Two of Three

Moving???

2008-05-31T18:42:00.001-07:00

Don't get too excited we are not moving from Essen Dr. I was just thinking about moving my blog to Word Press. I need some feed back though. Check out my new blog on Word Press and tell me if you like that set up better than this one. I think it is pretty cool. You can definitly do more with it. But I am still not sure.

Ok so here it is http://amarlow.wordpress.com/

So far it is all the same post I just changed some of the "extras." Oh I learned a new word whild creating this new blog...Widget. I didn't even know that word exsisted!

Happy Vanniversary!

2008-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend Dan and I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss by purchasing a pre-owned mini van! Woo Hoo! I am in love with this thing! It is not brand new but it is a 2006 which is newer than the car we traded in for it. And our car payment only went up $3. That is amazing to go from a dinky little Kia to this monstrous van for only $3!!!! I am so happy. I can fit so much in it and I am excited to take it on our first vacation to Canada this year. Even though I have to push the seat up as far as it will go to reach the peddles...I don't care....I love the VAN! Oh and if this isn't dorky enough guess what Dan got me as an anniversary present...this. Here's a Jesse picture just cause he is so darn cute!

He's whistling...he sucks in but it's still whistling to me!

A Laugh for Kate

2008-05-22T19:30:00.001-07:00

First let me set the scene.....

Dan, Jesse and I are in the kitchen. Dan is feeding Jesse and I am making dinner. I have my i-pod on and the two of us are entertaining our child by singing whatever happens to come on next. So this song "The Luckiest" comes on and and Dan and I start to sing along. It is a very pretty love song by Ben Folds Five or just Ben Folds I can't remember....Anyway just as the chorus comes on Dan says inquisitively, "Where this song from?" There is a pause and just before I can get out, "oh its that song from Kate and Andy's wedding video." He says, "Shrek?" I cannot contain my laughter and say, "Yeah Shrek...wait no I mean from Kate and Andy's wedding." I know this may not be funny to most of you who read my blog but I know it will make Katie smile and since she is quite pregnant and uncomfortable right now all she really has is smiles:) Now I am imagining Shrek singing "The Luckiest" and that is a funny image.

Mother's Day

2008-05-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

Happy baby, happy mama, happy day.

Changes

2008-05-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

No not changes in Jesse which are quite a lot but this post is about changes in me. As our 5 year anniversary approaches I find myself thinking about the woman I used to be. That woman wasn't much different than the Andrea of 2008 but I would just like to share a few item that being married to Dan has done to me.

1. I now like mustard. I know it is small but I never touched the stuff before I met Dan and now I find myself putting it on everything!

2. I have been known to say, "Hey why don't you play Zelda?" or "Let's play Super Mario Galaxy." Not the words of a normal girl. Girls are not supposed to enjoy watching their men play video games...and yet I do.

3. I had gone my whole life without seeing the movie Christmas Vacation (you know the one with Chevy Chase) yet when Dan forced me to sit down and watch it I found it to be quite funny and now find my self saying,"I have to eat! So I can take my back pills!"

4. I was always a closet sci-fi/action movie enthusiast but now for our 5 year anniversary I have aggreed to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. This is probally the one day of the year I could get my husband to go see a girly chick flick or romantic comedy but no I'd rather see death and carnige...with Harrison Ford of course. On the same note if you have never seen Logan's Run um it rocks. It's this cheesy 70's sci-fi and it has Farah Faucet in it. It's crazy weird and there is this guy at the end who gives all his cats like 40 names cause he lives all alone in the world and they say "RENEW" a lot. Dan's brought out the nerd in me and I can't put her back!

Well that's all I can think of now. I know they are all kind of mundane but to me having lived my whole life being a mustard free, Christmas vacation hating, closet science fiction dork its seems big to me. Yet I love him still. Although I can't seem to think of many changes I have made on him...

Sippy Cups

2008-04-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

I think Jesse is ready to start using a cup but I don't know which one to use. We have this one but he can't seem to figure out how to get the water/juice out of it. If I take the valve out he can drink from it but it come out so fast the liquid mostly gets all over him. Anyway I thought all you veteran mom's would have an idea of a good cup for a lazy baby that want to do as little work as possible! Jesse is crawling everywhere and always wants to play/put things in his mouth he shouldn't. I hear this is normal but I feel like a chicken with my head cut off running around after him making sure he doesn't eat screws, gum wrappers, trash in general (from the trash can of course), string, plastic bits, twist ties and the broom. Just to name a few. Help please.

I Bet You Didn't Know...

2008-04-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Husbands and wives in India who desire children whisper thier wish in the ear of a sacred cow. (p.168)
Prince Harry and Prince William are uncircumcised. (p. 10)
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey, not the eagle, to be the U.S. national bird. (p. 17)
Ralph Lauren's real name is Ralph Lifshitz. (p. 22)
Donald Duck cartoons are banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants. (p. 46)
Alma mater means "bountiful mother." (p.75)
If you live in Michigan, it is illegal to put a skunk in your boss's desk. (p. 127)

From The Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham

No Time to Post but here's a Jesse Pic....

2008-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Missing Jesse

2008-03-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well it is 1am and I can't sleep. Not sure why I was exhausted at 8pm but now I am wide awake. Jesse is spending the night at Grandma Missy's and I miss him like crazy! I always go in and look at him and give him a kiss before I go to bed and it is really sad when his little crib is so empty. I know I should be "glad for the break" and I get to sleep in tomorrow (not that it matters cause I am up way to late now) but really I like having him around. I miss his little noises and being able to look at him whenever. It's really hard to get to sleep without him here. I feel the same way when Dan is out of town or gets home late. I just can't seem to get to sleep. Anyway I will post pictures later I don't have the new Easter pics on my computer yet. We are going to Gaylord tomorrow! Woo hoo Block family! Well just for fun here is something random that I bet you didn't know about me I like sweet tea...with lots of lemon.

9 Months Old

2008-03-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Jesse is nine months old today! I can't believe how the time has flown by! And to all those books and people who say things like "Just remember it took nine months to put on all that weight it's going to take at least that long to take it off..." Well they're full of crapola. It has been exactly nine months since my beautiful baby boy was born and I am just as lumpy and chunky as ever...but enough about me and bathing suit woes here are some facts about Jesse the nine month old wonder!

He is rolling all over the house which is fun to watch but also translates into him eating the insurance bill the other day because I left the room to use the potty.
He can get up into the "crawl" position but has yet to achieve locomotion.
He can usually grasp a small puff (cereal type product) with his thumb and pointer and get it successfully in his mouth. Other times it gets caught in his fist and he just shoves his whole fist in and out of his mouth hoping the puff with magically find it's way into his mouth.
Jesse likes to repeat actions and sounds. My favorite is this toy we have that sings Ba ba black sheep and when he hears it Jesse sings, "Ba ba ba ba...." so cute
He has just started to "miss" me when I leave a room or the house to go somewhere. This is hard but on the up side he also gets very excited when I come back. Big smiles and arms out to let me know he wants me to hold him. Maybe someday when I have like 40 kids and they are all like "mom mom mom mom" I will not enjoy this but now it is pretty much my favorite thing.

I am sure there is a bunch more but I hear him waking up now so I have to go. Happy 9 months Jesse!

Cutie Pants

2008-03-07T18:12:00.001-08:00

Things to Post About When I have More Time

2008-03-07T07:06:00.001-08:00

My short lived love affair with Starbucks Chai Latte
Why I like to watch Dan play Zelda and other such ways my husband has changed me
How Jesse is growing and changing
Does the teething/cold cycle ever end
Why does everyone think texting is so awesome and when will they stop

That's all I can think of right now...but since i know a lot of you go to my blog specifically to see a new picture of Jesse (it's ok I understand he is more interesting than me) here ya go!

Eating a cracker

Bathing Beauty

2008-02-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

isn't he cute!

After bath mohawk

My Favorite Show

2008-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Was reading Lisa's blog today and read that she was watching Gilmore Girls...my favorite show! I put a poll on the right for all you GG lovers out there. I am currently watching season 5 and Rory has just met/starting dating Logan. I was thinking about all her bf (that's boyfriends not bestfriends) and thought it would be fun to add a poll. Ok so if you love Gilmore girls shout out your favorite episode, moment or just thing about the show! Things I like include but are not limited to:

1. Sookie, she is the best so crazy and funny and she loves food!
2. Luke and Lauralie's neverending romance they belong together!
3. The name Lauralie...Dan would never let me use it but it would be my first pick for a girl.
4. The episode where Lane's secrete band plays for Mrs. Kim and they want to re-write "A Mighty Fortress is our God".
5. I know you are dying to know who my favorite Rory beau is...well I flip flop between Dean and Logan...but never Jess he smells and Marty I think coulda been cool but he was just a friend.

