here for the weekend. They brought Marlee a stroller for her baby and a set of Elmo books!! Mommy and Daddy bought Marlee some Legos which she is really enjoying! I think someone is a little spoiled! :) Today also marks the end of Congenital Heart Defect week. Marlee wore her survivor shirt today! We are so proud of our miracle!!!

* On another note, Daddy also had a good Heart Day! Marlee and I gave Jay, Guitar Hero Van Halen! haha! We probably wont see him for a couple weeks! *

My Two Valentine's

2010-02-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

These are my two and favorite Valentine's by far! My sweet husband who is the BEST daddy in the world and my beautiful little baby girl!! Marlee is very much a Daddy's girl (which is ok because I am too!). She loves to give kisses and will actually grab your face with both hands, look into your eyes, and go for it! Hmmm........I wonder where she learned that from?!? Marlee is trying to make a move on Aunt Kayla's boyfriend! She definitely has a crush on Justin and actually gave him an open mouth kiss at Chuck E Cheese! You better watch out Kayla!!

CHD Awareness Week

2010-02-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week! I remember the first day that I became a heart parent. Until Marlee was diagnosed I had never even heard of CHD's! Our world was turned upside down on August 13th when a nurse came to tell us that Marlee was looking pale and having difficulty breathing! I thank God for that nurse, because I truly believe that if I had taken Marlee home that morning that I would not have necessarily known that anything was wrong and she would have most likely died! Having the neonatoligist tell us that he suspected that Marlee had a heart defect was devastating. By the time that Marlee was sent to GMH she was so sick that her kidneys, liver and other organs were beginning to shut down! We didn't even know if the doctor's would get a chance to fix her heart due to her organ failure! That night Marlee began to take a turn in the right direction and became stable enough to be sent to MUSC. In my heart, I just knew that if we could make it to MUSC that she would be ok. We stayed there for about 4 weeks and then got to make the wonderful trip home with our precious heart baby! I'm not gonna lie and tell you that everything is perfect now. Marlee still has struggles, mainly with eating and talking. She is not a big eater and would probably be okay eating one meal a day! She has gotten a little better and is starting to eat more table food.
Marlee likes: Yogurt, French Toast sticks, cheese, ham, turkey, peanut butter and jelly, crackers and can eat a whole can of Lil crunchie Zesty Tomato sticks! haha.....We are working very hard on adding to our list! Continue to pray for Marlee and all the other heart families out there as we honor our precious children!

Sweet Josiah

2010-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sweet Josiah went to be with Jesus this afternoon. My family met the Wilson's at MUSC this summer when we went to visit with Dr Bradley. They are a precious family from Taylors, whose little boy was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, basically he has half of a heart. We've journeyed with them through Josiah's life ( through their blog), with all of it's up and downs. Recently Josiah had to have a trach placed because he was unable to breathe without support. They were able to come back to Greenville right after Christmas, after being at MUSC for 7 months! Unfortunately they had to return to MUSC a couple weeks ago. Josiah was such a fighter and his family is an inspiration! Josiah now has a WHOLE heart and our Jesus has a precious new angel! Please pray for The Wilson family.....www.thewilsonheart.com

Fun outside!

2010-01-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

Have I told you how much Marlee LOVES her 4-wheeler?!? She rides it everyday and loves to chase Harley! This afternoon it was so nice, that we took it outside and played! She loved riding through the leaves! Such a fun girl!

Spend the night party!

2010-01-19T14:33:00.001-08:00

Look at all those teeth! She has about 14 or 15 now!!

Marlee stayed with Gram (" NaNa") and Poopa Sunday night so that Jay and I could have a date night! Marlee had fun and so did mommy and daddy! Marlee has decided to call both of her grandma's NaNa, at least until she learns to say Gram! We wish that Jay's parents lived closer, so that they could see Marlee and we could have more dates! haha! :)

Library!

2010-01-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

We took Miss Marlee to the library today! This has to be one of her favorite places! My mom takes her at least 2x a week to pick out new books and movies! She loves to pick out her own movies and books and bring them to us! Of course she picked a Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse DVD to take home! She loves anything Disney! :)

*Also, we are slowly working on taking away the passy! She's just too attached!*

CHD Awareness week: February 7th-14th

2010-01-09T16:48:00.001-08:00

What is CHD? A Congenital Heart Defect is a problem with the heart's structure that is present at birth. These defects can involve:
* the interior walls of the heart
*the valves inside the heart
*the arteries and veins that carry blood to and out of the body

CHD Statistics:
* CHD's are America's #1 birth defect. Nearly 1 in every 125 babies is born with a heart defect. (almost 1% of children born each year)

* CHD's are the number #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. 1 in 3 children who die from a birth defect have a CHD.

* This year almost 40,000 babies will be born with a CHD

*In the US, twice as many children die from CHD's each year than all forms of childhood cancer. Yet funding for pediatric cancer is 5x greater!

* From 1993- 2003 deaths from CHD's have decreased by almost 31% due to advances made in research!

* There is not yet a preventive cure for any type of CHD

* Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding, only a fraction of every penny is directed towards CHD research.

