Project Runway??

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

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

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

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!!

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!!

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

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

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!