Sleepy

2008-01-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this cute picture of my babe. I love to watch him sleep.

Monkey Baby

2008-01-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

We have had this monkey snow suit for a while but I haven't put Jesse in it yet. So the other day we decided to try it out. Again I have to say a full night of entertainment just from a simple snow suit! Babies can be so fun sometimes. The only problem...we can't get him in the car seat with the snow suit on! I am not sure how or where he can wear it. Well never the less (is that one word?) it was a very entertaining. We also had to go to Childrens Hospital for a follow up visit about his kidney and everything was great! I am so relieved. They said to come back in 3 years to have another look but everything looks good. I wasn't really worried about it since he is such a healthy happy baby but when the doctors appointment got closer I was getting quite anxious. I am just happy nothing is wrong. Basically for those of you who don't know, Jesse has one kidney that is perfectly healthly and the other one didn't develop properly in the womb. But you only need one kidney so he is good:) That's all for now!

Purple is the best color ever...now I have proof.

2008-01-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

This is the awesomest site ever! If you ever want to buy me something go here and pick anything....it's all purple and I will love it all! Just wanted to share the good news with you all.

http://www.purplestore.com/

Jesse Growing

2008-01-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Had to get rid of this element on my blog because it kept smooshing my pictures. They look aweful! Can anyone help? I really need to move to wordpress or something. Here is the picture I wanted to put there it is of Jesse at his 6 month photo shoot. Cute ain't he!

Christmas not so much Break

2008-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

I don't think we were home at all over Christmas break except for Christmas Day! It was a crazy week. We had 10 people here for Christmas day dinner then the 26th we left for Gaylord to see Sydney the cutest little girl this side of the Mackinac Bridge. Then we came home did laundry and went to The Piggotts for New years eve and the next day went to Dan's grandparents house for Christmas with the extended family. I did not get any pictures of the last two events which super sucks. Kate and Andy were in town and I have no photographic evidence! Oh but i did take an awesome video with our new video camera (from Dan's parents) so I will have to look at that later. My favorite Christmas gift...well Dan did fabulous this year so I loved everything he gave me:

-a pink razor phone

-a dirt devil Cone

-Stardust (the movie)

-A LABEL MAKER!

I got a lot of other things but I think the stuff Dan got me was my favorite. What was your favorite gift? Here are some photos for you to enjoy!

Jesse on Christmas Morning

Me with my new giant stocking Dan's mom made for me. She did the gauge wrong or something!

Jesse wearing one of Sydney's hats.

Home at last relaxing in mom & dad's bed!

Elf Dan

2007-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Check this out if you need a smile.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1634327108

Project

2007-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is my project/Christmas present for Jesse. He didn't have a stocking so Beth gave me this great idea to use his old clothes and make him one. It was actually really hard to cut up his onsies that didn't fit anymore. If any of you new mom's out there decided to do this project be warned you may break down and cry after seeing how small your 6month old child once was. Anyway it turned out pretty good I think it was my first time cutting squares and piecing them together. I know it is not real quilting but it is a start! The top says Jesse I sewed the letters on by hand so it is kinda messy but it's homemade and it looks like a stocking so that is all that matters! I used 3 onsies and 1 baby blanket. Oh and some ribbon for the hook thingy. I just kinda winged it really. I found a stocking pattern online so I would have a rough idea of shape but other than that I didn't have any help. I am sorry if I sound too excited but I was really thinking it would turn out with all the squares misaligned and what not. I think I will do this for any future children we might have. It was a fast project. Well fastish considering Jesse is so clingy these days!

Hanging up

Close up

Trying to Get a Photo of Jesse's First Teeth: A Photographic story

2007-12-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

First I thought one finger holding the lip down and the other taking the picture would suffice.

Then Dan got involoved and he held the lip while I took the picture.

That wasn't quite working so Dan pulled out the big guns. Actually a pretty good shot of the teeth...but did we stop there?? OF COURSE NOT!

The final product which made Dan laugh so hard he scared the baby. By the way as we were trying to pull his lips back he is trying to talk and coo. Ah I never thought I would have so much fun at home on a Saturday night!

Teeth

2007-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Jesse has two new teeth....well not so much new as first ever teeth. They are his front bottom teeth and you can hardly see them but you can feel them and he likes to bite everything. It is in this time I am thankful he is not breastfeeding since he gnaws at his bottle regularly! I will post pictures of his first pearly whites as soon as I can get a picture of them. He is also laughing a lot more and saying voul sounds like mamamamama or babababa. It is really cute! I do however have this aweful back pain from holding him, picking him up sitting on the floor with him etc. It hurts so much but I don't know what to do I can't stop holding my baby. Um I don't know what else to write. Mostly I am writing this now because Katie made me feel guilty for not writing in a while...good job Kate...move a million miles away then make me feel bad! Not much going on right now except that I am in love with my crock pot. It is the worlds best invention! Just stick a bunch of ingredients in the pot turn it on and them at dinner time you have a meal...how cool is that! Answer...super cool. Ok well right now I am thinking about how much I would like to be in Gaylord holding baby Sydney. If you haven't seen her go to Lisa's blog and check that girl out. She has more hair than Jesse and he is 6 months old!

The Borg

2007-11-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

So I changed my blog name. I am still thinking of leaving blogger but don't have time to figure out something else right now. If you don't know I am obsessed with Star Trek. Some of my favorite TNG and Voyager episodes are the ones with the Borg in them so I t00k Katies advice and dorked up my blog name. I love science fiction. I don't know why. It could be because my parents loved it so much or becasue I like to get lost in the imaginary worlds since mine seems so boring sometimes. I think it is cool that they have food replicators and transporters on Star Trek. The made up technology is so facinating to me. Confession of a true nerd: On the way to Illinois to visit my grandparents we played that game "I am going to Grandma's house and I'm bringing...." then you go through the entire alphabet and have to remember what everyone says. Well we played the Star Trek version. Instead of going to Grandmas we went to Vulcan and we thought of something for every letter including the hard ones. Q is for Q , W is for Warp drive , X is for Xindi, Y is for Yar, Natasha , and Z well Z is for Zephrim Cockrin the inventor the warp engine of course! The really sad thing is that we played this game like five days ago and I could most likely remember each item for each letter. If you love Star Trek like me, or if you want to learn more about it click on any one of the above links. That is a awesome site yo! Trekies unite!

Inspiration

2007-11-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Katie has inspired me to rename my blog. Not sure what to name it yet but any suggestions are welcome. Look for a new name soon. Also I was thinking about leaving blogger, but I am not sure what is another good place to set up my blog. Also I don't want to loose the posts I have here. Is there a way to move what I have? Wow two posts in one day its a post baby record! I must have more time. Remind me of this when I start complaining again!

Weaning

2007-11-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

So about 3 or 4 weeks ago Jesse decided he no longer wanted the wonderfulness of my breast. That is to say he no longer would nurse. He would in the morning and maybe once during the day but that's about it. Now many of you know I have not had an easy time with breastfeeding but I think I have persevered and done what I could to make it work. So I just pumped and pumped and pumped. Well as of last week he won't nurse at all. I put him in the position to nurse and he screams. After a week of this I decided my little boy may need to be weaned. Now I know nursing for a year is great and some do longer than that but I just couldn't handle the stress of it all. Plus when I did pump I was getting next to no milk. And let me tell it you it wasn't for lack of trying. So yesterday I decided not to pump at all. (for the past week I have only been pumping twice a day) An low and behold what do I wake up with this morning...soggy pajamas! That hasn't happened in months! Then I tried to nurse Jesse thinking well I am full it will be easy for him to get the milk out. He wanted no part of it, of course, so I proceeded to the bottle. When he was done with his bottle I sat him up to burp him and what do I find that I am soaking wet, again! I had leaked through another shirt! So first I make no milk and now I am overflowing with it. This is driving me crazy! But again he won't nurse, so it doesn't really matter how much I leak everywhere if he doesn't want it. Is this normal when you go off breastfeeding? I am just frustrated beyond belief. Please don't give advice that is, "oh just keep breastfeeding...stick it out." I have stuck it out Jesse is done with it, I just want to make sure soreness and leakage is part of weaning. I really wanted to make it to 6 months but my dreams of having the perfect breastfeeding baby were never meant to be. I realized this the day I bought my expensive pump that I have had to use ever day since we brought Jesse home just to keep my milk production up. So I am done with nursing which is very sad. I didn't think I would be so sad considering it has almost been a battle to get him to do it in the first place. But it means he is growing and that special time only we could have is gone. (tear) Oh the plus side he is getting so fun! As evident by this picture, grabbing his feet and sometimes trying to put them in his mouth. Unbelievably cute! He laughs and smiles when he hears my voice. I was reading some of my posts I wrote the first few weeks and I know I was miserable but you were all right...it gets soooooooooooo much better. Better than I could ever imagine. I never thought I could love anyone this much. He smiles and my day is instantly better. How do they do that? Anyway also wanted to thank all you moms who have encouraged me these past months. I am not saying stop, but the first months are harder than anyone can explain. The second baby is easier...right???