I wrote Governor Mark Sanford about a week ago and received a proclamation in the mail today that states that the week of February 7th-14th be declared as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week! I'm so proud of our state for joining in this amazing journey with us! I have ordered hundreds of stickers and brochures that I will place at Marlee's pediatrican and cardiology offices! Many of us heart moms are pushing for CHD detection at birth! Not screening for CHD's is NOT an option!! Instead, ask for a Pulse Oximeter test at birth! Most birth defects do not show up for more than 72 hours! As a heart mom, I am an advocate for my child and other children, so that our children do not have to go through this!

On another note, my friend Kelly's friend Tina, her little girl just had open heart surgery on Monday. Marlee sent one of her stuffed animals from MUSC to keep Miss Anna Grace company! Please visit their blog and pray for this sweet family. www.baasheepbaa.blogspot.com

The Greatest Gift

2009-12-21T05:37:00.000-08:00

We had Marlee's cardiology appointment on Thursday. I'm always nervous during these appointment with all of the nurses and blood pressures and of course the dreaded echocardiogram! We went back in the room for the Echo and of course Marlee no longer wants to cooperate. I usually can read the Echo Tech's face to tell how everything is going, but this time I couldn't. We went back to the room to wait on Dr Malpass and I have to admit that I was nervous. He comes in and listens to her heart. After he does, he touches Marlee's scar and says "If it were not for this scar, you would never know that she had open heart sugery!" WOW! He said that he can no longer even hear a murmur! He said that her repair looks great and has stayed open with no scar tissue! Our God keeps his promises! So this Christmas I am so thankful for my baby girl and the 2 doctors who have saved her life! Dr Malpass and Dr Bradley( who actually did the surgery) Dr Bradley is first and Dr Malpass second!

All over the place!

2009-12-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

Marlee has been taking steps for awhile, but now prefers to walk rather than crawl! (although we still do love to crawl) Marlee has the funniest walk! When my friend Cortney's little girl started walking, she said that SA looked like Frankenstein! Well so does Marlee! We have 2 Frankensteins! MC always either has her arms up or out in front of her to keep her balance! I know as she gets more confident, she will bring her arms down, but it looks so funny! :) Our Christmas will officially start Wednesday with my dad's side of the family and run through Monday with Jason's family in Virginia! We are excited to see Marlee's reactions this year! On a different note. After talking to several other heart mommies today, we have decided that it is not appropriate for strangers to ask why our children are so small! The answer is.......they are HEART BABIES! You try going through what they went through and let's see how you do! I also have a friend who's baby is "healthy" and she had a stranger tell her "that there baby is obese!" Can people seriously mind their own business! Ok, I will get off of my platform for the day. I'm sorry, I just needed to vent! :)

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas.....

2009-12-09T15:26:00.001-08:00

Miss Marlee has been thouroughly enjoying herself! She loves the Christmas tree and opening the presents, which she's not supposed to be doing! We hope everyone gets the right gift this year because Marlee is into playing the gift swap. She enjoys taking the tag off of one present and placing it on another!

Our baby girl walks!!

2009-11-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

Marlee has been taking a couple steps here and there for awhile, but last week she decided that she wanted to walk down the hallway! Big girl! She still prefers to crawl, because she thinks its faster! :) Im sure that she will realize pretty soon that she can run! We are so proud of our toddler! Every milestone is big, but especially with a heart baby! 15 months ago, we didn't know if she would make it. Our God is seeing us through and I know that he will continue to watch over Marlee! Our biggest issue right now is eating. She just doesnt enjoy it, which is typical for heart babies. Please continue to be in prayer for her and us!! She has really started talking more ( even though sometimes I have no clue what shes saying!) and LOVES to smile and laugh!

A mouth full!

2009-11-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Marlee officially has a mouth full of TEETH! I happened to check her mouth this morning and Marlee is cutting 3 molars! That puts our total at 11 teeth!! If she decides that she likes food, she can have a T-bone steak! :)

Being a Heart Family

2009-11-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

My heart was broken lastnight to hear that one of our heart family's lost their little girl. I didnt know this family personally but had been following their blog from the beginning. www.greenehappenings.blogspot.com I cant imagine the pain that they are going through right now and it makes me want to hold Marlee a little tighter. Sometimes I get stressed about Marlee being delayed and not doing things exactly on time, but then I have to stop and remember that my child has been through more than most children ever do. I love to see her scar from her surgery and it makes me so thankful that she is alive! She's my miracle. I came across this poem a couple weeks ago that I wanted to share with you. It truly explains how I feel about being a heart mom.

The day I became a heart mother

One day my world came crashing down,

I'll never be the same.

They told me that my child was sick,

I thought, "am i to blame?"

I dont think I can handle this

I am really not that strong.

It seemed my heart was breaking

I have loved her for so long.

I will not give up on this child.

I will listen to your advice.

I will give my child any chance.

No matter what the price.

I will learn all that I need to help my child thrive.

I'll even use the feeding tube.

My child must survive!

Will she need a lot of therapy?

Will she gain the needed weight?

Please God help me do this.

I will accept our fate.

When the monitors beep at night, it serves as my reminder.

How many parents would love that sound.

Tomorrow I will be kinder.

As another Angel earns his wings,

I run to my child's bed.

I watch her sleep for quite a while.

I bend down and kiss her head.

I cry for the parents whose hearts have been broken.

I look to you wondering why?

Oh Lord, I just can't know your ways, not matter how I try.

And yet, I trust you hold her life and guide us through each day.

My mind says savor each moment she's here

but my heart begs "PLEASE let her stay!"

