Look! It's Those Posells

Disneyland 2011

2011-04-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Disneyland last year that we thought we would take some of our tax returns and do it again. Even with a newborn. We like the drive there. It only took us about 12 hours including stopping to feed the girls and let Marley get out and walk around. Thank goodness for the DVD player in the car. I keep wondering how we did it when we were little. It is a lifesaver. Marley watched movies and colored the whole way there. She was fantastic!

The only problem we had was that she didn't fall back asleep when we left at 3:00am and only took an hour nap on the drive there. Even though she didn't sleep at all, we still had to fight her to go to sleep that night. It was a struggle.

The first morning there we went and had breakfast with Mickey. Chad and I were so excited to take Marley to this breakfast. She loves "Bickeys" and I knew she would be excited to see him. I knew she wouldn't eat much because she would be too distracted, but I didn't think she would refuse to sit at the table all together. Chad stayed at the table with Ruby and ate his mediocre breakfast while I chased Marley around the room. She got to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Stitch. She loved it. The meal wasn't worth the $30 it cost for each of us, but it was worth it for the pictures and this video.

Marley had a blast and it was so enjoyable to watch her. We were actually able to see lots of characters in the park, so I don't know that we would spend the money again for the breakfast, but it was good to do it once.

The first day at Disneyland was Marley's birthday so I had her wear this shirt that said Happy Birthday to Me. They gave her a button to wear on her shirt that said it was her birthday also, but she wouldn't leave it on.

We had a rough start to the morning with both Chad and I expecting to much from Marley. It was very different going to Disneyland with a 2 year old than it was going last year with a 1 year old who couldn't walk. We finally figured we needed to let her just run around for a while and go on rides with short lines so we spent the afternoon over at California Adventure in Bugs land and Marley played in the water and rode a couple rides. From that point on the trip was fantastic!

I love this picture! I just think I have the cutest kid around.

Marley found out that she loves the carousel. The carousel in California Adventure had practically no line, so when we got off it the first time and she said "gain" we could oblige and we took her on it two more times. She loved it.

Ruby was generally happy the whole time. It was a lot easier having a newborn at Disneyland than I thought it would be. She even got to ride rides with us unless she was asleep and then one of us took Marley and the other stayed with Ruby.

Marley loved seeing the characters but didn't like waiting in line for them. So in lots of our pictures she looks like she's afraid. But really she was just done waiting and was ornery by the time the picture was taken!

We took her to this part of California Adventure called Redwood Challenge Trail where she had a blast. It was a big park with lots of fun things to do, but she was too small for most of them which was ok with her because she could have spent all afternoon on this slide. I went down the slide next to her a couple of times because she wanted me to and lets just say that those slides are not built for moms! It got a good laugh out of Chad and I though.

The slides wore her out. She was zonked out for about an hour. Our double stroller doesn't lay back in the front seat so we had to do our best to make her comfortable. I was sad she fell asleep because while she was sleeping we saw "kitty" from Monsters inc. She would have loved to see him!

A little self portrait while Marley was sleeping!

We stayed late on Friday night and saw the new show at California Adventure called World of Color. We weren't sure how Marley was going to do waiting for an hour for the show to start, but she did great. She was a little afraid of the show in the beginning but I think it was because we were right by a speaker and the music was loud. She ended up loving the show, mostly because it had to do with water.

While we were buying Marley's Mickey ears, Goofy stopped to look at Ruby. I hurried and took this picture, but that man walked right in front of my camera! Made me really mad.

We didn't buy Ruby her own ears this trip, but had to get a picture of her wearing Marley's.

We had such a good time. We are thinking of waiting until September next year to go. Hopefully we will get some warmer weather. It's no fun to have to wear a jacket at Disneyland during the day! Can't wait to go back though.

Everybody's got to have a pair...or two

2011-03-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

I bought these blue sunglasses for Marley last year when we went to California. I was so excited for her to have sunglasses. They matched her little swimming suit and everything. Of course she wouldn't wear them. Wanted nothing to do with them. Well now that she's bigger and notices Chad and I wearing our sunglasses, she wants to wear hers.

She quickly broke the blue pair once she started wearing them so I was forced to go buy her a new pair. Pink with zebra print. Couldn't be cuter!

Tub, Clean, Color

2011-03-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

These are three words I hear every time I change Marley's diaper. Every time I lay her down and take off her pants she asks to get in the tub. This is the case ever since Daddy introduced her to Mommy's big tub and the jets and bubbles. She loves taking a bath in the big tub and now asks to get clean at least twice a day. We have some bathtub markers that she only gets to use in the big tub and so when she asks to get clean she also wants to color.