Halloween

2007-11-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

We did not go trick-or-treating but Jesse as a pumpkin is too cute. Don't have time to write now just wanted to post some pictures. The only bad thing is I can't get rid of his stupid red eye...it is driving me crazy. Picasa doesn't get rid of all of it and my camera setting is no working either...any suggestions?

Jesse the Jack-o-lantern

Baby's first Halloween

His shirt says "Bone to be Wild" HA...look at that smile!

On the Farm

2007-10-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

We went to this farm out in Oxford last saturday and it was so much fun! It was a youth even so technically we (dan and I) were leaders but we brought Jesse and made it a family outing also. There were all kinds of animals and you could milk a cow...I did not because I am well versed in how lactation works. Anyway I can't wait till Jesse is older and he will remember being there. There is so much for young kids. The best part...feeding the ducks! They all come running up to you and honking it is so funny. Also I am loving Jurassic Park...the book. It is so good. I am staying up too late to read it!

Me and Jesse...isn't his hat cute!

Me, Jesse, and a Cow...you can milk her if you want...I chose not to.

October 21, 1980 4:34am

2007-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

My mother informed me yesterday that,"the day I was born there was frost on the ground!" It was very warm yesterday here for October in Michigan. My dad told me how he broke like 400 ice cream dishes for a banquet they were suposed to go to because my mom called and told him she was in labor! I love to hear about the day I was born. It is fun to think what it was like for my parents all those 27 years ago...I wonder what I will tell Jesse about the day he was born. It will probaly start...well actually it took a week to have you!

Anyway I had a very nice birhtday. We went for chinese food...my favorite and Dan got me a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake from baskin robins...also my favorite. The coolest gift I got you ask...ICE SKATES!!! I can't wait to use them. Dan said he wanted to get them for me last year but considering the giant belly I was sporting all winter I would not have been able to use them. My mom got me a gift cercificate for a massage which is awesome. My brother go me a movie gift card...now we can afford to go to the movies one of my favorite things to do but since when do I want to spend $10 for one ticket? It's times like these I miss the M-89 theater in Plainwell...ahh Plainwell. When we lived in Wayland (the most boring place on earth unless you are a dairy farmer) we used to go see a movie friday and saturday night cause it was so cheap. The downside...the only restaurant in Plainwell is Applebee's...I don't eat there anymore because we went so much back then. (that was a tangent if I ever heard one) Ok, Ok, what else gift cards for clothes a Josh Groban Christmas CD...I LOVE JOSH GROBAN! Oh ,Oh, a super awesome Gryffindor track Jacket I will have to put it on and post a picture...it rocks and when the next HP movie comes out I am totally going to be a big nerd and wear it to the movies:) I think thats it anyway it was a nice time but I didn't take any pictures...so I just posted a cute picture of jesse for you to enjoy!

p.s. sorry for any spelling mistakes my spell check won't work!

Not about the Baby

2007-10-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write about something besides Jesse. So I thought what do I do that is not baby related...let me tell you it was hard to come up with something. I do work 3 days a week but only for like 3 hours and it is basically what I did last year...latchkey program. I do work with the older kids so that is awesome....I am just not gifted with kindergartners. But my boss who was also my friend just quit and today will be my first day without her and that is sad. She was a great boss and fun to work with. We still go to church together so I will see her all the time but not at work. So there is work um Star Trek...that is all I do watch Star Trek...I have officially seen every episode of Star Trek Voyager and I am only missing about 4 or 5 episodes of TNG (the next generation for those of you who aren't as dorky as me) I am still working through Deep Space Nine and I refuse to watch the original with Kirk and Spock because it is too lame. 1960's sci-fi is not so cool. We have DVR and I just tape them whenever they are on and watch them when I have time...usually while nursing:) Um what else I did start reading The Magicians Nephew the other day for like the 10th time. I love those books. I can read them over and over again and never get sick of them. I have been reading at night when my boys are sleeping. It is nice...I haven't read in bed since like before I was pregnant! I was always too sleepy or uncomfortable when I was pregnant and since Jesse was born I didn't have time because of exhaustion. So that has been nice. Not every night but when I get to it. I really should read something new but I am not sure what to read. I was thinking about Jurassic Park because I saw the movie the other day and Dan said the book was really good...better than the movie...but what book isn't right? So if anyone has book suggestions that would be cool. I love fantasy and sci-fi...maybe a good biography. Oh and one last thing not baby related...I love the move Stardust. It was seriously the best movie ever! Dan and I saw it a while ago when it was in the theater on our date night. (Date night is awesome I recommend it to all new and old parents...get a babysitter and get out with your spouse!) My favorite movie is The Princess Bride but this movie may have won as my new favorite movie. It's just fantastic and Dan liked it too so you know it is not too girly. Ok I can't think of anything else that isn't about the baby but three things is pretty good I think:) Oh I thought of one more...I have rediscovered my i-pod! I forgot how fun it is to listen to music. I have been trying to walk since it has been unseasonably warm for October so I just put Jesse in the stroller and listen to my i-pod and we're off! Last week we walked to Kroger and bought bread and diapers! Ok well in case you wanted a baby update here is a photo from Jesse's baptism. It was wonderful but we all missed Paul:) Jesse looks a little limp in this picture because he is very tired and about 2 seconds after this picture was taken he started screaming uncontrollably. Oh well.

Friends

2007-09-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Marlow family went to Pennsylvania to visit the Roselius family. Jesse had some fun play time with his very first friend Caleb. Caleb was born before Jesse and he was the first baby to meet my baby so that is why he is his first friend:) Some grown up high lights of the weekend....great food Beth cooked up a storm, including zucchini which I normally hate but may have a new taste for...Long walks in the cool weather....shopping...just being with and laughing with Beth:) The baby high lights I photo graphed:)

Getting ready for our walk....Jesse wearing his first HOODIE!

Chilling on the couch...just a couple of hommies

Jesse telling Caleb how much fun he is having and Caleb being a very intent listener:)

Anyway it was a super fun trip that I wish could have lasted longer and taken less time to make. I now know why my Dad always left for family trips at night when we were all sleeping...less crying, less stopping and lots of quiet.

Holding his head up

2007-08-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am now able to face Jesse forward in my sling. It is very exciting becasue that means he has better neck control. He also love this position because he can see everything. And let me tell you this kids likes to look at everything! He is so alert! He has trouble doing anything like eat or get his diaper changed because he is too busy looking around. Anyway don't have time now to write more than this but isn't he cute!

Fat Fat Fat

2007-08-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm fat. No no don't try to make me feel better cause it won't work...I am definitely fat. There is no cute bump where my baby was there is just this flabby saggy stretch marked skin that doesn't fit into any of my clothes. My maternity pants go up to my boobs and the tops make me look pregnant. Not to mention I would rather wear a sack than put them on again. My old clothes (prepregnancy), I should probably give them to good will cause my butt ain't getting in them...yes I said ain't. What the heck. I can't afford a whole new wardrobe. What am I supposed to do??? I bought some draw string skirts thinking I could mix an match but they have this elastic in them that pushes in to my flabby saggy tummy and it makes em look like I have extra rolls. But when there is no elastic it just looks like I am still 6 months pregnant. My shirts are too tight because I already had the worlds largest breasts but then I got milk...woohoo milk...and now they are a 40F...if you didn't know that is basically the biggest bra size ever on the shortest person ever...no it is not good no matter what Dan may think it is uncomfortable and annoying. AND not like they would ever make a nursing bra that actually supports the 3 tons it is holding. UH! Not to mention the super attractive back fat and bigger hips I have accumulated. So basically I wear my western t-shirt and my maternity denim capri's (that are too big) every day. Sometimes I wash them sometimes I don't . I knew my body would be different but when does it get not so freaking ugly??? Needless to say I am miserable in my skin...or fat if you will.