From pacing the surgical waiting room,

to sitting by her bed.

From wishing for a good nights sleep, to learning every med.

From wondering, "will she be alright?"

to watching her reach out her hands.

With every smile my heart just melts,

despite life's harsh demands.

For all who see that faded line.

I look to them and smile.

You see my child is loved SO much,

I would face any trial.

That scar I trace with my finger ( It's the door to her beautiful heart)

God must have known how much I'd love her ( just as he loved her from the start)

A heart mom is always a heart mom.

Now wise beyond her years.

For those who have angels in heaven,

our hearts share in all of your tears.

Everyday i will try and remember,

I was chosen for her and no other.

I will always embrace that beautiful day......

When I became a heart mom!

Long Time with no post!

2009-10-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

Our computer is still broken! I don't know how I'm making it through this tough time! We've done a lot lately including picking apples at SkyTop, pumpkin patch and Boo in the Zoo! We love fall! Jason is leaving for a week for business, so Marlee and I will stay with mom and dad some this week. I will try and steal mom's computer to put some new pics up. Also, on a different note, my sister-in-law Jill had a great idea of making a wishlist for Brooklynn for Christmas (and her 1st Birthday). Well we have decided to start one for MC but I'm not quite sure how to link it yet. Go to www.amazon.com and you can search for her wishlist under my name. You can buy straight from Amazon or most things can be found at Target or Toys R Us! If you do purchase something just let me know! We will add more soon just for other options!

Broken computer!

2009-10-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

We're sorry that we haven't blogged lately, but our computer caught a virus! Ugh! We are in the process of getting it fixed! A little update in Miss Priss! She is 13 almost 14 months old and is a total mess! She has started to really test her limits and knows exactly what "no no" means and will even repeat it back to you! She pulls up on anything and everything and cruises with one hand all over the furniture and walls! She can stand alone and has taken several steps! She is now prefering to crawl bc she's soo fast! She LOVES to make a mess and pull all of her toys and books out of their baskets! Her favorite things to do are "read" books (she can turn every single page in order) and watch Disney Channel! She's growing up and we are so proud of the progress she's making! When you have a child with any delay, you appreciate these little accomplishments more and more! Marlee still isn't a big eater but is eating more table food! We have decided to get Marlee therapy for eating, just to make it a little more enjoyable! A lot of times kids that were on ventilators don't enjoy eating so this will help! We love our little toddler!! :)

Chase is home!!

2009-09-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

This post is for my cousin Chase. He left for Iraq around February and returned to the US on September 10th! I was able to be there when he came home and was filled with overwhelming pride for him, my country and all the other marines! Thank you for serving and defending our country and striving to make us safe! Also, the song in this video is very special. The song is "He ain't the leavin kind" by Rascal Flatts. Chase and several other marines were asked to come on stage during this song at one of their concerts, and knowing me, I cried! Like a baby! This song fits him to a tee! We love you Chase!

Go Fetch!

2009-09-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was on the computer yesterday and turned around to see that Marlee had crawled off! I found her in the foyer with Harley doing this! Bless her heart, she's playing fetch with herself! I know for a fact why she does this. When Marlee started getting therapy and we wanted her to crawl, we would put a toy out that she liked and when she got to it, we would throw it again to keep her going! Mean I know! So apparently she thinks that how you play! It's still cute! Sorry that I taped it upside down again!

Marlee's Walker

2009-09-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Marlee got a walker for her birthday and until just recently she was just intested in playing with the baby's headband! haha! As you can tell in the video, she still wasn't entirely interested in walking until she saw something bright and shiny come out of Aunt Kayla's pocket, her CELL PHONE! Wow! She began to high tail it to get to that phone! Can you hear all us Farr girls in the background??? haha! Enjoy!

Little Heart Walk

2009-08-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Marlee and I released 1 red balloon in the air to thank our Jesus for bringing us through the scariest time in our life one year ago! Marlee is officially a one year heart survivor. I remember not knowing if Marlee was going to make it last August. It was truly the scariest time of our lives! God brought us to MUSC where the amazing doctors and nurses worked so hard on Marlee and brought her through her open heart surgery. We are so proud of our baby girl and all that she has accomplished! On September 26th, our family will be participating in the Little Heart Walk in Charleston, SC to raise money for research for children with Congenital Heart Defects. We set a goal to raise $500 as a team and we are almost there! We would love to go beyond that goal! If you feel led, you can donate on our team page at http://heartwalk.kintera.org/lowcountrysc/teammarlee. We are looking forward to seeing MC's "boyfriend" Hunter who was in the crib right beside Marlee in the PCICU! It's wonderful being with our heart friends and our strong and brave babies! :)

Time to drop the mattress

2009-08-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well it's 9:00 and I have been sitting here watching Marlee on the monitor. I first saw her sit straight up from laying down, crawl over to grab some toys in her crib and then proceed to stand up over the side! Well needless to say, she will not be in her crib tonight because neither Jason or I feel like taking the bed apart at this point! My girl is getting to be a mess, but we love it! Better late than never! :)

"Walking"

2009-08-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Marlee LOVES to walk and would much rather walk than crawl! She pulls up on me and wants to walk wherever she goes! Her balance is getting much better and she can stand along for a couple of seconds! She just barely holds onto my index fingers and can walk like a big girl! Here she is walking outside in the grass! :)

A Day in the Life of Marlee

2009-08-19T15:42:00.001-07:00

Marlee is now 12 months old, I can't believe that! She has so much personality and is very dramatic! We call her our drama queen because she is very over the top with her expressions, whether she's happy or mad! She is going to be a mess by this time next year! Marlee is now crawling, cruising, walking with help and pulling up to her knees and with a tee tiny bit of help pulling up all the way to standing! She can say mama, dada, ight (light), duck and nanana( no no no)! Just don't ask her to do it on demand! It has to be her idea! She's a lot of fun and we're looking forward to seeing what the next year holds!

