Delilah loving her sister

First night home, we are so glad to not have to be in the hospital any more!

Delilah is holding baby sister for the first time, she loves Jaylee which is good, she is always wanting to kiss on her and hold her all the time. We sometimes have to keep her in check with being soft with baby sister, and being soft with Mommy since I am not able to do to much yet. If you can see Delilah is rocking her new princess shoes, a gift from mommy since she is turning into a big girl.

Jaylee Coraline Merkley joined our family 3/1/2011 at 8:45 am she was 7 pounds 13 ounces, and 20 inches long. I had her c-section, this time by choice. The nurses and Dr.'s at Banner Ironwood were amazing, I had two that were especially amazing, the nursery nurse who noticed I was having an anxiety attack before Jared got in the room and she talked me through everything until he came in and the Anesthesiologist he kept talking to me the whole time, checking on me to see if I was ok, and after Jared left he stayed close by my side to make sure I was doing ok, and kept telling me I was doing a great job. I figured since I did it once before it should be easy, but going into that room without Jared and having all these strange people in the room gets a little scary. Jaylee came into the world very feisty was upset when the nurses would touch her, Jared thought it was pretty funny. Then they finally brought her over to me, and I started talking to her and she opened her eyes to look at me. Jared and the nurse said that was the first time she opened them, once she heard my voice. The only thing that I was thinking was this is for sure a Merkley baby, I think she looked a lot like Delilah and a lot like her cousins when they were babies.

Hopefully this can fill you in on what has been going on in our crazy little life :)

Just when I thought Delilah was done dressing like a crazy girl, she wakes up and feels that she needs her Tutu skirt on, scarf, hat, and you can't see but her mittens on also! She is so proud of herself when she picks out her stuff! We have been working on getting her pants and shirts, but not all this! The other day we went to the store, and she felt that she needed to wear the same skirt over her jeans. Sometimes it is not worth the fight, so I am fine with looking like a crazy parent. But for those who have kids out there, they full know what I am going through!

We put the candy on top of the fridge at Grandma Merkley's house, well that doesn't stop Delilah, she knows where it is at and thinks she needs it! She is smiling now, wait till I tell her no, then she is one mad little girl!

We went to Payson, Jared, Delilah & I and had one interesting vacation! Sometime I think staying home should be the way to go. We got up there Friday and everything was good, then the night came. We all went to sleep around 9, and I woke up at 11pm with bad heart burn, and indegestion that lasted till 12:30 am, then back to sleep. Then at 2 am I woke up to go to the bathroom and got a bloody nose that lasted till 4 am. Finally it stopped and I went to get back in bed and Delilah was awake, I asked her what she was doing and she said "Shhh daddy sleeping" I woke Jared at that time, talking about switching beds and he said Delilah was fine. We were so wrong, she then started throwing up! Yes that is right! So we were then up till 5:30 am with all that. Jared finally took the chair and slept in the bathroom with Delilah till a little after 6. When he came into the room, and layed with bed with her propped up and I fell asleep till 7:30 when we all woke up. What a trip! We then got up and got went to Walgreens - gotta love that they are everywhere!!! Then things started to turn for the better, we went up to the snow and played a little and then later we had dinner with Jared's cousin and his family. They have a litte boy about 8 days younger then Delilah and they were playing - not very well together. They started to fight over a toy, and the little boy slapped Delilah across the face! He left a hand print, for a good 30 minutes. Talk about a crappy trip! It was great to be together as a family, but wow what the heck was going on with our time. Needless to say we got great sleep Sunday night, and were glad to be home Sunday!

Wow it has been awhile since I have updated Delilah's blog! Christmas was amazing this year, Delilah had so much fun opening things, and she understands that Santa says "Ho, Ho, Ho" That is all she gets. This year Santa brought her a Kitchen set, which she loves! She has made Jared and I many taste meals since she has had it. If you notice in the picture the yellow sheet in her hand, well that is her ticket. She would not put it down! We watched the Polar Express, and since then, she needs her ticket. We had major issues when she lost it. Now they are on the fridge, in a safe place!

Today at church right after they got done in Nursery the cupcake bandit was at it again, she snuck out of class, and ran and grabbed a cupcake from a different class, and started eatting. Good thing she was the last kid in the room, or that would have made for some upset kids! Overall we had a good Halloween, Delilah had a blast, not sure if she really understood what was going on, but she loved to hold her basket and say "Rick or Treat." Now when she wants some candy she says that to us, which has been pretty funny!