OK now that I have adequately ranted..here's my beautiful son. At least he's cute. He can lift his head up now and prop himself up on his arms. He won't do it all the time but he can do it. And yesterday he went from this position to his back! He can roll over. But he has only done it in his crib not on the floor. I think he uses the bounciness of the mattress to get himself going. I tried putting him on the floor today to roll over but he just started to cry. I can't believe how fast they grow! He can also keep his head upright when I am holding him up right. He coos and smiles at us when we smile at him. But he still has this clogged tear duct that is grossing me out. He gets this gross build up especially after he has been crying or after he wakes up from a nap. The doc said to massage it but it doesn't seem to be working. I am just sick of wiping his eye. That's all for now.

Storing PIctures

2007-08-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

So I am wondering how you all out there backup your digital pictures? I now have about a million of Jesse saved on our hard drive but I am afraid if our computer crashes or something else happens I will loose all my pictures. And that is just unacceptable. I was wondering what other people with a million digital pictures do. I would appreciate some help on the subject. We have talked about putting them on a CD or DVD but then I have to keep making new ones every time I take new pictures...I want something more long lasting that will allow me to add pictures as I take them. Anyway here is a picture of Jesse with his "king of the jungle" outfit on....aren't the shorts too cute! They are too big...most of his stuff is still cause he is so long but not very chubby.

Shoes and Pants

2007-08-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well it is official I have nothing to write about except my baby. He consumes my life and thus consumes my blog. Jesse is 7 weeks old now and is starting to smile and coo. It is the cutest thing ever! He like talks to us when we are changing his diaper. His neck is getting pretty sturdy and he is sleeping better through the night. Which is nice for us cause it means more sleep. I am feeling great. It still hard to go out with him by myself...always easier with an extra set of hand around. Breastfeeding is going much better, but still not the easiest thing in the world to do. I'm still not totally confident in my nursing skills. Frustrations....he has a clogged tear duct or something....it's super gross and goopy. Anyone have suggestions besides wiping with a warm cloth? It is really grossing me out and I am afraid it will get infected. But it seems just goopy for now. No redness in the whites of his eye...so that is good. All in all he is becoming a little person with his own personality and it is so cool to watch. I can finally tell he is getting bigger cause he hardly fits laying on my chest anymore! I am already getting sad that he is getting bigger. Now for what you really want...The pictures!

This is Jesse wearing his first pair of shoes! They are cute little blue sandals with embroidered bugs on the bottom. They have no function except to look cute on babies. They were a gift and they are so adorable.

Jesse wearing his first pair of pants...yeah his clothes are finally starting to fit! By the way, baby clothes sizing methods are very inaccurate. These pants are still a bit big and they are 0-3 months! I think part of it is because he is so long and lean. I swear most of his weight is in his head and belly!

Jiminy Jesse

2007-07-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

My mom thought this picture of Jesse looked like Jiminy Cricket so I found a picture of him and turns out...yup my son looks like Jiminy Cricket. Weird. It made me laugh. Maybe we can dress him up like that for Halloween:) Jesse doesn't smile quite yet (some glimmers) so it is not a perfect match but put a top hat on him and the resemblance is uncanny. Yesterday I took Jesse for his first mall trip. It was very fun. We walked around, ate in the food court and bought him some cute onsies (the essential baby apparel). It was a much better day than the day before. Screaming day, as I like to call it. Although picking up my stroller is equivalent to lifting a small elephant...that thing is monstrous. On the bright side it is really easy to fold down. That's all for now!

Venting

2007-07-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

(big sigh) I am so tired. I feel like Jesse will not stop crying! He's driving me crazy. I am home all day by myself and calling Dan does not help because he can't come rushing home to hold the baby, which is all I really need so I can go into another room and have silence. It is silent now...he finally fell asleep. Praise the Lord. I just have this awful headache and the screaming baby is not helping it. That sound is becoming my least favorite in the world. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just figure out what he want but he just seems to want to scream! A LOT. It just started really... I feed him, he screams, I change him, he screams, I hold him, he screams, I "insert any activity", he screams...what is going on! I can't take much more of this. It is better when Dan is home cause I don't feel so alone. It is very scary being the mom and knowing that I am the one who this baby needs most. (For food and comfort and stuff) I am feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility and he is only 4 1/2 weeks old! UH! I just need to vent and writing sometimes helps. I just wish there was someone here like poof whenever I needed them, and they would know exactly what I needed and how to help me and I would be able to sleep and eat. Seriously how am I supposed to eat when the baby won't stop screaming. I suppose I should eat now when he is sleeping but then when do I sleep??? I am going crazy.

On a happier note....Beth and her beautiful son Caleb came to Michigan this past weekend. So we met for Breakfast and our babies had their first play date:) They mostly slept through it but Beth and I had fun holding each others child. Caleb has a little cold and his little baby cough just breaks your heart. I wish they lived closer...it was so fun to have a new mom around...plus I love Beth:) Here are some pics (this was also the first time we took Jesse out to a restaurant...he did well) The first one is Me & Jesse and Beth & Caleb. The second one is just the boys hanging out:)

I know everyone says "it gets easier". (taking care of your baby that is) I thought it was getting easier and then suddenly it got really hard all over again. This parent stuff is so difficult. That's not even the right word...I am not sure what the word is. Pray for my sanity...

I love this thing!

2007-07-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is the coolest baby product I have ever received! Serina recommended it but my sweet friend Katie bought it for me. So thanks to you both! It's called an adjustable fleece Kangaroo Pouch...and I am in love with it. Jesse loves to be in it! In fact he is in it right now as I am writing this, sleeping soundly. We had to go to Children's Hospital yesterday to follow up on his kidney problem and I carried him around in this thing all over it was great! It is soooooooooo comfortable and I have the use of BOTH of my hands...for you mom's you know how wonderful that can be! Anyway I have nothing but great things to say about this thing. I want to buy like 4 more! Although I haven't quite figured out how to get the baby in and out of the pouch without some help from another person. Suggestions welcome. I tried making the pouch bigger but then it feels too loose when the baby is inside. I don't know if you know how to do this. I am all for help. Today it is my goal to find out how many things I can do while wearing my baby...so far...I can brush my teeth, eat, blog, and sort of put my hair in a pony tail (that one was a bit harder than the others). Oh yeah I can go get the mail from the mailbox too! Did I mention how awesome this thing is!!!!!!!! Forget registering at Babies R Us all you need is a Kangaroo Pouch! Thank you Katie and Serina!!!!!

Cutiest Baby Ever

2007-06-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

First bath (sponge)

Sleeping with Daddy

Super Cute

Just some pics to enjoy. Do the nights ever get easier??? So far they are miserable. Good thing this babe is so cute or I might pull my hair out. As it is I just cry...all the time. They never told me the hormones are worse after you have the baby! Also I feel like all I do is feed this kid. Advice needed...do I wake him up to feed him or wait till he wakes on his own and is hungry? Can't figure out a schedule that works for us both. Pleas say this gets easier...HELP!

MY SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

So I am finally home from the hospital. I have bascially been there for over a week. We went in last Monday to be induced and came home with our bouncing baby boy today. We did sleep at home Tuesday night but other than that we have been at the hospital. What a long and draing labor that inevitably ended up in a c-section! Seriously 23-24 hours of labor and then the doc was like well this baby is posterior so we will have to c-section him out! By that time I didn't even care I just wanted the pain to be over and the baby to be out. Oh yeah and whoever said epidurals are great didn't tell me about the part where it doesn't work for some people...like me. It did not even effect my pain. Well they ended up giving me a spinal tap for my c-section and I was a very happy camper. Anyway here are some pictures of the little guy.

Picture one: right out of the womb being weighed and measured

Picture two: sleeping on Daddy

Picture three: with Aunt Amanda (also his godmother)

Picture four: all swaddled up and no where to go:)

I can't believe how much I love him. Mom's say it but you can't understand till you have one of your own. I am unable to sleep right now because he keeps crying and fussing. The nights are the worst. Not sure what to do. He likes to be held but I can't do that or I won't sleep. I already fed him and he can't keep that darn pacifier in his mouth and when he looses it he is very mad. I am holding him right now while I type. He likes the movement o my arms....weird...I should get a picture of this:) Anyway pray that I get some sleep!

P.S. Babies smell soooooooooooooooooo good! And I love his feet!

Home Again Home Agian Jiggity Jig

2007-06-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

No I do not have my baby yet. Here is an email that Dan wrote last night to exlplain what happened. For those of you who didn't get it....it was an awful day and a half and I am still pregnant!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrea just came in and said, "I feel like we just got home from the worst vacation ever and we have to go back tomorrow."

The induction today did not work. After 18 hours of contractions, Andrea is still only 1cm dilated. We are exhausted (had only 4 hours of sleep) and we just fed Andrea properly (wasn't allowed to eat anything after midnight until 7 tonight). We return tomorrow night to try it all again. If the baby won't come one way, then we go the other way.

Pray for us.
Dan

Happy Due Date Day!