Happy Birthday Marlee!

2009-08-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our little miracle turned one yesterday! You know, I always thought my mom was crazy for starting my birthday off with saying " you know 25 years ago I was in the hospital with you and so excited!" She's told me this ever year of my birth! I now know what she means! I spent the day thinking about how nervous and excited I was on August 11th of last year! Seeing my baby girl for the first time! This week is also bringing hard feelings for me, because it reminds me of the feelings that came about on August 13th when we found out that Marlee's heart wasn't perfect like the rest of her. God brought us through this situation and I know that he will continue to bless us! Marlee's birthday party will be on Sunday and we can't wait to celebrate! More pictures to come!

I get around!

2009-08-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

I hate that this video is upside down, but you still get the point! Marlee is getting around and is enjoying her newfound freedom! I finally pulled out the camera when she was getting tired and ready for bed! So here is a little piece of the action! We are soo proud of you Marlee Claire!! :)

Marlee Claire Crawls!

2009-07-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

We are soo proud to announce that Marlee is crawling! For those of you that don't know, Marlee has some developmental delay because of her surgery when she was a week old. She is only about 2 months behind, so even though she is 11 months, she is on a 9 month level! That may seem like a lot right now, but we have been told that by 2 years old she will be completely caught up! Marlee is getting physical therapy once a week to help get her caught up! We want to thank Miss Joanna fand of course Gram for all their hard work! Here are some pics of Marlee crawling!

Please pray for Kate

2009-07-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

God has placed this little girl on my heart! She needs our prayers! Our God does miracles, we know that first hand! You can read her story at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

*On another note, I know I've been extremely slack on updating our blog! There will be a first birthday blog coming soon! AUGUST 11th! How crazy!!!*

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-05-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

Today Daddy turned 33!! :) We are so lucky to have Jason in our lives! He is such a wonderful husband and daddy! He takes such good care of us! I love how he loves Marlee Claire, its the most amazing thing! She's had him wrapped around her finger since the day she was born! We love you Daddy!

Happy Birthday Gram!

2009-04-26T12:20:00.001-07:00

Dear Gram,

I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday and to tell you how much I love you! Thank you for driving 40 minutes every morning to keep me and telling me that you just can't wait to get here every morning! Thank you for always playing with me and reading me my favorite books! Thanks for not getting mad that I can say "OOAW" for Poopa, but not Gram yet! I love you very much!

Love,

Marlee

Mommy,

Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for being an incredible mother to me over these past almost 26 years! You have truly given me a godly example of what a mother should be and I strive to be as good of a mother as you are! We love you so very much and are so blessed to have you watch MC every day! I dont know what we would do without you! We love you!

Love,

Katie ( and Jason of course)

Dirty Girlie!

2009-04-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Marlee has recently really started to love her food and is eating so much more than I ever thought possible! We went from this baby that I had to force to drink 3 ozs to a baby who drinks 8ozs about 4 times a day and eats about 3-4 jars of baby food! Who is this little girl? The only problem is that Marlee enjoys playing with her food, and of course me being the Occupational Therapist that I am, I encourage it! It's a great sensory activity!! After eating we almost always have to go take a bath, but tonight Marlee got a special treat! A bubble bath! Mom found some new bubble bath that is mild enough for little girls! She wasn't too sure about it at first, but warmed up to it! Enjoy the pics!

Pool Time!

2009-04-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

Marlee got a new pool this weekend and it was so warm today, that we got to play in it! She loved it and loved splashing away! It has a great canopy to keep the sun off of Miss Marlee!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter with our family and Marlee got 2 Easter baskets! She was very excited! We also had 3 babies under 8 months at mom's house this year! how crazy! We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Marlee and I attended an Easter Egg Hunt this past Saturday. (although we didn't do much egg hunting :) ) We really just hung out with PooPa and played at the park! We did go onto the baseball field and collected some eggs, but we saw a little girl crying because she didnt get a single egg and Marlee wanted to give the little girl her eggs, so we left with none! :) But thats ok! We had fun anyway!

Marlee has a job!

2009-03-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well not really....but she has a newfound love of the computer and "typing!" She even pulled up the internet and somehow moved it to our recycling bin! I wouldn't know how to do that if I tried! Enjoy her pics!

Easter pics gone wrong!

2009-03-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

That's right! Unfortunatly this is what you get when your baby pretty much cries throughout the whole photoshoot! Bless her heart, she was hungry and it was time to eat and Jase didnt tell me! We did manage to get a few good shots, but nothing like we normally do! We did get a club card which has discounts all throughout the year so im sure that we will be going back!!!

Marlee is 6 months!

