Marin's cousin Nathanael (and his parents) came for a visit. We took them by Todd's office and the kids found the piano. Marin is singing her heart out... at least it looks that way!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Playing the Piano
Marin's cousin Nathanael (and his parents) came for a visit. We took them by Todd's office and the kids found the piano. Marin is singing her heart out... at least it looks that way!
Playing Dress Up
Marin's best buddy came over a few days ago and they got out the dress up cloths. The boots are always a popular accessory.
Marin decided to go with the grass skirt. This is her new trick, she can now stack nesting boxes!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Eco Babies Wear Green
Here's a great book and I think the whole series is probably really cute. We just got this book for a friend who is having a baby, and is of course a hippie parent and will love it.
Eco Babies Wear Green
I think the foodie one looks quite funny.
Eco Babies Wear Green
I think the foodie one looks quite funny.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Happy Birthday America
Marin and Todd picked up a big surprise while out one day. This is Marin's new water toy. We all love it.
Hey Mom I'm on a "big turtle!"
Mommy and Marin floating along.
Mairn learning to swim. This is her coming out of the water. She's very brave but not very good at floating yet.
Happy Birthday America! Marin and Parker went to their Thursday morning story time and Mrs. Wilma gave them these water bottle noise makers and pinwheel headbands. Then later in the day Marin and Parker did a paint project--see the painting behind her on the wall. This was done by dipping or dunking little toy balls into paint and then throwing them onto the paper.
This is how Marin smiles when we say "Marin smile for the picture"
and then this is how she protests smiling.
Later in the evening of the 4th we went to see fireworks in a near by town. It was a lot of fun, however Marin decided she really wanted to go home.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
June Traveling
We just returned home after 2+ weeks of traveling in Missouri (to visit friends) and Minnesota (for my brothers wedding). We had a good time and Marin did really well for not being at her house, in her bed on her time zone. My brother's wedding was beautiful and really fun. I'm going to just post a few pictures to keep my writing short tonight. Also Todd says he's going to write on the blog about traveling sometime. So I'll leave the details for him.
Marin is a playground junkie, while this this picture does not tell a lot about our vacation, I love the sun on her hair, she's such a pixie!
We went to one of our favorite places just outside of Columbia, Missouri, a beautiful winery that overlooks the Missouri river. We went out with lots of good food, friends and wine!
We got to see new little Ethan
Todd getting to visit with old friends.
Marin and Lincoln playing in the sand in Kansas City. We got to spend a few days with Holli's good friend from High School and her family.
Marin and Wells eat waffles for breakfast.
Pops Winston gave Marin an African turtle to take care of for a few days. This was a highlight of the trip for sure.
Spending a day with Jake, Sarah Cate and Aidan.
Grandma and Marin making table runners for Williams wedding
Ring barer Christian and Flower girl Marin
We ended our vacation with a day in St Paul, MN visiting Garrison Keillor's book store and St. Paul cathedral.
Marin is a playground junkie, while this this picture does not tell a lot about our vacation, I love the sun on her hair, she's such a pixie!
We went to one of our favorite places just outside of Columbia, Missouri, a beautiful winery that overlooks the Missouri river. We went out with lots of good food, friends and wine!
We got to see new little Ethan
Todd getting to visit with old friends.
Marin and Lincoln playing in the sand in Kansas City. We got to spend a few days with Holli's good friend from High School and her family.
Marin and Wells eat waffles for breakfast.
Pops Winston gave Marin an African turtle to take care of for a few days. This was a highlight of the trip for sure.
Spending a day with Jake, Sarah Cate and Aidan.
Grandma and Marin making table runners for Williams wedding
Ring barer Christian and Flower girl Marin
We ended our vacation with a day in St Paul, MN visiting Garrison Keillor's book store and St. Paul cathedral.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Sleeping Like a Baby
A History of Marin's Sleep
or AKA Sometimes Sleeplessness Nights
or AKA The Night Nursling
or AKA Why Mama Acts Psychotic Some Days
According to Dr. Sears; the famous pediatrician, attachment parenting advocate and father of 8 (I believe), says there are "sleepers" and "high needs sleepers". "Sleepers" go to sleep quite easily, usually at a very young age they start sleeping through the night. These are they type of babies whose parents have to wake them up to eat in the very early days. "High needs sleepers" are none of those things. Marin is a HNS.