2007-06-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

So today is my offical due date...but as you can see there is no baby! Just thought you would all like a last look at giant pregnant Andrea. The next photo of baby should be of him out of the womb! Unless for some reason God decides to bring him before Tuesday...that will be the big day. I am a bit nervous but also very excited. I had contractions last night but turns out they were due to the fact that I was dehidrated! Don't walk around the mall all day and not drink anyting...bad idea. Dan and I were both upset it wasn't real labor but oh well on the plus side I got to see my baby brother graduate today! Congrats to Max! Class of 2007. We are going to his little grad party later today, so that should be fun. Also my Dad is in town and I got to hug him for the first time in like a year so that was pretty cool. So thanks to all of you who are praying for us Marlow's. Keep em coming! Only a few days left as "just the two of us". Scary!

Waiting Sucks

2007-06-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

First sorry to all of you who I have yet to call back. I am posting this so everyone gets an update and I don't have to tell the same story 5 million times. I will call everyone, it's just taking me some time:)

Went to the doctors yesterday...not much progress. I am now 40% effaced but she didn't say if I was more dilated or not. It looks like I am just going to have to be induced. I go in Monday the 11 the at 6:00pm to the hospital. They are going to put that gel stuff on my cervix and hopefully it will thin out faster, like it is supposed to. Then I spend the night at the hospital waiting for it to work. The next day (June 12) they will check me and if I am all ready they give me the drug, petocin I think, that makes you go into labor...or start contractions. So if the baby doesn't come before June 12 that will be when he is born, I guess. They said it takes a while to work so he may not come right away on the 12th. They also said that sometimes the gel is enough to put you into labor but knowing my stubborn body probably not:) I am just sick of waiting and really wanted my body to do this on it's own. Plus I am scared of a c-section because of the baby's size. Apparently he is going to be like 9-91/2 lbs. Which I know is not 100% accurate and many a women have delivered such gargantuan babies but I am just scared. It doesn't feel like this is happening the way it is supposed to. Also, because of all the grief the doctors gave me about how there "may" be something wrong with him, I am so worried he is going to come out with some weird disease or birth defect. I having a rough time putting faith and trust in God. Which makes me feel awful! I worry all the time anyway and this is even worse. I know don't be anxious. It's just hard. I have control issues people, if you didn't already know...and I have NO control over any of this. Anyway like the title says...waiting sucks.

39 Weeks

2007-06-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

What the heck this baby needs to come out! Do you see this gigantic picture of me??? My ankles are swelling to size of small tree trunks and my shins have so much fluid collected in them that you can press on them and leave your finger imprint. Dan calls this phenomenon memory foam legs. I find it to be super gross and am afraid to touch my legs. I had them crossed the other day so one of my heels was resting on my shin and I had a baseball size welt in my leg that took 15 minutes to go away. Ah pregnancy. Anyway I went to the doctor on Thursday and she said I am only 1 centimeter dilated and 20% effaced. She said she doesn't want me to go too far past my due date because of the baby's kidney issues so she scheduled me for induction on June 12 if that is this stubborn little boy doesn't come out before then. I wish he would just show himself already. I have been trying to relax and do things for my self like all you mom's say but it is hard when I am so uncomfortable and am sick of being cooped up at home! I would go out but it has been so hot I would rather be bored and the right temperature at home then out in the heat. Sorry to those of you who have to face the whole summer pregnant! Well now that I have thoroughly ranted (I'm entitled when I am this big) the up side is that there is an end in sight. It's just hard to wait and wait and wait. I am not a very patient person. I did start crocheting a new baby blanket for a friend. I actually am reading a pattern to do it. Amanda has inspired me she made the cutest little green and white sweater with turtle buttons for the baby. I am not up to a sweater yet considering I can't fully read the pattern without a little help but I did start this lovely double shell stitch blanket. I have to think about what I am doing while counting and reading the pattern so it keeps my mind off the baby. I love crocheting! Bye for now!

All Spruced Up

2007-05-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hello out there. Hope you all like the aesthetic changes I made to my blog. This new template thingy on blogger really lets you personalize your format. I highly recommend it. The picture at the top I took while on a Marlow family vacation in Canada last year. Why you may ask am I changing my blog now....well when you have been home from work for almost 3 weeks and have done everything else you could possibly think of for the arrival of your new baby (that hasn't come yet) you "spruce up"....everything. Some things I have done:

made curtains for the living room
finished my wedding scrapbook (that I started 4 years ago)
updated my blog
made jewelry for a friends bridal party
actually have been caught up on my laundry
almost finished crocheting a baby blanket
cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned some more

So to those of you mothers out there who know what it's like to wait for the baby to come...have any suggestions of what else I could do to keep my mind off of being sooooooooo pregnant?

Baby Caleb

2007-05-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the baby Caleb pics. The top one of the whole Roselius family, but I like the bottom one better cause you can see more baby face and his dark head of hair! I think he's gonna look like dad! CONGRATS Beth and Jesse!

38 weeks and 31 weeks

2007-05-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

So here are Rebecca and I posing in all our pregnant glory. We had breakfast this morning and I couldn' t pass on a picture opt. We are in the very blue nursery. She doesn't know what the sex of her baby is but I found it quite funny when she rubbed her belly on mine like the babies were able to feel each other:) I am so excited for her. Although it seems that everyone is pregnant these days! I added Baby Block's blog to my tool bar. Check it out if you already haven't. I don't have any pregnanty pics of Lisa yet. Oh yes and my friend Beth Roselius just had her baby (due June 10 born May 23) and he is adorable. Will post picture of baby Caleb ASAP. When is my baby coming!!!!

Toe Show

2007-05-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to get pedicures the other day and they said I could get writing on my toes....so here they are proclaiming the question everyone seems to ask. It's hard to read from far away but this picture is pretty cool:) Plus I get to look at my feet all the time so that is good. Although lately they look a bit like pillows attached to elephant ankles. The swelling has begun. Not my favorite part of pregnancy. They are not too bad but I can't imagine women who are pregnant in the winter and have to wear real shoes that tie! Flip flops all the way baby. I have't tied my own shoe in months! I am very ready to be unpregnant. I want the baby to come early because I am sooooooooo uncomfortable but not sure I am ready for the daunting responsibilty of being a mom either. Oh well I am getting stuff done around the house. This will be my second week off from work and I am loving it! I get so much done at home and I can nap when I feel tired. The doctor said my belly is measuring quite big for how many weeks I am. ( I am 37 weeks and my belly measurement last week was 41) I am anticipaiting a large child. Kinda scared about delivery:) Ok that's it for now...everyone pray that the baby comes SOON!

Cradle

2007-04-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share picture of this cute cradle my mom and aunt got me for my shower. I just put the new linens in it and I love how it turned out! It is in our bedroom next to my bed and I can't wait to put my little bundle of joy in there! This last 6 weeks is going to be torture! I feel huge and uncomfortable and I am just ready to meet my baby! Oh yes and at my last ultrasound they said the baby was 6 pounds already with 6 weeks left to go...what does that mean for me you ask? ONE FREAKING HUGE BABY! Please pray that my body is internally set up to deliver naturally.

Look How I've Grown!

2007-04-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

THEN (week 9) and

NOW (week 33)

So I have in fact gotten huge as you can see! I think it is funny how different I look. In the first picture I am actually SKINNY! Which is a word I would never use to describe myself. Here is a list of 10 things I have lost since being pregnant and want back ASAP , Oh yes and they all get worse the more pregnant you are...

1. My lap...I can't put anthing in my lap because it has dissapeared. Which is quite difficult during sunday school when I have to read my bible and a work book thingy.

2. My memory...now granted this has been slowing leaving me for months now but when I get up to go to the bathroom and then less than 5 minutes later I ask Dan if I went to the bathroom, that's a problem.

3. My ability to sleep through the night... with hip pain and getting up to go to the bathroom you would think I am a 90 year old woman!

4. My ability to hold my bladder for more than 15 minutes....I seriously had to pee before during and after church service today, that's no right!

5. My vocabulary...yep it's true I cannot for the life of me think of the right word to say when I am talking. Dan thinks it is funny...but I feel like I am loosing my mind!

6. My lung capacity...One should not tire easily and be out of breath from walking to a car and putting a seat belt on.

7. My ability to bend over....lets just say there is a lot of grunting and growning if this is attempted at anytime.

8 Being able to stay up past 10pm...I want to watch law and order for goodness sake!

9. Cuddling with my husband...now it is still possible but usually when I get comfortable my unborn son decides that he is not and proceeds to kick me repeatedly until I change positions which is usually uncomfortable for me or Dan.

10. Maintaining a comfortable body temperature....I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm hot, I'm cold....WHAT THE HECK!