2009-02-18T18:12:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that our little baby is 6 months old! Wow! We're halfway to a year! Marlee just seems to blossom more and more every week! When we went for her 6 month check-up she weighed in at 15lbs( 30th percentile), 26 inches (65th percentile) and her little head is 17 inches! She is still quite petite but we're growing steadily and staying in the same percentile, which the doctor says is good! She is really starting to enjoy her big girl food! We have moved up to Stage 2 foods and she seems to like them better! She loves sweet corn, apples and cherry mix and squash! I'm glad she likes squash now, but she won't be getting it in when she's older from us! Jay and I don't care for it at all! Marlee just started sitting up on her own and is doing pretty good at it! I always stay close just in case she decides to go backward! She is talking up a storm and is saying dada, an occasional mama, and she loves to say hey! If she hears you answer the phone and say hello, she immediately starts saying "hey!" Too cute! Marlee has to get tubes put in her little ears next Friday, so say a little prayer for us! We will try and keep our blog updated a little more regularly because Miss Priss is changing so much! Have a great week!

I love my dolly!

2009-01-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Marlee has just recently discovered her new dolly and now doesn't want to put it down! Of course she loves to hug her, but mainly CHEW on her! Sorry Mrs. Bonner! (she gave Marlee her doll) NOTE: I truly am not a redneck woman and I do not let my child lay around with no pants on, we just had a diaper change and I also didn't notice that she had sweet potatoe in her left nostril until the pics came out! ( Thanks Gram! :) )

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T18:47:00.004-08:00

I can't believe that it's 2009! This past year flew by, with me being pregnant for most of it!! This will always be a special year for us because our sweet baby girl was born, she had a rough start but is doing great! This is actually the FIRST year that I didn't stay up on New Year's Eve! I went to bed around 9:00, the life of a mommy! :) We hope you enjoy these newest pics of Miss Priss!

Happy Birthday Brooklynn!

2009-01-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to announce the arrival of our new niece, Brooklynn Brown Farr! She was born on December 29th weighing 7lbs 11ozs and 21 inches long! She is so cute and we cannot wait to meet this sweet little girl! Congrats to my brother Nick and sister-in-law Jill! We love you!

4 months old already?

2008-12-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe that Marlee is 4 months old! Time is really starting to fly by! Marlee is truly the best baby anyone could ever ask for! She hardly ever cries, LOVES to smile and laugh and sleeps 12-13 hours a night! She is the sweetest thing in the world and I am so in love! She talks so loud sometimes it sounds like she's screaming! She babbles more than any baby I've ever heard! My mom says that the 3 of us never verbalized like she does! I wake her up every morning and feed her and then she will sit and watch The Wiggles and Little Einsteins while mommy is getting ready for work! I can hear her just a talking to the TV and she will sit there and watch it intently for about an hour! She has just started to grasp her toys and is starting to reach some! She still doesn't enjoy tummy time but is starting to adapt! She would much rather be sitting in her bumbo! Here are some new pictures of our sweet girl! We hope that everyone is ready for Christmas! It's almost here! This year will be extra special with our new baby girl! Marlee also has a new baby cousin coming in the next few weeks! How exciting!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I've "blogged." Marlee just gets bigger and bigger everyday! She is 3 months old and 13 pounds! She is really filling out and starting to become a little chunk! (which is what Jason always wanted!) We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! Most of all our sweet baby girl and our wonderful family! We are incredibly blessed! We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now onto Christmas! Wow, I have a lot to do!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T16:26:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!! Love, Katie, Jason and Marlee! : )

My baby is growing up!

2008-10-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Marlee lounging around in her bouncer!

Snoozing!

She was awake before the Fall Festival!

She fell asleep when we got there! :(

Our sweet baby girl is getting so big! We love her so much and enjoy every minute with her! My mom and I actually took Marlee to the doctor Monday and she had gained 14ozs in one week! The doctor actually told us to slow down because he doesn't want her to get chunky! :) She is offically 11 1/2 pounds! yeah!

35/75

2008-10-10T19:32:00.001-07:00

We had Miss Marlee's 2 month check-up this week! She weighed in at 10 pounds (35th percentile) and was 23 inches( 75th percentile)! This is wonderful for her considering that at her one month appointment ( right after returning from Charleston), she had just gotten back up to her birth weight ( 7lbs 3oz) and was 20.75 inches! She is growing like a weed and really catching up! We are so proud of the beautiful little girl she is becoming! Marlee loves to smile, play and sleep! She is a great sleeper! Although she is not sleeping through the night yet, she sleeps for 7 hour stretches, gets up to eat and goes right back to sleep until around 7:30! We are praying for the night she sleeps straight through, but are grateful for what we are getting! We also had Marlee's cardiology appointment this week. She had another ecocardigram and EKG and are so happy to report that everything looks WONDERFUL! The doctor keeps telling us what an excellent repair it was and how they are very pleased! We don't have to go back until the middle of January! Praise God! We are loving this little girl more and more everyday are so blessed to have such a wonderful baby!!!! :)

New pictures!

2008-09-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

Our friend Jana came and took Marlee's pictures last week! They are amazing and Marlee was so good! Thanks to Mrs Jana for the wonderful pics! We love them!!

I'm a Rockstar!

2008-09-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

Or so my Daddy says!............We had to get Marlee some new sunglasses because everytime we would take her outside, she would put her hand over her eyes to block the sun! I thought that she would hate them, but she actually doesn't mind them at all and it doesn't hurt that she looks so cute with them on!

5 weeks old!