At the block party they were having a cupcake walk in our drive way, and before we even got started with the evenings events Delilah had already stole a cupcake off the table. She started to lick it right away and kept saying "Hmmm this is good" so Mindi Hall keep up the good work with the cupcakes!

For Halloween our neighborhood did a block party, Delilah had fun, but she was always wanting to run, off so mommy held her most the time. This year Delilah was Alice in Wonderland, most the time Alice goes into the rabbit hole, but this Alice likes to go into the old ice box!

Delilah was acting silly in the pumpkin patch this was the best shot we could get of her, because she didn't like the sun in her eyes!

On Saturday for Halloween we went to Schnepf Farms as a family, we had so much fun, to start off the day, we got Delilah's face painted which she actually sat still for! Then we went on the train ride, and road a few other rides, she had a lot of fun!

With a little sister coming, we have moved everything around in our house and gave Delilah a big girl room. Just this past few days we were able to complete it, and she now has even a big girl bed, a full size. She loves her room, it is pink with lots of fun stuff. She is growing so fast it is crazy to keep up with her.

For Delilah this is an understatement! She loves shoes!!!! She thinks they are great, if she could she would wear everyone elses along with hers. We finally got her to the point of getting matching shoes to wear instead of mis-matching! After we put her in her new room the last few days when we try to put her down for nap or bed time, she is really quiet so we think she is sleeping, then she starting crying like she is hurt. So I go in there to check out the situation, and she is mad because she can't get her shoe on. So I take them off tell her it is bed time, turn around to find all her shoes all over the floor! I am to the point where I have to take her bucket of shoes out of her room when I lay her down.

Its official - Delilah is having a baby sister! Who would have guessed! We thought this whole time that it would be a boy, all Jared's family has boys even all his cousins. Delilah is surrounded by them, so naturally she would have a baby brother.....guess not! I am very excited, I really wanted another girl, Jared says he is just happy the baby is healthy!

Since being back home in Phoenix, we have told people that we are having another child, I am due around the first on March, since it is c-section they will just get me in sometime. Delilah is now having to be a big girl, and do more walking, we have also decided which I know is a day late and a dollar short that there are no more bottles with nap and bed time....She is having way to many accidents, and I am tired of washing sheets ever day! We are also currently working on her soon to be new Big Girl bedroom, we have it all painted pink and Jared is working on the waynes coating, not sure if I spelled it right, but we are making her a girly room! So I am very and when we are working she always comes in and says "What doin" I try to explain but she just looks at me. So hopefully soon we will have pics of her new big girl room, and know what we are having! I fully believe it is a boy, I would love another girl, but the way the Merkley's work, Delilah was a gift, and may not be many Merkley girls. She has 4 cousins all boys, so I am sure I will have a boy!

This is my brother, his girl Lily, my Dad, my Grandma, me and Delilah

Life has been crazy here for the Merkley's I know this is late, but my grand father passed away in August, so it was Delilah's Great Grandpa Jack. Luckly for me I have a great husband when all this when on, he was in Tuscon, and he got on the ball and after 3 hours of finding out everything he had plane tickets for us, and a rental car! So we got to Denver Friday and then made the drive to where I was born, Valentine Nebraska! Saturday was the funeral, it was bitter sweet I got to see a lot of my family that I have not seen in a long time, and met my cousin's wives and their kids! This picture above it showing my dad, and half sister, half brother, my brother and all our kids! Sunday we drove to Douglas to see my mom for a few hours, then Monday we drove back to Denver to fly back! It was a very long trip for all of us, but well worth it!

This is what I got to see when Delilah woke up from her nap last Wednesday! She went down as usual had a slight fever earlier in the day so I gave her some Motrin and she was content. She woke up from her usual afternoon nap and I was floored. I was looking at her trying to figure out what was going on. I called Sarah and the Dr and they sd bring her in asap. So i brought her in and after seeing 2 P.A.'s they said she probly just has a virus or something that is causing her to release histamines wich causes the hives. Just give her some Benadryl or childrens Zyrtec she will be ok. Not real informitive in my book especially when they first saw her they were looking a liitle frantic and telling me it was the worst they had seen in someone so young and each PA asked another for a 2nd opinion then finally asking the Dr who didnt even bother to come in the room just talked to the PA's. Got to love parenthood never know whats next!