All in all I have had a pretty easy pregnancy (pshyically...emotionally it has been a nightmere) so I can't complain too much. I think I am just ready for our baby to be here. Well I wouldn't say ready. More like excited, terrified, anticipaiting, anxiously awaiting. Who can really be ready right?

Baby Shower

2007-04-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well I had a baby shower on Saturday. Is that a crazy event or what! It was bigger than any of my bridal showers so it was a bit overwhelming but really fun. Our nursery is filled with presents you can hardly tell it is a room anymore! I feel like we need a new house because of all the stuff you aquire with a new baby! This "diaper cake" was a pretty cool gift. Aunt Barb made it and another one made of baby blankets and other baby wear. Here's me with my blond girls looking huge! I still have 10 weeks to go I am just going to be a blimp! Anway that's an update I supose. It is getting really hard to bend over and stand for any length of time. Being pregnant is not as glamourous as people think! Everyday tasks take the wind out of me. I am getting a bit scared about the whole labor process and that when it is over we will have a new life to take care of. It didn't seem so real till these last few weeks! We are attending birth classes starting this week and a breast feeding class. So that should be fun/interesting/informative:) Hope all the other prego's out there are doing well! There were like 4 or 5 women at my shower who were pregnant...it seems to be contageous lately!

Good News!

2007-03-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

So my super awesome brother-in-law got a job in Southfield! This may not seem very exciting to any of you but to us Marlow's it means that we will have Peter back in Michigan. HAZAH! (that was for Dan) Peter as been living and working in NYC for the past 8ish months. Or so he says...when I asked if the new company in southfield was giving him moving expenses he replied that all he had was a duffle bag of stuff with him in NYC. Um that doesn't really constitute moving Peter! Anyway it made me laugh because it is so him. When he was a sophomore in college and moved into an apartment with some guys he slept on the floor/couch for 6 months becasue he never came an got his bed that was at our house in Wayland. I had to physically plan a date for him to come get it or I think he would have slept on that couch for his entire college career. Anywho despite the weirdness of him we love him and can't wait for him to come home...considering he has only been on an extened visit to NYC anyway:) We're so proud of you Peter! Come home now...I need my nursery painted:)

Progress

2007-02-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

So here I am looking gigantic. For those of you who want to see my big pregnant belly. I do not however intend to show my bare skin because unlike you lucky mom's out there I DO in fact have many, many stretch marks. I did everything right...I didn't gain weight too fast I have been working out and putting lotion on my belly but I think if you you're going to get them your going to get them. Oh well I guess, I never really wore a bikini anyway so I guess it doesn't matter. The baby is a boy for those of you who don't already know. We don't have a name yet but even if we did we would't tell. We are keeping it a secret till the baby is born. Gotta have some secrects:) Um he is doing well, growing and moving. Actually today was the first time Dan got to feel him move by feeling my belly. He is finally big enough to feel from the out side. Although most of his movements are still only felt on the inside. Also here is an ultrasound picture that gives a pretty good profile view of the baby which by the way we have taken to calling Thor.

IKEA

2007-01-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

So here I am being super cold like I always am these days. Whoever said pregant people are always hot are full of it. Anyway the real reason for this post is that we went to Ikea and got some cool things. A china cabinet and some DVD towers. That place is cool but super busy. It is not so much fun to go on a saturday when it is basically like an amusment park! Anway Dan put together these things and it is so nice to have out the china/crystal we have had packed away since Wayland.

(p.s. don't forget to check out Dan's guns in the tower pic.....he's been working out can you tell?)

The China Cabinet

The new towers....the tall ones are new.

Anway our house is really shaping up now if I can only get going on the baby's room! First we have to get rid of the furniture that's in there! Ok well not much else going on. For those of you who care I have an ultrasound on Thursday and i have been having growing pains which no one warned me about and they are not so fun. Plus I don't even get the bonus of puberty growing pains where you get to get taller no I just get fatter! Oh well at least I get a baby out of it:) Later dudes....

Name Contest

2006-11-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the picture of us girls that Lisa wanted me to post of Amada's "angry" eye:) Not sure what she is doing the rest of us were pretending to be sad but Amanda the rebel that she is (she does have 2 tatoo's) decided to go angry. She makes me smile

Anyway.... Back to the real reason I am writing...
So a lot of people have been asking us if we have any names that we like for the baby. We haven't really thought about too much yet. There are maybe 2 or 3 that aren't bad but we thought it would be fun to get your opinion. So this is a baby name contest. There is no guaranty that we will pick a name from this list because ultimately we have the last say but I have to start somewhere. So here are the rules..

1. If you are posting a girl name it has to go with the middle name Mary. (I am fond of it considering it is my middle name my mother's name and my grandmother's name)

2. No names that start with "M". I will not have a Mable or Mike Marlow. Too much alliteration.

3. Do not post a name that you want to name your child. What if we like it? Then you'll have to ask us not to use it and then we won't because we love it.

Other than that you can give first or middle names for boys or girls. I was going to buy a baby book or look online but this seemed more fun....Thanks to Lisa for the idea!

Oh yeah the winner gets bragging rights that they helped name the baby:)

The Smallest Marlow...and it's not me!

2006-11-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here is the very first picture of our baby! It was so exciting to see and hear his/her heart beat today. I got all teary eyed:) They say from the size of the baby I am about 8 1/2 weeks along and my new and improved due date is June 11. Which the nurse lady could change again. Apparently not a very accurate science determining when babies are going to be born. I don't care as long as it comes! I am very excited and so is Dan. I will continue to update you all. The baby is between the dotted
line in case like Rachel on Friends you can't see it:) Enjoy!

A Bun in the Oven

2006-10-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well for those of you who haven't heard the Marlow's are pregnant! This was confirmed by 2 doctors and 4 home pregnancy test's. We just wanted to be sure ok. I am feeling good but tired. No morning sickness which I am very happy about. I am really hungry all the time, but that's about it. I don't really feel pregnant. I am having trouble focusing on anything but me and the baby which isn't very helpful considering I forgot my friends anniversary and a commitment I had with the youth group all in the same week! Oh well they understood. Apperntly you are allowed to be forgetful when you are carring a child. I have noticed that you get away with a lot when you are pregnant. I am trying my best not to take too much advantage to this perk. So due dates and what not....well I saw my doctor on thursday and she said May 25 was the lucky day but she also said it will probally change becasue my cycles have been off the past couple of months. She said to schedule an ultrasound in the next 2-3 weeks to give her a better idea how far along I am. By the way I will be giving birth in a hospital and a I will be taking drugs if I feel the need. I know some of you blogger people out there have strong feelings about these things but I want you all to know that Dan and I are ok with our decision and I don't want any grief about it. But I would like some info on what all you mothers out there think about finding out the sex of the baby before he/she is born. I always thought I would find out but then I was talking to a friend and she was like it only the best present you ever get and you're going to ruin it! Did any of you feel that way? Ok well that is all I will post more news as it comes in....or at least I will try to! Please pray that the baby is ok through these first few months. BYE!

I CAN SEW!

2006-09-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

I am just very excited about these curtains I made for my kitchen! I went to Jo Anne's with Robin and picked out fabric and she helped me with a pattern and I made them! It is the first thing I have made from scratch. I know it is only rectangles but it was hard for me! And it took me all day to do these three panels. One for above the sink and two for by the kitchen table. Anyway I have two more rooms to do. That is I have fabric for two more rooms so hopefully more pictures to come! Yeah I can make curtains!

above the sink

Open

closed

Trampoline...

2006-08-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

...or in the words of Homer,"Oh, my God! Tramampoline! Trambopoline!"

So when my mom called to say her friend was getting rid of her trampoline and did we want it, this is the only thing that came to my mind and I actually shouted to my rather confused mother TRAMBOPOLINE! Which she said what? And Dan was laughing but basically we are getting a free trampoline. I t should be fun. I am worried I might break my ankle...again...but lets throw caution to the wind and say what Homer would say, "Kids, kids: once you get hurt, move aside and let other people jump." Hahaha. I love the simpsons...lets use this blog to remince about our favorite episodes...Here I'll make it easy for everyone...this is a site where it lists all the episodes of every season, plus it gives picture descriptions and quotes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Simpsons_episodes

Anyway the trampoline comes today so everyone is welcome to join in a joyful jump, or in the words of Rodd and Todd:

Todd: Each leap brings us closer to God.
Rod: Catch me, Lord, catch me! (They collide and fall onto the ground). What have we done to make God angry?

HA! It doesn't get better than that!

Introducing Rebecca Lynn Bosman!