Now if you are reading this and expecting a child or have not yet had children I highly recommend you read sleep books BEFORE you have sleep problems. (My fav.'s are Elizabeth Pantely's No Cry Sleep Solution books, they are very AP friendly and very baby friendly, meaning its the gentle way to improve your child's sleep behavior) If you do what I have done, read sleep books and articles after you realize you have a HNS then you have some real back tracking to do... and boy do we ever. So here's the scoop on our HNS.
When I was a brand new mother I nursed Marin to sleep every time, so her sleep association equals; "I am unable to fall asleep without nae nae". Also (according to Pantley) if a child falls asleep and a parent is with them at the time of sleep, if they awake and that parent is not there it really freaks them out. For example if you fell asleep in your bed and woke up on the kitchen floor you would be a bit freaked out because that's not how you fell asleep. I'm saying all of this because its important to know that Marin is not only a HNS but I have not given her very good tools to learn how to sleep.
HOWEVER there is hope, Marin has fallen asleep 2 times this week with Todd telling her stories, singing songs, and tickling her "arnst" (or arms if you don't speak Marin). We are all working very hard in this household to help Marin understand that she is very capable of falling asleep without mama and that she can fall asleep with dada and at some point by her self. As a mother 2 times is all I need to be singing a VICTORY song! Yeah Marin, Dadda and Mama for working so hard this week.
I guess the reason for this entry is because, well its what is on my mind. Also as I was watching my baby sleep the other evening I was thinking about how big she has gotten and that I have an almost two year old (she's just about to turn 20 months). I was thinking about how completely crazy toddlers are, and how much she wears me out some times. But ya know, no matter how crazy she is during the day, no matter how many developmental steps or leaps she takes she still looks like a little baby when she's sleeping. I came across a few pictures and wanted to post them.
Remember when Marin was a tiny newborn and would only sleep with a hat over her eyes! Also can you see the baby acne on her cheek. She's going to hate me for having these pictures.
This was taken before we knew the hat over the eyes trick so she's covering her own eyes. She's also sleeping very comfortably in our bed in my favorite p.j's., little scooters.
Marin's very favorite way to sleep, on mama's body in a sling. This was our favorite sling of all times, while we love and use the Ergo now, our wrap was by far the longest, most used and most comfortable sling for baby and mama too.
Well we are about to travel for a few weeks and so all of our hard work may be tossed out the window, but we are still trying to gently help Marin develop healthy sleep habits. This has been my biggest lesson in patience and trying to practice parenting Marin for who she is, not who I would like or want her to be, but still learning how to set boundaries. Heck, I sleep with two pillows, a blankie, a husband, only on my tummy diagonally across the bed-- maybe HNS are genetic! I'm sure this was not inherited from her father who sleeps in the same position all night, on the very edge of the bed because that's all the room he gets.
or AKA Sometimes Sleeplessness Nights
or AKA The Night Nursling
or AKA Why Mama Acts Psychotic Some Days
According to Dr. Sears; the famous pediatrician, attachment parenting advocate and father of 8 (I believe), says there are "sleepers" and "high needs sleepers". "Sleepers" go to sleep quite easily, usually at a very young age they start sleeping through the night. These are they type of babies whose parents have to wake them up to eat in the very early days. "High needs sleepers" are none of those things. Marin is a HNS.
Now if you are reading this and expecting a child or have not yet had children I highly recommend you read sleep books BEFORE you have sleep problems. (My fav.'s are Elizabeth Pantely's No Cry Sleep Solution books, they are very AP friendly and very baby friendly, meaning its the gentle way to improve your child's sleep behavior) If you do what I have done, read sleep books and articles after you realize you have a HNS then you have some real back tracking to do... and boy do we ever. So here's the scoop on our HNS.
When I was a brand new mother I nursed Marin to sleep every time, so her sleep association equals; "I am unable to fall asleep without nae nae". Also (according to Pantley) if a child falls asleep and a parent is with them at the time of sleep, if they awake and that parent is not there it really freaks them out. For example if you fell asleep in your bed and woke up on the kitchen floor you would be a bit freaked out because that's not how you fell asleep. I'm saying all of this because its important to know that Marin is not only a HNS but I have not given her very good tools to learn how to sleep.