2008-09-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

Well actually 5 weeks and 2 days! I meant to post on Monday! Life has been very crazy with this little girl! I never knew how much I valued 8 hours of sleep until having a child! Marlee slept in her own crib for the first time last night because I had been keeping her in the bassinet in our room! Needless to say I think that we all got a better nights sleep last night! I put Marlee to bed around 8 and she slept until 2, I fed her and she went right back to sleep until 6:30! yeah! It's getting so much better! I'm exhausted but it's all worth it! I love the way that Marlee looks at me like I am the most amazing person in the world and can do no wrong! Wow! I am so proud to be her mommy and am enjoying everyday with this little girl! She is growing up so fast. She has started sucking her thumb, smiling (intentionally) and even grasping and batting at her toys! Everyday is something new!

We're home!

2008-09-07T15:09:00.001-07:00

We finally made our way home on Wednesday! yeah! Miss Marlee has to be the sweetest baby in the world! She rarely ever cries ( knock on wood) and just loves to smile and be held! We are incredibly blessed to be parents to such a beautiful baby girl! She is definitely our little miracle!

Some of Marlee's Journey ( Pictures are in reverse, sorry! )

2008-08-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Marlee is doing soo good and we hope to be home soon to meet all
of Marlee's new friends and her family!!!!
Marlee in her brand new room, in her big girl crib for the first night!
Mommy getting to hold me for the first time after being in ICU!
This is Marlee in PCICU about 2 days after surgery! Our favorite nurse
Laura put her in a big girl bouncy seat! She loved it!

Marlee Claire Hardman

2008-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know that most of you know Miss Marlee's birth story, but for those of you who don't we thought that we would update you. We went in Monday morning August 11th for a scheduled C-section due to my pre-eclampsia and being on bed rest for 4 weeks. Marlee arrived that morning at 9:21AM and was the most beautiful little thing that I have ever seen! I cried and cried when they pulled her out and was truly in love from that second! Well Tuesday night the nurse came by the room and asked if I wanted her to take Marlee for the night to let me get some sleep because I was so sore from the C-section and tired from so many visitors. ( which we appreciated, I'm not complaining:) )
Wednesday morning instead of bringing my baby back to me, the MD came into the room and told us that during the night the nurse had noticed that Marlee's coloring had changed and that she was having trouble breathing. The MD immediately transferred us to Greenville Memorial because St Francis does not have an adequate NICU or equipment. When we arrived at GHS the Cardiologist informed us that Marlee had a heart condition called "Interrupted Aortic Arch" which means that there was a gap in her aorta that needed to be fixed. Her upper half was getting adequate blood flow but her bottom half was not. They informed us that Marlee would have to be transferred to MUSC for heart surgery but before we could go, Marlee had to be stabilized. Her little body had acid build up in her abdomen from lack of blood flow. They started Marlee on a medication to decrease the acid and increase kidney and liver function immediately. I have never been so scared in my entire life. My church, family and friends immediately began praying for her and even calling prayer meetings. We felt God give us such a peace and we found out Thursday afternoon that Marlee was stable and could now be transferred to Charleston. I flew with Marlee to Charleston while my family drove down and met us. Let me tell you that getting in and out of a tiny plane after just having a c-section was a little difficult!
We arrived in Charleston Friday afternoon and met with all the doctors and nurses and discussed Marlee's plan of care. The surgeon, Dr. Bradley, scheduled Marlee's surgery for Monday morning the 18th and assured us that this was a moderate surgery and that he felt that he could fix everything. Well, Marlee had her surgery Monday morning and the doctor came to tell us that the surgery went perfect and as planned and that they had actually just done an Eco cardiogram after surgery and that Marlee's heart was now functioning perfectly! Wow! God is soo good! Marlee was moved out of the ICU on Friday and is now in her own private room! We are currently working on her feeding and she is still on an NG tube due to her aspirating. The doctors feel like this will resolve itself soon and Marlee will be bottle feeding. We have another swallow study on Wednesday and if she still is having trouble, we may be transferred back to GHS just for feeding issues. All of Marlee's vitals have been fantastic and she looks and acts just like a normal newborn!
I never would have imagined that this could happen to us, because this only happens to other people, or so I thought. God took this situation and used it to his glory. He has taught me about patience and incredible peace, he has brought my family even closer together and my marriage is stronger than it has ever been! Continue to pray for Miss Marlee as we try to complete our feeding task so we can come home!! I forgot the cord to my camera so I have not been able to post any pictures of our beautiful girl! Hopefully soon!!

Miss Marlee is almost here!

2008-08-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well it's official......we are being induced Sunday night the 10th! I've been wanting for this for so long and then after the doctor set up our induction it hit me! I'm going to be a mommy in less than a week! I feel nervous, excited, scared and so many other emotions right now! Am I reallly qualified to be a mommy? Am I ready for this?? I know that God has blessed us with this miracle and that this is his perfect timing and to trust him! It also helps that I will have my in-laws for a week and my mommy as long as I need her! I pray for this little girl everyday and know that it is my responsibility to show this little girl the truth and that all that truly matters in this world is Jesus Christ. We are so excited and will update as soon as she arrives!!

37 weeks!