2006-08-17T04:16:00.000-07:00

So one of my oldest friends got married last saturday. It was a beautiful wedding considering I went to it on about 3 hours sleep and full of cold medicine! Rebecca was truely a radiant bride and everything was so beautiful. Her bridesmaid dresses were the same color as mine (plum) so everything at the reception (including napkins) were purple. A dream come true for me. It was such a great wedding. Oh yeah and you know Sparty, the mascot for MSU? Yeah he joined in the festivites. He came to the reception and they played the MSU fight song, which everyone seemed to know except me and Dan:) It was funny. We just stood there like, "um yeah, go MSU!" :) So here are a few pics.

The new bride and me.

Rebecca and David Bosman

The new couple dancing and a better picture of the whole dress.

Peter Marlow

2006-08-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Check out my super cool brother-in-law's new blog. He is living in NYC now and has lots more interesting things to say than me:) We all miss you here in Michigan Pete!Also check out my husbands blog for links to some awesome home video's. Yes the squirrel one is there and the one of Jay running off the diving board...plus more! Enjoy!

Canada Pictures

2006-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the whole family on a picnic on the way home.

Charlie after a swim in the lake! He hated it:)

Canadian Sunset

The cabin we stayed in...a.k.a. super ghetto

The Lost Pictures

2006-07-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so I figured out how to post my pictures again but this is a first attempt. Next time I will try to put the text with pictures instead of 20 posts there should be only one in the future...enjoy them:)

Karen modeling her graduation cake.

Twinsy's Karen and Amanda bought the same bathing suit:)

2006-07-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo I figured out how to put more than one pic! This one is Dan with his mackinac bridge hat on...HOT!

This is our late night trip to Glenn's (think Kroger only cooler) Karen almost fits!

2006-07-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Gang. We are waiting for the fire works to start.

2006-07-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Marlow Clan+Megan which we hope someday will be a Marlow!

2006-07-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is Caleb's new Bride Robin...She's Silly, we like her:)

HOT BITES:)

2006-07-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't posted in a long while so this will be a bullet list because a lot has happened...We have been out of town to parties ect. So Here has been what's up with us.

We went to Caleb and Robin's wedding in Massachusetts. It was fun but short. Oh yes and the funniest part of the wedding to us was when Peter (who was a groomsman) was introduced as Peter Merlowe! Caleb did it on purpose because of our crapy DJ who couldn't pronouce our name right all evening!
We spent 4 days at home after the wedding but nothing happened except I did a bunch of laundry so I could pack for our next jaunt.
Then we were off to Peter's Graduation. Woo Hoo our new WMU grad. He then promtly moved to New York City to start his new high profile job at an Ad agency in Times Square!
We left Kalamazoo and drove strait up to Gaylord for our annual 4th of July trip with Lisa, Paul, Karen, Jay and Amanda. We had so much fun I just love that we have this tradition! We went to fire works 2 different nights and yes we ate even though we weren't hungry!
We got home from Gaylord on Wednesday evening, then on Friday we went to see the new pirate movie. It was good but I didn't enjoy the ending because you have to wait for another movie. Oh well.
Saturday was Dr. Karen Piggotts graduation party. It was so fun! It was at the Piggotts Sr. house which has a pool which is my favorite place to be! Congrats to Karen!
This past week I have been spending most of my time with Heather. We have been to the coolest pool ever twice. The Grosse Pointe community pool. I want to live at this pool. It is GINORMOUS! It has a separate pool just for diving boards, plus a water slide, plus I just love it. We went there yesterday though with one of my youth group girls and her friend and I am pretty sure we all got a bit of a sun burn. Mostly me:( Oh well it was worth it...I LOVE THE POOL!
We leave next week for Canada. Family vacation with Dan's fam. Should be a good time I will post pics when we get back.
I am in the process of trying to start a webpage so you all can see the awesome videos I film from my camera...I mean they are "shorts" but they are butt funny:)
Something is wrong with blogger's picture posting option thingy. That is why there are no pics to this post. Which I am very upset about because I hate posting without pics. If anyone want to help me out with this problem I would be most grateful. I have been waiting to post this entry for almost a week so I could wait for the pictures but stupid blogger won't let me add them to the entry! ARG!

Ok that is what is up with me. Busy summer! Oh yeah the title of this post refers to Amanda talking about Lisa's mosquito bites.....She had a lot of them and they were hot....HOT BITES!

Charlie

2006-06-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this is how Dan's parents dog sleeps! It made us laugh so hard we had to get a picture. We are dog sitting and it makes me want a dauchaund so much....short haired though. This dog has so much fur! Anyway here's to Charlie who can sleep upsidedown!

I Control The Computer

2006-06-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! I figured out the dumb computer language of this blog. Well really I just cut and paste a lot until I got it right. Anyway I put up a booklist that I have been wanting to add for sometime. Although I don't know how to differentiate the books that I already read and the books that I am in the process of reading. Well for now the last two I am in the process of and all the rest I have finished. I love books. Ok well I am just excited I figured it out! I even linked them to Amazon.com! I guess that class in college really did help:) I played around with the layout of the the right side too. Hope you like my changes! Later for now! Here's a pic to enjoy because I know you love em!

This is us at the movies being silly...surprise, surprise

Happy Birthday AMANDA!

2006-06-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hurray for Amanda Sternberg! Today is this lovely girls birthday and so lets celebrate her! (and I guess Mr. And Mrs. Sternberg for succeeding in procreation for a second time) She has blessed my life in so many ways and I am sure you all feel the same:) So I am going to write five reasons she is super cool and everyone else in blogdom can add on....

1. She speaks her mind.

2. She is funny without knowing it sometimes (ie: something stover)

3. She is tall and blond which is evidently a requirement to be one of my friends....(Lisa, Karen, Katie and my newest tall blond friend from church Jen!)

4. She is a wonderful example of how to love the Lord and obey him, she is a true servant.

5. This may sound weird but she is decisive. When there is an issue or a problem she can solve it. She can get people to stop arguing (oh lets say about what kind of pizza we should get) and get them to just decide (so we can eat!)

Anyway, there are about a million more things we all love about her, I am sure. So share your thoughts! It's time to celebrate Amanda Marie Sternberg!

love you Mander:)

Gardening Continued

2006-05-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry it wouldn't let me post this last pic of my brother tree...here it is! Don't forget to look at the post previous to this one!

Gardening

2006-05-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

So basically we spent all Memorial weekend gardening. I guess you might say landscaping our front yard actually. We had these ugly evergreen bushes that I wanted to get rid of so Peter and Dan did it for me. Dan's mom (Dr. Mom) Helped me plant flowers and bushes and such. She was giving me Martha Stewart gardening tips all weekend. Now what I learned is , I in no way like to garden. It is dirty and sweaty and there are bugs and it is gross. I love the way it turned out but I would much rather have someone else do it for me. Dr. Mom says she gardens to relax and I have to say what we did Saturday and Sunday was not relaxing...It was sweaty work! But I am glad there are people who want to do it because then my yard would not have turned out so nice. We also planted a maple tree in our front yard. There is a special story behind this tree. You see when my mom was pregnant with my brother Max we planted a maple tree. Well my parents moved out of that house and Max and I were upset that we couldn't continue to watch the tree grow so I took a part of it and planted it in our yard! I am so excited to watch my tree grow:) Anyway here are some pics of the festivities!

Here is Dan and his brother don't they look handsome in their work boots!

Here is my sexy hubby pouring some ice tea. He worked hard he deserves it:)

this is the left side with some flip flop stepping stones

Here's the right side with the gnome (thanks to Karen for teaching me to spell!)

Housewarming Party

2006-05-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our party Saturday. It turned out to be a beautiful day!

Meesch drove all the way from K-zoo!

Here is Jay working on his chalk Detroit Tiger D.

Karen Twirling her hair as usual:)

Heather got me a super sweet kite, frisbee and sidewalk chalk !

This is Peter's Girlfriend Megan. She makes me laugh:)

And last but not least this creepy garden knom (how the heck to you spell that?) Anyway I found it a tad creepy so Heather thought it would be funny to hide it in our bed before she left. Dan and I were in tears...doesn't he kinda look like he is saying, "let's get busy" HA! It was a fun day sorry to those who couldn't be there!

Get at Blog Yo....

2006-04-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

So this is my poll of who thinks Jay & Karen Piggott should start a blog. I was reading about my friends today and it is just not the same when the Piggotts are not here to share their thoughts/pictures. So lets give them some encouragement and support to start blogs! Also encourage anyone else you think needs to start a blog here! This is Jay and Karen warming up for their short program:)
Friends are the coolest:)

Caden James Wilson

2006-04-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share the joy I have for Curt and Emily on the birth of their first born. This is my favorite pic of him, it is more unique than the rest. Anyway he is healthly and as you can see beautiful. I think Curt told Dan he was born at like 4am on Monday... I hope whenever I have a baby he/she will be more considerate of my sleep schedule:) Anyway.... CONGRATULATIONS WILSONS!

