Just a few ramblings

Why, oh why, must babies grow so fast? I can't believe my sweet pea is already 6 months old! Ok, I may be slightly emotional right now because I just finished looking at Marlee's newborn pictures, so please forgive me. This is what happens when I'm home alone while my husband is off working in the ER and my baby is asleep in the other room. I look at pictures, and then I get happy/sad/emotional as I think about life and wonder where time has gone. Sometimes, when I'm holding my sweet little girl I just wish time would stop, or at least pause for a moment. My favorite thing of like, forever, is when she lies her head on my shoulder and breathes her hot breath on my neck. My heart melts each time it happens, although it usually never lasts for more than 2 seconds because she's a wiggly little baby. I know it's totally cliche to say, but I never knew how much I could love until I became a mother. After having Marlee I literally felt like the Grinch, and that my heart suddenly grew 3x larger. Being a mother has also deepened my love for my husband, my family, and my Savior. I just feel so completely blessed and humbled to be given such an awesome and sacred responsibility. I truly wish that every woman could experience the deep joy and reverence that having a child can bring, and my heart aches for those who so very badly want a child but for one reason or another are not able to have one. I feel that being a parent has given me a glimpse, as slight as it may be, as to how much we are loved by our Father in Heaven and His son, Jesus Christ. Speaking of love, I absolutely LOVED the talk given by President Uchtdorf at Women's Conference this weekend. (To see it go here: http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10&vid=1180453706001&cid=7?lang=eng )There's no way you could have listened to his message and not felt more encouraged, more loved, and more important. Here's one of my favorite quotes:

“No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love…..Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time.”

Such powerful and true words!

Ok, I'll stop blubbering now. Today was a big day for Miss Marlee. She had her 6-month checkup (with vaccinations) and went to daycare for the first time. Both events went quite smoothly, and I managed to get through work with only calling the sitter once to check in. Here are Marlee's "stats" as it seems to be the popular thing to post them, and of course I want to be popular....
Weight: 17.1 lbs (72%)
Height: 27.5 inches (96%)
Head: 17 inches (72%)
So apparently Marlee's head is a little more proportional to the rest of her now and probably won't make the Guinness Book of World Records anytime soon. And of course, a post wouldn't be complete without a picture.

My sweet baby