September 9, 2011

18 Favorite Things

Marin is just a few days away from turning 18 months old! She is so cute and changing so much all the time I want to make sure I document the things I love so much about her right now! Here are my 18 favorite things about my 18 month old girl (because I can't think of only 18 things):
18. She has the cutest little curls in the back of her hair.
17. She is a silly girl... she laughs very easily and makes me laugh at least 50 times a day :) Her laugh is one of the best sounds ever!
16. Every time we tell her "good job", she claps her hands and smiles.
15. She is great at giving high fives and always says "fye" when she does.
14. She says "aaaaah" whenever her or anyone else takes a drink of something. She also says "mmmmm" when she takes a bite of something new (even if her face indicates otherwise).
13. She is very energetic and playful. She loves to play with her toys and run around all day... I get tired just watching her!
12. She loves to play games... "Patty Cake", "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes", and "If You're Happy and You Know It" are her favorites. The best part is that she always tries to copy the actions :)
11. She LOVES to go "buh-bye" and will say the word over and over again while she goes to get her shoes and gets ready to go. She also waves and says "bye" whenever her or someone else is leaving.
10. She says "uh-oh" every time ANYTHING falls on the floor. She also says it every time she "accidently" drops her food on the floor.
9. She is a great litte dancer. Any time there is anything with a beat on, her little body is just dancing away :)
8. She says "tank-oo" (thank you) every time she hands me something because I say "thank you" to her.
7. She says "beebee" (baby) every time she sees anyone under the age of 10. She doesn't seem to realize they are a lot bigger than she is :)
6. She is still a great sleeper! She goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up between 7 and 8am; she also takes a 2 hour nap every day.
5. Any time she sees a cell phone (or anything that could remotely resemble a phone) she holds it up to her ear and says "hu-wo".
4. She knows a lot of her body parts! She is able to point to her cheeks, mouth, and nose when we ask her where they are (she doesn't say those words yet). She says "eye", "eeah" (ear), and "bahyee" (belly button) when she points to those areas.
3. She loves animals and knows a ton of animal sounds. She says "mooooooo" when she sees a cow (or any other animal she doesn't know the sound for), "cack-cack (quack quack) when she sees a duck (or any other bird), "oof-oof" when she sees a dog, and "now" (meow) when she sees a cat. She is working on other animal sounds but doesn't quite have them down yet :)
2. She loves to play peek-a-boo! She "hides" (behind a wall, her hand, her blanket, or just closes her eyes) and then says "boo-boo" :)
1. My favorite thing about my 18 month old is her hugs and kisses! She is such a sweetie and will drop everything to give a hug or kiss to you if you ask for one :) She also gives lots of hugs and kisses to her baby doll and stuffed animals.

September 8, 2011

Summer 2011

I can't believe summer is over... it went by way too quickly this year! My sister Angie came and stayed with us all summer; she babysat Marin while we went to work every day. It was so nice to have her here! I hope she had a good time; I know Marin enjoyed playing with her auntie :) In August, Adam and I were able to take a short vacation to Mackinac Island, MI (our first trip since moving back to MN 2 1/2 years ago). Adam's mom and grandmother came to watch Marin while we were gone and I know they enjoyed spending time with her. We had a nice break from day to day life and enjoyed seeing something new. Other than that, our summer was pretty uneventful.
Marin enjoyed "swimming" in her little pool.

We took a couple trips to the Oxbow Zoo... Marin LOVES the animals!
Our trip consisted of lots of narrow roads and lots of trees. There is no interstate leading to Mackinac so we had to take the scenic route...
Tahquamenon Falls
We went to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada for dinner one evening on our trip... just because we had never used our passports or been to Canada.
Mackinac Bridge
View of Lake Huron and Mackinac Island from our hotel balcony (we stayed in St. Ignace, MI).

Mackinac Island
On the ferry ride to Mackinac
I loved Mackinac Island... I would definitely recommend visiting if you have never been. It is full of cute little shops, fudge, beautiful views, and horsedrawn carriages.
The Grand Hotel
Front porch at the Grand Hotel.
Adam rocking on the biggest front porch in America.
Motorized vehicles are not allowed on Mackinac Island so the only ways to get around are by foot, by horse, or by bike... we used all three methods!