Delilah is worn out from Camping, she decided to take a nap for a few

Dad is teaching Delilah how to be a great hunter!

Kasen gives Delilah hugs, Delilah thinks he is the best thing, when she sees him she gets all excited, and very upset if she can't play with him!

Delilah is going to start taking lessons from Avery on how to be a lady!

For Sarah's birthday we went up camping by the rim with the Hall's, we had a lot of fun! We went up Friday and came back Saturday afternoon! Delilah loves playing in the dirt with Avery & Kasen! She got to try many new things Mindi gave her a capri sun - which she has not mastered how to drink, and then some waffer cookies, and then Delilah's favorite thing was the cheesy puffs, she would not stop eating them! Delilah by the end of the trip found a new mommy...... Mindi, Delilah thought she was the best she would give Mindi puppy dog eyes and she gave her anything. All in all we had a great time! Delilah got very dirty, but loved playing with her friends!

Delilah was all dressed up for Mother's Day, she is the best gift a mom could ever ask for!

"I'll like your forever, I'll love you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be"

Grandma Joy gave us this ice box, and we were so excited to have it, little did we know that it makes for a perfect hiding place! Delilah can spend hours in there opening and closing the door! She fits herself in there and then yells for you, so we come out to find her and she just laughs. So we sit in the front room with her, and she opens and closes it over and over! Thanks for the big treasure we got!

This is Delilah new friend Audrey, she has so much fun with her! They have played together a few times, they are two peas in a pod!

So as we are getting ready to go to the zoo, I am getting Delilah ready, and she is getting ready for the 80's! She was cracking herself up wearing the headband like a sweatband! She was nut!

After a fun day of swimming Delilah got into the pool chauk we got rid of our pool table, but managed to forget we had the chauk so it was all over her!

Delilah looks like Driving Miss Daisy! Luckly she can't drive, so it is nice that they can take her for a spin!

Delilah was not big on the idea of the pool at first, so we got Kasen and Avery to join her and she had fun then. She had more fun riding with them in the power wheels! Since then we have tried the pool again, and she loves it!

Landon and Van came to hang out with Delilah while Jason was helping Jared get rid of the pool table! YES!!!! It was a lot of fun having the boys over, Delilah got to "Work out" as Landon puts it. Van was on her Pooh train and Delilah was pushing him around the house, Van got to kick back and enjoy the ride. After playing for a while we finally decided it was movie time and what goes great with movies......POPCORN!!!!! Those boys love popcorn, and Landon was nice and shared with Delilah! Don't know if her had much choice, Delilah was helping herself, but he was a good sport about it, and let her dive in! We are thankful that Jason, Brandon, Josh, & Craig could help Jared move the pool table, and LeAnn and I got to play with the kids, which was the best part! Delilah sure loves her cousins, and was glad they got to hang out with her for the night!Delilah lately loves her braclets, she wears them everywhere in the house. As you can see she also likes to have her purse with her, most the time she has two, but today only one! She likes to put the braclets on, and then take them off, this game can last for hours with her! I love that she is wanting to be more girly, it is fun for momma!!!

This was Delilah's first Easter that she could enjoy, it was really fun watching her. We did a trial run before we went to Grandma's house, and put some eggs in the yard, she did great at finding them, and throwing them into the basket. When we gave her the Easter basket, she was more interested in what Daddy had in his. She found his eggs with candy, and cracked them open and went in for the jelly beans. Once we got to Grandma & Grandpa's and started there egg hunt Delilah was at first more interested in following her cousins to see what they were going for. Once we showed her some eggs we were back to square one with her breaking them, and trying to get the candy out! We had a good Easter, lots of candy and fun things!

Delilah is starting to like to dress up, she loves the Purse that Uncle Brandon and Aunt Makenna gave her in her Easter basket!

Great Grandma Lois bought these outfits for the girls, and they sure looked cute on the two of them!

During our trip to Wyoming, we learned that Delilah and her cousin Lily both have a favorite blanket, Delilah thought that they should both be her's but Lily made sure that she got her's at the end of the day even if she had to lay on it so Delilah would not take it!

What kid doesn't like a little ranch with their nuggets? Delilah thought it was the best thing!

This outfit got Jared and I laughing, it looking like Delilah is going to England for some tea

This is Delilah's first big fall, the was playing on her rocking chair and slipped and bit into her tongue, it was very scary for Jared, lucky for me I was at work, or I would have freaked out....she cried a little bit, but not to much, it healed up in no time!