HOWEVER there is hope, Marin has fallen asleep 2 times this week with Todd telling her stories, singing songs, and tickling her "arnst" (or arms if you don't speak Marin). We are all working very hard in this household to help Marin understand that she is very capable of falling asleep without mama and that she can fall asleep with dada and at some point by her self. As a mother 2 times is all I need to be singing a VICTORY song! Yeah Marin, Dadda and Mama for working so hard this week.
I guess the reason for this entry is because, well its what is on my mind. Also as I was watching my baby sleep the other evening I was thinking about how big she has gotten and that I have an almost two year old (she's just about to turn 20 months). I was thinking about how completely crazy toddlers are, and how much she wears me out some times. But ya know, no matter how crazy she is during the day, no matter how many developmental steps or leaps she takes she still looks like a little baby when she's sleeping. I came across a few pictures and wanted to post them.
Remember when Marin was a tiny newborn and would only sleep with a hat over her eyes! Also can you see the baby acne on her cheek. She's going to hate me for having these pictures.
This was taken before we knew the hat over the eyes trick so she's covering her own eyes. She's also sleeping very comfortably in our bed in my favorite p.j's., little scooters.
Marin's very favorite way to sleep, on mama's body in a sling. This was our favorite sling of all times, while we love and use the Ergo now, our wrap was by far the longest, most used and most comfortable sling for baby and mama too.
Well we are about to travel for a few weeks and so all of our hard work may be tossed out the window, but we are still trying to gently help Marin develop healthy sleep habits. This has been my biggest lesson in patience and trying to practice parenting Marin for who she is, not who I would like or want her to be, but still learning how to set boundaries. Heck, I sleep with two pillows, a blankie, a husband, only on my tummy diagonally across the bed-- maybe HNS are genetic! I'm sure this was not inherited from her father who sleeps in the same position all night, on the very edge of the bed because that's all the room he gets.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Messin' Around
Holli: Marin please stop playing with the blinds. Marin are you listening?
Holli's interpretation of Marin: No! I'm not doing anything wrong!
Marin: I'm pretending to be a good girl
I'm so cute!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Water Joy
Marin loves water, what toddler doesn't? We discovered a little fountain on campus a while back and have been visiting it about once a week.
Trying to put a leaf into the water.
Getting so wet.
Drying off with mommy.
We also got to visit St. Augustine last week for a few days. Marin is a beach babe! She loves everything about the beach.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
No Matter How Hard I Try
This is a story of Marin's hair and its starts with the lines; no matter how hard I try...Before I finish that line let me explain something about Marin. She has red hair that everyone seems to love or at least make comments about. People we don't even know, in the grocery store, or bank, or while at the Farmers Market, or out for dinner, stop us to make comments about her hair. Now as someone who studied human development in college, I get a bit paranoid about how these comments are going to affect her as she gets older. Actually a few months ago she started pulling her hair when she was really frustrated... my first thought was "she's doing this because people always talk about her hair" not really a rational thought. Anyways we really appreciate everyone's love for redheaded babies, and our favorite comment is when an elderly person walks but and says, "now that's an Irish baby if I ever saw one!" OK aside from it being red, she has TWO cowlicks, and TWO of those swirly crowns in the back (all of which she had genetically inherited from Holli's mother, thanks mom!)... this is a combination for hair that never cooperates, EVER, you can ask grandma Cheri.
Just waking up from a nap... or just about any time of day really hahaha
Reading with daddy
Ok to finish that sentince, "No matter how hard I try, its still a mess!"
Thursday, April 24, 2008
All Three
I wanted to add a picture of all of us. We never take pictures of all three of us, I think the last one was last Easter, this one was take on Easter day too. 
Reviatalize the Blog
OK So I have not put anything on our blog since Christmas. And I took it off too. Sorry. I am going to put some updates on here today so that our blog is at least up to date. Our little family has had a great Winter here in Florida. I wish all of you in cold climates would have come for a visit because we had a very warm Winter, weirdly warm. Our water days began ohhhh about a month ago. Now this is not swimming in the pool (that didn't begin until this week), its playing in the sprinkler in the yard, but its still playing in the water, and anyone with toddlers knows that toddlers are always happier when they are wet... and/or naked.
She has pigtails, her hair is so long!