2008-07-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

It's been 2 weeks since I've blogged, but Marlee and I have been having bi-weekly MD appointments with ultrasounds! You would think that I would be excited over having so many ultrasounds, but she's so big that you really can't see anything! Sadly going to the MD is always the highlight of my week because I can get out of the house! We are still on bed rest due to my blood pressure, but all my labs have stayed stable and the doctors are happy with our progress. Jay and I went this afternoon and Marlee was doing great, she passed her biophysical profile with flying colors! The ultrasound tech actually showed us that she has hair and lots of it! I was shocked, considering that I didn't have hair until I was 4!So that means bows for this little girl! When we got back to see the doctor they checked Marlee's heartbeat which was 150 and I was again measuring right at 37 weeks! I was also dilated to 2cm and 60% effaced! She told us that as a long as my labs stayed good that they would not induce me until August 11th, but to go ahead and mark the calendars for that day! How exciting! She also said that I may not make it 13 more days because I have been having very strong contractions (irregular, but strong) and since my cervix had made so much progress! So we'll see! Marlee will definitely be here by August 11th! I'm so excited! I can't wait to hold my baby girl in my arms! We go back Friday for another Non-Stress Test and will have another ultrasound August 5th to see how big she is! We did get one 3D pic but since she's so smooshed in there, its not too good. Also here is a pic of my belly. Hopefully it won't get any bigger, but I am proud to say that I don't have any stretch marks! yeah!

Bed Rest

2008-07-15T08:11:00.001-07:00

My mom and I went for my 35 week appointment yesterday ( since Jay was in Columbia) and when they checked my blood pressure it was 140/90, when it is usually 100/60. When we got back to see the doctor she made me lay on my left side to see if my BP came down. When they checked it, it had gone down to 120/70. The doctor told me that I needed to quit work and be on bed rest because of my BP and severe swelling! She checked my cervix and I was only dialated to 1cm and she said that she didn't expect to see Marlee until at least 39 weeks. She took me back for a non-stress test and they discovered that I was actually having mild contractions every 5 minutes. We immediately went for an ultrasound to have a bio physical profile done. There were several things that Miss Marlee had to do within 30 minutes to pass. Of course she had been kicking the tar out of me, 5 minutes before but as soon as the ultrasound tech starting looking at her, she stopped! She is so stubborn just like her mommy and daddy! She eventually showed out and passed her test with flying colors! She was even practicing breathing on her own! The measured her and she weighs 5lbs 11ounces! That's a great size for 35 weeks! After the doctor got the results and saw how well she did, she told me that she would not try and stop labor at this point, but to go home and stay in bed. They want her to at least hold out until 36/37 weeks. Who knows? She may surprise us and stay in there until 40 weeks! Now we're having to go to the OB twice a week for non-stress tests and BP checks! Please pray that I don't die of boredom because I am not a stay in the bed kind of girl!

34 weeks

2008-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

So I have officially decided that people are getting uncomfortable being around me! Jason and I had several errands to run this morning and everywhere we went somebody had something to say to me! As we were walking into the grocery store, there was another lady beside us who stopped and told me to go ahead of her because I looked like I was struggling! I thought it was funny but didn't think anything else about it. Well as I'm picking up items on our list, 3 different people asked me if I was due any day now! Of course I let them know that I still have at least 3-6 weeks, but they didn't seem to believe me! Finally, Jason and I were checking out and as we are walking out the door, the manager asked if we needed any help to the car. Jason politely said "No, we've got it" and the manager said, "I'm talking about her, Do I need to help her to the car?!?".......Needless to say, I think I might stay indoors until this baby is born!

Hiccup...Hiccup....

2008-07-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

As I'm sitting here writing this, Miss Marlee has the hiccups! We've been getting them at least 2-3 times a day! It's soo cute! It feels like little kicks over and over in the same spot. I actually asked my OB at my last appointment if that was normal and he said absolutely yes! It's actually a good sign that her lungs and diaphragm are maturing! We are in our 33rd week now and I've already been having those lovely Braxton Hicks! I know they're not true contractions because they're so irregular! Plus Marlee has to stay in there at least another 4 weeks to be full-term! Mommy is getting excited and Daddy is getting nervous now that her arrival is creeping up on us, but I know that Jason is going to the best Daddy in the world! Marlee will have him wrapped around her finger!

32 weeks!

2008-06-24T13:32:00.001-07:00

So I'm finally 8 months pregnant! yeah! Not too much longer now! We had another OB appointment yesterday and Miss Marlee is still doing great. Mommy is measuring right at 32 weeks and Marlee's heartbeat was 152! I actually asked my doctor how late they would let me go, ( just in case Marlee is stubborn like her mommy!) she told me no more than a week. So that means at the absolute latest, Marlee Claire should be here by August 23rd! yeah! I am so ready to have this baby but knowing her, she will probably be late to her own party!.......My feet have been swelling so much lately and I'm just puffy! The doctor says it's because I'm so far along in this hot summer! This pregnancy was poor planning on my part. My next child will be a December/January/February baby because it's not being pregnant in the summer that is bad. It's being this far along! The top picture is of me at 24 weeks ( wearing the same shirt) and the bottom one is from 31 weeks! I was amazed at the difference because I remember thinking that I was huge at that point!

