Look at this cutie!

Need I say more?

Marissa is all ready for Halloween thanks to her grandparents!  Danny's parents got her this little sleeper and my parents got her this bib.

And yes, she is so cute it's scary!

Yesterday Danny and Marissa were playing together and Danny was blowing on her face.  Every time he blew on her face, she would raise her arms up like she was flying.  It was the funniest thing ever!

 It looked like she was trying to fly away.  She also likes to mimic Daddy.  He will coo at her and she will coo back.  A.freaking.adorable!!!

We got our professional newborn photos back of Marissa.  They turned out really well, even though Marissa didn't cooperate very much.  It is recommended that newborn photos are taken within the first two weeks because they sleep a lot.  We kind of missed that window, so we worked with her sleep (or not so much sleep) schedule.

It's a rainy day so it seems like a good idea to snuggle up on the couch, drink coffee and spend the day with my little girl.

Where We've Been...

We've been busy these past few weeks.  Last Monday Danny had a guys night out and went to a Capitals game in DC.  I decided it would be a good time to head to the Valley and spend a few days with my parents.  We didn't do too much, they mostly just soaked in as much time as they could with Marissa.  Dad took me on a 4-wheeler ride to see the sun set over the mountains, it was beautiful!

 

 Rise and Shine!  No sleeping in around here.

 

 Hi, Grandpup!

But before heading to the Valley, we had to make a few pit stops.  Marissa got to meet her great grandmother, Mam, for the first time.  Then we stopped to have lunch with the Cierra and Sara (Danny had a night with the guys, so I had a day with the girls)!  Sara is pregnant with a baby boy and is due in February.  I can't wait to meet her little bundle of joy, Isaac James.  I'm so happy for her and her husband, Drew.  

 

 Marissa was very good at our lunch date.  She ate, slept and watched ceiling fans.

 

Sara glowing with pregnancy.

After a few days with my parents, it was time to pack up and head home.  We both missed Danny and he missed us, too!  

This past weekend we went to a going away dinner for "Auntie C" in Berryville.  Her grandmother made lots of delicious food and we had a great time socializing (and showing off Marissa, of course).  On the way up it kind of hit me that my best friend is moving half way around the world to South Korea for a year.  Cierra and I have been friends since the third grade, she's always been there for me when I needed her and I don't have another friend like her.  It's going to be really hard to see her go, but I know she'll be back in no time and I think she's going to have a great time exploring a new culture and lifestyle.  

Another week has come and gone.  Marissa is 7 weeks old today!  I have 5 weeks of maternity leave left.  Still looking for that miracle job that will allow me to stay home, ha, ha...wishful thinking!

Yesterday the Skins played the Colts.  It was a close game, but we couldn't come up with the win.  

Game Day

It's game day and we're all relaxing watching the Redskins play the Packers.  I've made some game day food, potato SKINS, queso dip and chicken tenders.  Marissa is sporting her new hat from the craft fair yesterday!

Hoping the Skins can pull out a win today!

Home, Sweet Home!

We're back from New York!  Marissa and I had a relaxing week at the hotel while Danny worked.  We tried out a few tasty restaurants in Syracuse, visited Danny's co-workers, went shopping at the mall and did lots of cuddling!  On our way home we stopped at Cabela's in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.  It's the outdoor man's dream!  We spent about two hours in the store shopping around.  Our big purchase of the day was two training collars for Eli and Sadie.  We need to whip these dogs into shape now that Marissa is here.  They've been really great with her, but with visitors stopping by, we need to get them to calm down a little bit.  We're hoping that within a few weeks they will calm down a little bit and know how to act when we have company.  We'll see how it goes!

 

 Trying to catch a grin

 Marissa learned how to hold her rattle while in New York

 And she also learned how to chew on her rattle in New York

 Such a big girl!

Today we went to the Fall Festival as a little family of three.  We saw a few friends and did some shopping at the craft show.  I got a new apron for myself, which is exciting because I've never had an apron before.  Now I am officially Mrs. Betty Crocker!  =)  We also got Marissa a new winter hat, I'll post a picture of that tomorrow.  After spending a few hours at the Fall Festival, Marissa had a photo shoot with daddy, then zonked out for a little nap. 

 I still can't decide who I think she looks like.  I think she has features from both of us.

 Too stinkin' cute!

Passed out!

We arrived home to a few packages in the mail.  I ordered Marissa a jumperoo for Christmas.  We aren't going to get too crazy for her this year since she really won't remember or be able to participate in the festivities, but I think she will get a lot of use out of it.  I also received her monogrammed Christmas stocking to match the rest of ours.   Christmas over the next few years is going to be so much fun! 

