Hello World, Hello Little Girl

> These pics are all out of order but here's a little story about Marlee's big debut!
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> Labor started Thursday night and I counted contractions all night until about 6am. We dropped Walker off at a friends house and headed to the hospital. We stayed in a holding room for about 2 hours while I progressed and they checked us in at 10am.
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> I took an epidural (praise the Lord) and continued to labor, just a lot more peacefully! At 3:30 I was dilated to a 5 and they told me to expect 5 more hours of labor. At 4:45 I felt like I was going to die (full transition). And at 5:00pm Marlee Grace was born!
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> Delivery wasn't kind to me so I ended up with some repair work along with a blood transfusion. But a very healthy 8 lb 13 oz baby girl!
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> We were surrounded with family and friends at the hospital and of course my sweet husband was by my side for every moment. I'm thankful to not have had a repeat c-section because experiencing delivery was incredible.
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> We are home now, recovering and adjusting. All I need is a nanny, a maid and some more naps. Is that too much to ask??
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> Family has been here helping out, we truly couldn't do it without them!
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> Here are some pics of our first week home. It's flying by already!!
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> Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and well-wishes!

Marlee's nursery is ready!

ALL PHOTOS MAY BE SEEN AT THIS PINTEREST LINK

Marlee has a nursery all ready for her arrival!  It's been so much fun putting together all the little details to make a sweet room our baby girl.  I originally found this nursery online and used it as my inspiration to put together Marlee's room.   We did it all on a small budget using thrift stores and craigslist as our main "shopping centers."  So here's the breakdown! 

My mom and I sewed the bumper and crib skirt with fabric from JoAnn in Kennesaw.  It's a heavier fabric - not quite outdoor weight but not thin cotton.  I loved the colors and the brightness with the crib. The crib came from craigslist.  It's originally from Wal-mart and was a lot better deal than the brand new designer cribs that go for $600+

 Her window panel fabric came from Fabric and Fringe.  They were around $10 per yard and my mom made them.  We also re-covered the glider - it was a craigslist find that was originally denim blue.  My Aunt Leesa did a lot of the cutting to re-make the pattern, and my mom did most of the other sewing.  I think I sewed a zipper on and that's about it!  The little rocker was a gift from friends.  It has Marlee Grace embroidered on the back!

 This frame was originally intended for photos but after the baby shower I had these prayer/affirmation cards that fit just perfectly in it!  These empty frames are a great and inexpensive way to cover empty wall space!

These frame ledges are from Ikea.  They don't sell them online so we made a date out of it!  The "M" was 0.99 at Hobby Lobby and spray painted silver.  I made the sock rabbit with a little help from this blog and tutorial.  This rabbit has really long legs - but hey...I tried!  The Marlee painting came from a sweet friend in Birmingham and the green picture is just a canvas I covered in fabric with buttons.  The walls are Stonington Grey from Benjamin Moore.  

 This wall is my favorite!  So fun and bright!  These are all thrift store frames, spray painted white and filled with small pieces of fabrics from JoAnn.  The dresser came from a thrift store.  It was originally oak-colored and we sanded and painted it along with the knobs.  The basket came from Marshall's and I made a liner with pockets out of extra fabric to turn it onto a "diaper caddy."  It's filled with diapers, wipes, hair bows, oragel, and other baby essentials! 

This little lamp was $5.00 at Goodwill, with a little spray paint and a new shade it added some extra color to the white dresser.  The birdie ceramic came from Decorating Mart in Kennesaw - We had a groupon and used it for the bumper liner, extra batting and a cute little birdie!

Now all we lack is our little girl!  I am 38 weeks today and oh-so-ready for her to be here!  Hoping she will come on or before her due date - but who wouldn't want that!  

Michele

Walker's 2nd Birthday Bash

LAST month, Walker turned 2! We celebrated very low-key with lots of family. I'm just not ready for the crazy kid parties yet and Walker didn't seem to mind either!

Here's his first bicycle. Her hasn't quite figured it our but loves all the noises and tricks it can do.

His very special Ukelele (or small guitar). He LOVES to sing and play, it's quite entertaining!

Let the singing begin!

Here's Aunt Leesa and Crazy Uncle Bill. That's Walker's hat of course!

Here's his new police car and newest family members. My Dad, Step-mom, and siblings, Jaclyn and Christopher. I'm pretty sure this car is faster than mine!

More family!

Lolli

My grandmother - which Walker calls "Ma"

Aaron's Dad and Step-mom

Us with the birthday boy!

This very easy caterpillar cake! It was a hit and so much fun to put together.

Goo-Goo and Andoo

Grumpy and Walker

posing with a pouty face.

We are so thankful to have such great family and friends to share these special times with. Some aren't pictured - my fault for not photographing everyone - but you know you're loved!