"Baby Marlee"

2008-06-22T16:33:00.001-07:00

We introduced Harley to "Baby Marlee" today. We had read that it was important to introduce your dog to a baby doll and also to play sounds of a baby crying to get them ready for the big transition! Well we chose today for Harley to meet "her" after my mom brought me one of my old baby dolls! Everything started out well, we placed the "baby" in her carrier and all Harley really wanted to do was sniff her and chew on her blanket! ( which is better than chewing on the baby.) Even though I knew that we would have to work on him trying to chew on her blanket, I thought we had done pretty good for our first introduction! Well Jason left to get some dinner and we left the "baby" in the bouncer. I had noticed that Harley had been gone for a little while and when I turned around I found that he had not only taken the baby out of the bouncer, but was in the process of stripping her naked! Needless to see Harley got put in time out ( or as we call it, night night time) I have obviously learned to never leave the baby alone for two seconds! We will continue trying to get Harley used to the "baby" for these next 8 weeks! Hopefully we will have more success in the future or else I see Harley's future as living at Gram's house!

Nursery

2008-06-17T17:46:00.001-07:00

We've been working really hard getting the nursery ready these past few weeks! There are still a few finishing touches that we need to do, but I just wanted to show it off! It looks even more beautiful in person! Now all we need is Marlee Claire! Thanks to Aunt Kayla for the letters! WE love you!

9 more weeks!

2008-06-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

So we've made it to the single digit countdown! Why does it seem soo much longer? We have been soo busy trying to finish up Marlee's nursery and putting all of her equipment together! I have such an amazing husband and he is so patient with me and I know that it's hard because I am very hormonal right now! We actually bought a new car last week! It's exciting and sad because I loved my Jetta so much but it would barely even hold Marlee's stroller! We ended up getting a new 4runner and we absolutly love it! (except when I have to fill it up with gas!) On another note, this heat is starting to really drain me! My mom and I ran errands all afternoon and then when Jay got home, he wanted to go out! I was on my feet all day! We were at the mall and I just had to find a seat and sit. When I looked down at my feet, I was shocked! I no longer had ankles! I was sporting a brand new pair of cankles! So needless to say, we immediately went home so I could prop my legs up! Jason's reward for being so wonderful to me is a round of golf this morning! He's out with his buddies so I'm all alone until this afternoon! What do I do with myself?

30.5 weeks

2008-06-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

We had our 30.5 week appointment yesterday and Miss Marlee is still doing great but her mommy on the other hand is getting miserable! Mostly due to this terrible heat! The doctor says that Marlee is about 3.5 lbs now and she chooses to lay that 3.5 lbs right on my pelvis! I swear that I am carrying this child so low and OUT! Like a basketball! We had a wonderful baby shower last Sunday that my mom's best friend's threw us! Marlee got her car seat, pack n play, bouncer, stroller and sooo many clothes! I have never seen so much pink in my entire life! We are truly blessed to have such amazing friends and family! Marlee will truly be loved and spoiled!

Marlee Claire at 29.5 weeks

2008-06-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had Marlee's 3d pictures done yesterday and it was absolutly amazing! Marlee actually had her hand or foot in her mouth 90% of the time! She is quite the gymnast! Jason was excited to see that she has chubby cheeks but I'm scared that she's going to be a 9lb baby! (and I'm the one who has to give birth to this little girl!) Marlee is doing great! We have our first (well technically 2nd) baby shower this weekend and we are very excited!

27.5 weeks

2008-05-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

I had my 27.5 week appointment today and I'm happy to report that Miss Marlee Claire is doing great and measuring perfectly! She's a little over 2 pounds now and her heart beat was 155! I also had to have that nasty glucose test to test for gestational diabetes. Now I have to wait until next week to hear the results but I know that no matter what, God is in control and i have nothing to worry about! I also had my dreaded Rhogam injection which literally stung like 10 bee stings but anything is worth it for out little girl! I will post new photos soon of my belly! ( How much more can I possibly grow??) We are heading to the beach next weekend for some much needed R&R! Yeah!

Virginia

2008-05-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but Jason and I have been super busy. Last weekend we made a long trip up to Virginia for our niece's 3rd birthday! We all had a lot of fun and Harley had fun playing with Nanny and Pa! It gets harder to leave everytime and I just wish that Jason's family was closer, especially since Marlee will be here in August! Speaking of Marlee, her room is coming right along. Jason finished painting a couple weeks ago and her crib set and bumper set arrived this week! yeah! We plan on putting everything together this weekend but there is still a lot to do before her arrival! Marlee is definitely making her self known. If I didnt know any better I would swear that she was trying to claw her way out! I remember feeling that first real kick around 19 weeks but this is something brand new that she has started. Jason and I love to sit back and watch my belly move while she is squirming! So much fun and yet strange at the same time!

23 weeks already??

2008-04-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Why is it that sometimes I feel like this pregnancy is going so slowly, but then I start to think about all I have to do and that I really don't have much time left! Jason and I are planning on starting Marlee's nursery this weekend and we're still waiting on her crib set to come in! (which should be any day now!) Also my wonderful Mommy's birthday is this weekend! Being pregnant has given me such an even greater appreciation for my mother and all she has done for me! I just pray that God will give me the patience and love that my mom had with all 3 of us! We had Marlee's last ultrasound on Tuesday and mom got to go with me because Jason was out of town! Marlee was acting up as usual and would not sit still for the ultrasound tech! She was also very shy and did not want to show her face, but when she did, it was just beautiful! She looks just like her mommy, or so I think! haha. Here are a couple pictures from the ultrasound and my ever growing belly!