We grilled out some BBQ chicken tonight since it was such a beautiful day.  I gave Marissa a bath while Danny cleaned up from dinner and now we're watching the Capitals game, drinking a beer and relaxing on the couch.  Marissa is asleep, for now, and life just feels so complete.  I love my little family of three and I love being a mom.  I know most people would think that this is a boring Saturday night, but I'm perfectly content.

Good night blogger world, see you soon!

~*Alicia*~

Passing the Time

While Danny is working, I decided that I would catch up on some reading.  As a Christmas gift last year, Danny got me the first Harry Potter book.  He's been bugging me to read it and I'm just now getting around to it.  So between feeding, diaper changes, play time and nap time, I'm trying to put my Christmas gift to good use.  I've read the first chapter so far.  I've heard they are great books, so hopefully I will enjoy reading it. 

Yesterday we headed to the mall after Danny got off of work.  We got Marissa a few fall outfits.  It seems that we have quite a few summer outfits that were given to us that aren't really appropriate for this time of year.  She's starting to grow out of her newborn outfits already, she is growing so fast!  The doctor said she should gain another two pounds in the next month.

Back to reading!

Road Trip!

Yesterday we set out as a family of three in our loaded down Ford Escape to head North to Syracuse, New York.  I woke up at 4 am to feed Marissa, fixed Danny and I breakfast, finished loading up the car and we hit the road.  We were on the road around 7:30 am and had to make a quick stop to fill up on gas.  There's something about going to a new place that gets me excited like a kid on Christmas morning.  What can I say, I like road trips. 

Our first stop was Baltimore, Maryland to pick up Capitals tickets for the game on Columbus Day.  Danny is going to have a guys night out, which I think is well deserved after being such a great husband and father.  I was going to try and go to the game but I'm not ready to leave Marissa with anyone yet, and I don't think that drunk men screaming at a hockey game is exactly my cup of tea with a one month old baby in tow.

The drive up was pretty uneventful.  We stopped a few times to feed Marissa, gas up and of course we had to refuel ourselves with some Starbucks coffee.  Danny had a pumpkin spice coffee and I got an iced vanilla latte, yum!

Here's a few shots from the drive up:

As most people know, Danny and I are huge fans of "The Office."  Remember this picture from last Halloween?  Yep, Danny got this costume idea from the show, sporting his Dunder Mifflin shirt like a true fan. 

How 'bout those Redskins last night?  But I digress... =)

Anyway, we stopped in Scranton, Pennsylvania to take some photos of the Paper Supply Company that is featured in the opening scenes of The Office.  We also got a shot of Mulberry Street.  We tacked on about 45 minutes to our trip by driving around Scranton, but we weren't in a rush so we had a little fun!

Yes, we are dorks.

After cruising around Scranton we got back on 81 to head to Syracuse.  Marissa slept the rest of the trip which was great! 

We arrived around 4:30 pm, so it was about a 9 hour drive.  We were originally thinking it would take us about 10 hours so it was nice that we had actually goofed off for a bit and still made it in decent time.  We unpacked the car and headed to Ruby Tuesday's to watch the Skins beat the Eagles!  Afterwords we went grocery shopping and then headed back to the hotel to call it a night.  Danny and I were both in bed by 9:00 and lights were out by 9:30.  Even though Marissa slept most of the day she only got up at 1:00, 3:00 and again at 7:30 this morning.  I guess the trip took a lot out of her, too.

Today we are just relaxing in the hotel while Danny is at work.  Marissa is 5 weeks old today.  My little girl is growing up!



Trip to the Mailbox

Marissa and I took a little trip to the mailbox this morning to find this little handmade gift from Monika, a long time family friend.

So cute!  We have gotten so many wonderful gifts from friends and family.  Everyone has been so generous and thoughtful.  Marissa is one special little girl.  I love handmade gifts that are one of a kind.  Marissa has received 3 handmade crochet blankets, headbands and a cute winter hat.

The sun is finally shining after two days of pouring rain!  I'm trying to pack for our trip to New York, though I'm not feeling very motivated today. 

Eli and Sadie will be going to their best friend's house next week while we're away.  They like going to Heidi's (the black rottie) house because they can romp and play and drive Heidi's parents crazy with their non-stop energy. =) Here's a few photos from their last sleep over...

They play so well together.  I know many people don't trust Rottweilers, but Heidi is such a sweet dog and very well behaved.  She's not temperamental at all and she does well around other dogs and kids.  We watched Heidi a few weekends ago while Bear and Amanda (Heidi's parents) went on a camping trip.  Even with a new baby, having three dogs in the house wasn't that bad. 

Today is the first day of October which means it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Ladies, make sure you do your monthly breast exam!  It's very important to catch it early.  I'm sure you know someone who has had, beaten or lost their battle with breast cancer.  Several years ago we lost my Aunt Norma to breast cancer.  I miss her and think about her often, I can only hope they find a cure one day soon.  Save the ta-ta's!