June 12, 2011

Life lately :)

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted again! It seems like time just flies these days! The past couple months have been busy for us. Adam picked up a temporary position at the Home Depot (and is still working for Northwest Respiratory Services). I changed my schedule from 12-hr shifts to 8-hr shifts (still on the same unit) so that I can be home every evening. I work the same number of hours but am at work more days each week. Basically, if I'm not at work, Adam is, and the other way around. Luckily, Adam's temporary time at Home Depot is coming to an end so we will finally be able to see each other again. Also, my sister Angie is staying with us this summer and will be watching Marin during the day... we are so excited!

Other than working, we have been busy with various projects (vegetable and flower gardens, beginning the process of finishing the downstairs bathroom, etc), attending various family functions (Val's graduation from Drake University in Des Moines, Adam's grandmother's 90th birthday party, etc), and watching Marin learn and grow.

Marin is just so cute and we love her to pieces. I know I say it every time, but we continue to be amazed at how much she learns and grows every day. She is a very strong willed and independent little girl but is still very attached to her parents. She is obsessed with her blankie and drags it around the house with her all day. Her vocabulary consists of: "hi", "buh-bye", "oof oof" (dog), "buh" (book), and "ma" (milk). Even though she is a girl of few words, it is amazing how much she understands what we say to her. If we say "bye bye", she gets her shoes and stands by the stairs. If we say "kiss", she plants a big wet one on our lips :) If we say "let's change your diaper", she heads toward her room. I can't wait till she starts talking more so we know what she is thinking! I just love that girl :)

Val's Graduation

Our Rhododendrons finally blooming after 2 years!

Marin trying to feed herself one of her favorite foods... Mac 'n Cheese!

Just so cute :)

"What to order, what to order?!"

Our little Linus... has to bring her blankie everywhere :)

Shopping with mom.

"For dinner, I have prepared you seared triangle with a little people reduction and a side of pink stacking ring."

Uh oh, she figured out how to climb!

This girl loves to "read", even in the bath :)


Below are Marin's 14 month pictures (never got around to them at 12 months) taken at The Plummer House and Soldier's Field... we ended up with mostly action shots but still cute anyway!






May 1, 2011

Life with a toddler...

Marin is officially a toddler now. She started walking at 11 months old and is now running around everywhere (except outside, where she prefers to crawl for some reason). She is constantly busy "helping" and loves to play with her toys. She also LOVES reading books. We are always finding new things that need to be baby-proofed as she can reach higher and get into more things. She has figured out ways to get around some of the stuff we had previously baby proofed and now we have to figure out how to keep her out of trouble. Her latest discovery is that she can turn on and off the dishwasher... She continues to sleep very well (at least 11-12 hours a night with a 2 hour nap every day). She used to eat just about anything but is becoming increasingly picky. Her favorite foods are: green peppers, bananas, chicken nuggets, and eggs. I keep trying to think of ways to sneak more fruits, veggies, and grains into her diet. She drinks her milk like a champ but still refuses to use her sippy for anything but water (needless to say, she is STILL using a bottle). She still doesn't say many real words yet but is very "talkative". She has mastered the art of the temper tantrum; anytime she doesn't get what she wants she screams and cries. We were hoping the terrible two's wouldn't start for another year! Otherwise, she is a very sweet girl. She loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses. We love our little girl so much!

Getting stuck under her high chair.

She tries to undress herself all the time...


Mmmm... green peppers!

Easter 2011

For Easter this year, Marin and I went to Grandma Diane's house for brunch while Adam worked. Marin loved the food and looked super cute in her dress. The weather was beautiful and Marin loved being able to go outside for a bit.

Me and Marin

Lovin' the warm weather!

Cutest little Easter Bunny!

1 year old!


Look who celebrated her 1st birthday! I can't believe my baby girl is already a year old. We had a birthday party on March 12 at our house with family. We had snacks and cupcakes and enjoyed talking to everyone.

Marin and mommy before the party.

Mama's girl :)

Such a sweetie!

PRESENTS!!!
Marin got some great gifts. Her favorite was a pink chair just her size from her Grandpa and Grandma Whiting.

CAKE!!
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
We were hoping for a big mess but Marin didn't care much for the cake, she pretty much just smashed it around on her tray.