Some days it's hard not to let her take a bath whenever she asks because it's so cute, but I can't have my kid bathing morning and night every day. However at the end of a particularly trying day with her, letting her play for as long as she wants is so relaxing for both of us. And it makes for cute pictures.

So Tired of the Bad Weather

2011-03-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

Marley is so tired of me telling her that we can't go outside. If she could we would spend all day every day outside. This winter has been extra long it seems especially for her since I haven't been as much fun having to sit and feed Ruby so often.

Today we went to lunch with my mom and I decided we needed to go to McDonalds and let Marley play. This was our first time playing at McDonalds and I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I'm not sure what Marley thought. She didn't like the slide as much as I thought she would, but she did seem to like to be able to run around.

I'm so glad it's getting to be nicer outside. I can't wait until we can go to the park and play. I much prefer her playing at the park over McDonalds!

Baby Sister Got Married!

2011-03-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Janel became Janel Herde on March 5. It was such a nice day. She looked so pretty and we were all so happy to spend her day with her. She married Ryan Herde. He is such a good guy and seems to be fitting in with our family quite nicely. I'm sure he will get used to our family's boisterous-ness. Eventually.

Marley was having a blast running around the temple grounds until Uncle Kelly wanted to take pictures. She did not want to be corralled and hold still for a picture. We got what we had to and then we got the heck out of there. She was done!

I was surprised how stressed I was helping my mom get ready for Janel's wedding. You would have thought it was my reception all over again. It probably didn't help that I had two extra people to get ready, but boy did they look cute! Pictures again were a joke. Marley was sobbing through the whole thing. I can't wait to see what Kelly decides to keep of the girls because they have to be comical. I kept Ruby at the reception and sent Chad home to put Marley to bed. It was such a nice evening and we are so happy for Ryan and Janel!

Ruby 1 Month

2011-03-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Two weeks late again, but they are getting done. It is amazing to compare Ruby to Marley and see that in fact there is a difference in how they developed. In comparison, Ruby's one month pictures look a lot like Marley's two month pictures. I guess babies do need that final month to grow.

I'm pretty proud of these pictures. Ruby was so agreeable that they were a lot of fun to take.

A Daddy's Love

2011-02-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

Being the mom, I am often the one behind the camera instead of in front. That is something I need to be better at, making sure I get in front of the camera too, but when I'm behind the camera I get to see stuff like this.

I love to see how Chad looks at our girls. It is so sweet to see how much he loves them. I love that I am able to capture his love and adoration in a picture.

Favorite Thing

2011-02-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Marley has a new favorite past time. Playing in the sink. Her dad let her play in the water one day after washing her hands and now she wants to do it every day, multiple times a day.

I'm not as big a fan of the water play as Chad is, but I have to admit that it made making dinner today a lot easier. She was busy and not needing my immediate attention. The rule is that the water stays in the sink and as long as that's the case, then she can play for quite a while. She doesn't always follow that rule and that's when water time drives me bonkers!

It is cute however to here her say sink and try and push her stool over in front so she can play. She loves the water and I often find it hard to refuse her desires! I'm a pushover mama!

"The Chalice"

2011-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is "The Chalice" as Chad has dubbed it. This was my grandma and grandpa Davis' candy dish. It was always filled with something. Usually those gummy orange slices with the sugar on the outside. I love this candy dish. To me it holds memories. It makes me think of my grandpa. Chad thinks it's ugly, and I will admit that it isn't something I would go out and purchase for myself today, but I love it. And I think it's quite pretty. I said when I acquired it that I would always have candy in it. I haven't kept my promise but today it has Cadbury eggs in it and I thought it looked so nice. I'm glad I have this keepsake from my grandparents to keep in my own home.

Ruby's Newborn Pictures

2011-02-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today I took the time while Marley was napping and took some newborn pictures of Ruby. Granted, she is two weeks old, but heck, it's hard to get anything done, let alone something that is much easier when Marley is sleeping! I love having a new subject to take pictures of. It is so fun to watch them grow and see it documented in monthly pictures.

Ruby's First Bath

2011-01-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

We gave Ruby her first real bath today. She thoroughly hated it! She had only had sponge baths until today and she hated those too. I can't blame her when half of her body is sticking out of the water.

We bathed her in the kitchen sink, which we never did with Marley. It's amazing that she fits so well in half of our sink.

I love this little girl and I'm so glad she is finally here. I can't wait to experience more firsts with her!

Dreary, Ugly, Yuck!

2011-01-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

I hate this time of year! It is so ugly and yucky outside. Worse than the dreariness is the COLD! It is so freezing lately. I've had a hard time regulating my temperature lately. I'm miserable!