Marin has two accessories she wears almost everyday, her backpack and a pair of goggles. She has also fallen in love with a baby doll that she likes to haul around by the leg, or wrapped up in a blanket aka "bainty".
This is a little trip Marin and I took with our friend's Stephanie and Parker to Melbourne. We took the kids to the zoo and the beach. It was a lot of fun and we got to visit with our good friends who live just a few blocks away from the beach!
Marin loves to paint... her whole body, never the paper. She really is having a good time, this is just her "stop taking pictures of me" face.
Todd, Marin and I got to take a little weekend trip to the Panhandle over Spring Break. Marin wore her first little bikini!
Having a toddler is so different than our little baby. Toddlers have opinions, and let you know what they are. I was writing down Marin's words the other day and realized that most of them are somehow related to what she wants (e.g. please, more, milk, yogurt) or animals (her current favorite is turtle) but of all her words her very favorite thing to talk or sing about is the MOON and STARS ("moony and tars"). I am not sure I'm ready for a kid who has a different opinion than me, who is not always along for the ride, but wanting to take the steering wheel herself. We are well into learning about discipline, and addressing her wild streak. We would like to believe that we can use what Dr. Sears calls gentle discipline, but is it really possible?
On Tuesday while Todd was trying to work from home, Marin was pulling just about every toy out of every basket she could and running around the house singing and dancing and yelling and throwing stuff everywhere. Finally Todd walked over to Marin picked her up and said "Marin you have a wild streak in you that you need to figure out what to do with" I was laughing from the bedroom as he said this because "wild streak" was an understatement at the time. Why are toddlers so loud and crazy? Its almost like she is saying "hey world I'm not a baby anymore! Here I come". Right now as I am typing this she is sitting on the floor under me putting a bucket on her head and yelling. Who ever thought wearing a bucket on your head could be so fun and joyous? She does, that's for sure. She's having the time of her life just wearing the bucket. Sometimes I think, adults have really boring lives, if we could all just sit under the table once in a while with a bucket on our heads yelling maybe we would enjoy life a bit more. Oh now she is trying to put a puzzle together with the bucket on her head, and sing, she's done yelling, now she's singing (I think about yogurt).
She has pigtails, her hair is so long!
Marin has two accessories she wears almost everyday, her backpack and a pair of goggles. She has also fallen in love with a baby doll that she likes to haul around by the leg, or wrapped up in a blanket aka "bainty".
This is a little trip Marin and I took with our friend's Stephanie and Parker to Melbourne. We took the kids to the zoo and the beach. It was a lot of fun and we got to visit with our good friends who live just a few blocks away from the beach!
Marin loves to paint... her whole body, never the paper. She really is having a good time, this is just her "stop taking pictures of me" face.
Todd, Marin and I got to take a little weekend trip to the Panhandle over Spring Break. Marin wore her first little bikini!Having a toddler is so different than our little baby. Toddlers have opinions, and let you know what they are. I was writing down Marin's words the other day and realized that most of them are somehow related to what she wants (e.g. please, more, milk, yogurt) or animals (her current favorite is turtle) but of all her words her very favorite thing to talk or sing about is the MOON and STARS ("moony and tars"). I am not sure I'm ready for a kid who has a different opinion than me, who is not always along for the ride, but wanting to take the steering wheel herself. We are well into learning about discipline, and addressing her wild streak. We would like to believe that we can use what Dr. Sears calls gentle discipline, but is it really possible?
On Tuesday while Todd was trying to work from home, Marin was pulling just about every toy out of every basket she could and running around the house singing and dancing and yelling and throwing stuff everywhere. Finally Todd walked over to Marin picked her up and said "Marin you have a wild streak in you that you need to figure out what to do with" I was laughing from the bedroom as he said this because "wild streak" was an understatement at the time. Why are toddlers so loud and crazy? Its almost like she is saying "hey world I'm not a baby anymore! Here I come". Right now as I am typing this she is sitting on the floor under me putting a bucket on her head and yelling. Who ever thought wearing a bucket on your head could be so fun and joyous? She does, that's for sure. She's having the time of her life just wearing the bucket. Sometimes I think, adults have really boring lives, if we could all just sit under the table once in a while with a bucket on our heads yelling maybe we would enjoy life a bit more. Oh now she is trying to put a puzzle together with the bucket on her head, and sing, she's done yelling, now she's singing (I think about yogurt).
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