My Top Spots to live

2006-04-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well here are my top places.....of course they do not correspond to Lisa's or Amanda's. If you want to do the quiz go here.

Brownsville, Texas On the Border, By the Sea

McAllen, Texas City of Palms

Clearwater, Florida City of Gold Medal Beaches

Miami Beach, Florida America’s Riviera

Savannah, Georgia Georgia’s Historic City

Scottsdale, Arizona The West’s Most Western Town

Corpus Christi, Texas Texas With a Twist

Galveston, Texas An Island Oasis

Bradenton, Florida The Culture Coast

Daytona Beach, Florida The World’s Most Famous Beach

Augusta, Georgia Georgia’s Garden City

Colorado Springs, Colorado Garden of the Gods

Sarasota, Florida The Culture Coast

Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Florida The City of Palms

Beaumont, Texas The Stars of Eastern Texas

Port Arthur, Texas The Stars of Eastern Texas

Anchorage, Alaska City of Lights and Flowers

Yuma, Arizona The Sunshine City

Coral Springs, Florida Kids Town, U.S.A.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida The Venice of America

Killeen, Texas Star of Texas Hill Country

Bryan-College Station, Texas The Heart of Texas

Charleston, South Carolina Cosmopolitan Southern City

Hampton, Virginia City on the Chesapeake

Apperently I am a southern girl at heart....but I do not think the test is very accurate because it doesn't have any questions about the bug population which I know to be vast and gigantic in size in the south so maybe I will just stay in Michigan after all. But Anchorage, Alaska sounds bug free:) Also here is a picture for your viewing pleasure....Karen Piggott in the cupboard under my kitchen sink in our new house...yes she fits!

Question

2006-03-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have noticed some of your blogs have lists of like books or music on the right hand side next to your links. HOw do you do that. My blog is Blogger so I know some of you have similar blogs to me. Do I do something special? Do I need a new backgroud? Anyway let me know. Here's me and Dan for fun. I don't like to post without a picture:)

Our House

2006-03-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hey for all of you who didn't hear.... We bought a house. It will be ours on March 24. That is we sign a butt load of papers that day and then we get the keys. It is in Sterling Heights at M-59 and Van Dyke. It is a ranch with 3 bedrooms, two baths and no basement. But it has a 2 1/2 car garage and it is in a really pretty neighborhood. Our street name is Essen. Now you probally don't care what the name of our street will be but when Dan saw it he was like "Hey you know what Essen means in German?" And I was like, "no what?" And he says, "To eat!" How perfect is that. You know our motta Mander "Just because you are full doesn't mean you have to stop eating." Needless to say the name sealed the deal for me. Also there is this super awesome ramp in the back so it is perfectly easy for Dad Marlow to get in...HOW COOL IS THAT! So here are some pictures. I don't have any with "Awesome Air Kick" , sorry Kate. Also check out my updated links there is some cool stuff over there yo!

Enjoy the picks of our new house! The first one is the ramp, then the kitchen(it's so big) then the front view of the house. I have more but maybe I will post them later.

New Blogger

2006-02-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hey check out my friend Paul's new blog site. He's pretty cool:) Here's a picture of him and his beautiful wife Lisa.

He makes me laugh

2006-02-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share the funny pic of Dan with all you bloggin buddies out there. When he put all that stuff on I just had to take a picture:) Anywho we call it his "going out on the town extreme touristy look" What do you think? So it's random but hopefully you get a laugh out of it!

What you want to accomplish before you die....

2006-02-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

I read this posting title on my friend Lisa's blog and I wanted to answer it. Plus I haven't blogged in like months and this gives me something to write about...ok here goes
1. Have a baby girl ( a boy would be fine but I really want to have a daughter:)
2. Become a potter (yes with clay and stuff)
3. Write a book
4. Own a house
5. Travel to Hawaii
6. Go back to Disney World with my husband and recreate our honeymooon
7. Own a piano and learn to play it
8. Own a dog named Gimli
9. Take ice skating lessons

Um it is late so I am sure there are more things I want to do with my life but this is what I can think of write now. I will keep ya'll posted on further endevors:) I will also try to write more! Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure...We went ice skating down town over christmas break and I am pretty flippin good. It looks like I am about to do my triple sow cow doesn't it? Really I was just balancing so I didn't fall. Anyway it was super fun and I want to skate all the time now. I need a pair of my own skates though because the awsome birght blue ones on my feet REALLY hurt. Ok bye for now!

Update

2005-10-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

How awsomely funny is this picture. It was the best one I saw all week. He's got a mit on! What? This is what I imagine the convo was like,

Head baseball guy, "Um yeah, quick question. Do they make baseball gloves for wookies?"

Second in command baseball guy," I don't know, why?"

Head baseball guy, "I wanted to get Chubaka to throw out the first pitch. Do you think we can get him?"

Second in command baseball guy, " Yeah I am sure he is available but we should get Princess Leia too cause she's hot with those cinnabons on her head. I'll check into wookie mits."

My blog is looking pretty empty. I seem to have found ways to fill my time and they do not include blogging. Well I appoligize for all of you who are looking for my very riviting next entry. Well what's new with me...I am volunteering with the middle high youth group at my church. It is way cool because guess what we are doing...SMALL GROUPS!!!!!!!!!! How super cool is that. For those of you who know me, you know that I love small groups. I am very excited to lead this group of 7th and 8th grade girls through a study of Romans. I also have been attending a women's bible study at my church. It is cool cause I am meeting people and I am feeling like our church is more OUR church if you know what I mean. It only took a freaking year to get involved! Well just wanted to keep ya'll (as tricia and nate would say) updated. I have to go to Meijer now. I love Meijer. Dan and I had our first date there. They are doing construction, and moving everything around at our local Meijer and I pretty much hate it. I can't find what I need but at least they have fake wood floors now! What the heck yo. Untill next time...later.

Discontentment

2005-09-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

Texas is so much fun. Whoever said it is too hot and there are giant bugs...well is right but all that doesn't matter when you stay with the Hices and have the most fun ever! Although we didn't see the boys except for meals ( they were in the cave of video games..) It was still an excellet time. A percaution though if you are in Texas being spoiled every day and then you come home to you boring life you may become depressed at your current situation. Which I have to say I am. Which brings me to my point. Does anyone know of a freaking job available for me???? I had to start this blog so I wouldn't be bored out of my mind! I applied at a tanning booth place and last time I checked a BA from Western should be qualification enough for me to work there but aparantly they want retarded teenagers that have no work ethic. Sweet, I am so glad it was easier for me to get a job when I was 16 then it is now when I am actually qualified to work with people. What is wrong with this picture? I am trying to be content in my situation of babysitting...but that, though it may seem like it is not my dream job. If you have any ideas of what I could do with my life I welcome them...and don't say, " Why don't you teach?" Because there are no flippin teaching jobs in Michigan. Aparantly I picked the rockinest state to get my certification in. Oh wait I do want to be a Math slash Gym teacher...no that's my evil oppisite twin Andreeeeeeea Merlo. Anyway thanks for letting me rant. Sorrry if this doesn't make too much sense. Here's a fun pic from the good old lone star state. That's my super cute husband, me and the awesome Kelts'. If any one knows how to write the plural of Kelts could they please tell me. I am having much trouble with it. FIND ME A JOB!!!

Loving Dan

2005-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

So there's this guy that lives with me....Dan. He makes me laugh. Sometimes, when I have a towel wrapped around my head after I get out of the shower, he pretends I am a dinasaur with a bony protrusion coming out of my head and proceeds to head butt me while making this really weird Jurassic Park noise. He does this till I am doubled over, tears pouring out of my eyes. Why I felt the need to tell you this, I do not know. I am just glad with my life mate choice. Hope you are too. Loving Dan, although to you may look hard, is in fact very easy:)

Welcome

2005-08-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

I felt that if Dan had a blog that so should I. I do not promise that I will update it often but I do love to write and maybe this will be a way for me to do it more. I will try not to bore you with the mundane activites of my life like how I had to go to the dentist today and they told me I had 3 cavities and now I have to go back to the dentist and I freaking hate the dentist! Yeah so I will try not to write things like that. Also I love picture so I am going to try to put lots of them on here. Hope you read my blog. Who the heck came up with the name blog anyway?

This was my favorite movie when I was a kid....."The Neverending Story" ATRAU...ATRAU!!!! Anyway lots more fun 80's stuff to come.