Chad tells me that I have a habit of trying to rush spring. I am frequently found wearing unseasonable clothing. I try and wear capri pants and short sleeved shirts way before it's time only because the sun decides to come out one day. Yesterday I put Ruby in a short sleeved onesie that I had to later change because it was impractical, and actually I did the same thing to Marley two days ago!

I have passed this trait on to Marley unfortunately. We went to the Gateway today to get out of the house and walk around. What did my sweet little girl want to do? Play in the water! If we would have let her she would have gotten soaked. I'm sure of it. She looked so cute in her puffy coat walking around the water and I just happened to have a camera on me so I took some pictures. Crazy girl!

Little Mommy

2011-01-27T20:51:00.001-08:00

My little Marley has become such a little mommy since Ruby joined our family. She has always liked this orangutan that we bought her when we took her to the zoo. She sleeps with it and we can often hear her giving it kisses after we have put her to bed. It's really cute. But lately she has been picking up every blanket or dishcloth and wrapping her monkey in it. Today she was walking around copying what I was doing I just had to get some pictures. Love my girl! And I'm so glad she loves Ruby like she does.

Miss Ruby Kay

2011-01-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

She's finally here! Ruby Kay arrived Wednesday January 19th at 5:28pm. She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long. She is so loved already.

I had been wishing her here for at least two weeks, but I'm glad that she came when she did. It was so nice and such a different experience to have a healthy baby. One that can be in the room with us, one I can take care of, and one that gets to come home when we do! That was the best part. It was definitely way better than the circumstances with Marley.

Delivery was great minus an hour or so where my epidural wasn't working on my left side, but once that was fixed it was smooth sailing. She came rather quickly and easily. So glad to have her here!

We have been so blessed by our family. Being a mom is the greatest thing, and I really enjoyed spending some solo time with Ruby while Chad was home taking care of Marley. It was nice to hold her and just stare at her. What a miracle babies are!

Here are some pictures that we took in the hospital. I plan on taking some newborn shots this week sometime. It's funny how hectic life is with a newborn. Even though Chad is home with me to help, life is still so crazy right now. I will adjust eventually...right?

Sweetest Little Girl

2010-11-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of our day is tucking Marley in bed before we go to bed ourselves. I have reluctantly relinquished this privilege to Chad. It truly is the best part of our day! Marley is so sweet when we go to tuck her in.

Sometimes, she wakes up just enough to hug your arm, or blow kisses, or pat your face. Tonight when I snuck in to check on her she woke up enough to squeeze her orangutan stuffed animal and give it a kiss. Melts my heart!

I just love being a mom, and that little girl makes it so much fun! I think that this stage is the most fun. I believe that I've said that during every stage so far, but I really really love the things that are happening right now!

Double Digits!!

2010-10-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I have less than 100 days left until I get to meet my baby girl! I am so thrilled. First I HATE being pregnant. I know that sounds ungrateful, but it is rough. I am not one of those people who feel great while they are pregnant and thus love being pregnant. I'm not that lucky!

Second, I can't wait to meet this sweet girl. My major hope is that she can wait to come until January. I would really be happy if I don't have to leave my baby in the hospital. It is a terrible thing to walk away without them!

I look forward to holding a baby that will just let me snuggle them. Marley isn't big on the snuggles!

I can't believe it's coming so fast! I can't wait!

Growing Way Too Fast!

2010-10-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is growing up way too fast! It is so hard to remember when she was so tiny and struggling in the hospital. It seems like it has to have been so long ago. Time goes by too fast!

I took Marley to the Dr. for her 18 month checkup and she is getting bigger. She is still small, only in the 35% for her weight, but that's the highest that number has ever been!

And since she is now 18 months old, she got to go to nursery for the first time on sunday. She was so good. I was sure that they were going to have to come get me because she was freaking out, but I only had to change a diaper and then she went right back. I hope that she continues to like going. It will make my life that much easier!

I took her up the canyon this morning to take some pictures of her. She loved being outside and running around, but she had no interest in following instructions or even looking my direction. I still think we got some cute stuff, but it was a battle!

Love you Marley, but can you slow down the growing up? Just a little...?

Have You Heard?

2010-08-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

There is this great website called goodreads.com. I signed up a long time ago but never did anything with it. Marley and I have started going to the library every two weeks or so. Whenever we go to the library, I can never seem to remember the names of any of the books that I have wanted to read. This website is my cure for that! I now have a saved list of over 60 books that I want to read. So next time we go to the library, I can look at my list and pick something off of it. I am so excited!

If you are like me and can never remember that book that someone suggested, then this website is for you. And if you do join, add me as a friend. I would love to see what you are reading!

Marley Snuggles

2010-07-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I think Marley knew I needed her tonight. That baby NEVER snuggles! Never. Not even when she's sick. Tonight I needed to hold her. I was sad and I needed her. She had been in bed for two hours, but I decided I was going to chance it anyway, and went into her room. I was just going to make sure she was covered by her blanket, but when I got in there, I had to pick her up. I got to hold my baby and she just slept in my arms. I got to hold her for as long as I wanted. It was just what I needed tonight. And I was able to put her back in her bed without incident! Thanks Marley bug! I love you!

2010-06-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Last night was my 10 year high school reunion. When it was announced I was really excited to go. I talked my friend's Rainee and Kenzie into going with me. As it got closer, I got less excited to go. I had a very specific list of people that I hoped would show up. As expected the people who I really wanted to see, didn't show. Except for one.

Brian was my very best guy friend in high school. I hadn't seen him since before I got married. He walked in right as we were getting ready to leave, and I'm so glad he did. I got to talk to him for a few minutes and meet his cute wife. So the reunion wasn't a waste of my time!

Sea World

2010-04-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Sea World. I had high hopes for today. There are things to touch and I thought that Marley would love it. She was not as excited as she was at Disneyland. I guess she is really my daughter afterall!
The first thing we saw was the sea lions and Marley had a blast. She was so excited. I was sure that the day was going to be a huge success. The next thing we did was sit and watch the sea lion show. Marley is at an age where she doesn't sit very well. If there is nothing to keep her attention, we have problems. She hated sitting and waiting for the show to start, then she was entertained for the first half of the show, then she melted down!

The things that I was most excited for was for Marley to touch things in the tide pool and to pet a bat ray. She is little, and it is hard for her arms to reach long enough to touch stuff. Plus, she thought we were torturing her! It was a lot of fun, but she didn't last as long at Sea World as she did at Disneyland.

Tomorrow is the zoo, and possibly the beach. We have had such a great time here! I have mixed feelings about going home. I miss my house, but I'm not ready to be back to the real world!

Disneyland Day 2

2010-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Marley continues to live up to my expectations! She has been an absolute doll to be with this trip. Disneyland excited her so much. She was constantly smiling and pointing! So stinking cute!
Today Marley dressed up as Snow White. She was the cutest Snow White ever! I was worried about her not liking her dress, but it didn't seem to bother her.

We spent the morning riding some rides. She loved it! The carousel scared her a little, but we still had so much fun. We waited in line to see the princesses for a whole hour. Once we got to the front of the line, we found out that Snow White wasn't even there. We were bummed, but got some good pictures with some other princesses. The last ride we rode was It's a small world, but Marley fell asleep in my arms in line. So she missed it. I tried to wake her up for it, but she was sooo tired!
We headed for San Diego after all the fun, and spent some time in the pool at our hotel here. Marley loved every second! We have to keep a tight hold of her or she will jump out of our arms. The kid has no fear!

Tomorrow is Sea World, and I can't wait to introduce Marley to that place! I hope that she will get right in there and touch and feel all the things that she can. It is going to be so much fun!

Day 1: Success!

2010-04-22T20:36:00.003-07:00

Marley is making me so happy! She is doing exactly what I want her to. She has been so happy and she gets so excited! Her pointer finger must be tired, she is constantly pointing at something new!

We went to Disneyland bright and early this morning. It was so much fun! We caught Pluto for a picture right after we bought Marley her Minnie ears! She isn't afraid of the characters which I was kind of worried about. She reaches for them as soon as she sees them. Yay Marley!!

It was supposed to rain today, but thankfully the worst of it happened durring the night. I was going to be so bummed to not be able to show off Marley's Minnie Mouse inspired outfit, but luckily it was good enough weather that she got to wear her outfit without a jacket for a short time. Dang she looked so cute. We got many comments, which made me very happy! Love the kudos!

You know how much I love this place, but oh man, is it soooo much fun with Marley! Different fun, but sooo much fun! Can't wait until tomorrow!

We Couldn't Wait!!!

2010-04-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

We got to our hotel in Anaheim around 3:30PM and had no intentions of doing anything but decompressing from the car ride and maybe feeding Marley or putting her down for a nap. Well, we just couldn't wait!

We went strolling through Downtown Disney looking for awesome souveniers and just had to go into the park, afterall, we couldn't just use our 3-day parke. hopper passes for only 2 days.

As soon as we got into the park, we saw Mickey and Minnie greeting people and there were very few people waiting to see them. Marley was so excited to see them...probably because she recognized them from the 78 times that she watched the Disney Sing along Songs on the way here.

She just had to give Minnie kisses.

Welcome!

2010-03-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new blog! I will post soon...There's a birthday party in the works right now!