Did you see her?

As I mentioned last week, Marin's picture was on the Channel 5 news "First Birthday" feature this morning. Props to Grandma for thinking of taking a picture of the broadcast so I could share it here...

She was the first picture shown and was cute a bug!

Lots of new posts! Be sure to scroll down to read them all, and check back tomorrow for a party post!

Twelve Months Old!!!

Here we are at a year. Hope you didn't blink. I have to say, I have really tried to heed the advice from the wise mother's I know who have told me soak it all in and enjoy it. I have definitely enjoyed this year. It was a great year! Marin is so much fun and Jason and I have loved every day.

One Year Stats: (coming 2/9/10)

Here's what Marin's doing at 12 months:

* She is very loving and has turned into a bit of a serial hugger. She is very affectionate, especially with people her size. There is a new child at Ms. Kathy's- a boy named Kevin. On Kevin's first full day, I watched Marin size him up for about 5 seconds, then quickly move into the full blown hug, promptly knocking poor Kevin to the floor. Kai, who we all know is her one true love (after Daddy of course) got a hug, a pat on the back AND a kiss!

* Marin's new favorite thing to do is talk on the phone. I don't know where she gets this, because I really don't talk on the phone that much, but Marin might need a calling plan of her own. She has a little play phone that she walks around the house holding up to her ear saying, "Oh? Dada?" It's hilarious. She really loves to get her hands on a real phone the best. And she knows all phone types- blackberries, cell phones, LAN line phones. She holds them all up to her ear and is pleased as punch to walk around like she's a teenager giggling with her girlfriends.

* Marin's dance repertoire has expanded to include the foot stomp and the circle twirl. When she hears a song that she really loves, she stomps her foot out to the side. And when she really gets going she twirls in circles around the room until she's so dizzy she falls to the ground. And then- she just gets back up and starts all over again! The Itsy Bitsy Spider is among the favorite of her songs, but she has added a few new songs to her playlist, thanks to Auntie Mika. She loves the ABC's, Apples and Bananas and Happy Birthday! (which we have sung no less than 5 times already today!)

* She's still talking up a storm in her own little language. She is also really trying to imitate sounds now. In the bath the other day she held the duck up to me and I said, "Yes, that is a duck." and she responded, "Du?". And, I know this sounds ridiculous, but twice now when I have handed something to her she has said to me, "ta ooo!" and I swear it sounds just like she is saying "thank you". I know you're probably rolling your eyes at me saying there is no way she knows how to say this, but it really does sound like she is saying thank you! Coincidence? Maybe, but I'll take it. :)

* Marin's favorite new game is peek-a-boo. She is playing it a lot. She loves to hide peek out from behind the curtains and crack herself up. She also loves to do this with the sheets or her blankets. The other day when I dropped her off at daycare, she ran to the laundry room, found a sheet on the floor said, "eh!" to get Miss Kathy and my attention. When we looked her way, she immediately threw the sheet up over her face to play peek-a-boo. She thinks this is the funniest thing ever.

* Marin also loves "this little piggie". I do this funny deep voice for "this little piggie had ROAST BEEF!" and she laughs like I am a stand up comedian. It is especially funny to me that she acts as if it is new material, even though I do the same thing again and again every night. Nothing like a one year old to boost your self confidence.

* Her girly side is really shining through. She has been carrying around a purse at Miss Kathy's now for about two weeks. Every day it is the same pink purse. At home with she carries her play purse, bags, or really anything with a handle. We find funny things in those bags. She just collects things she finds around the house, dumps them in her bag, throws it over her shoulder, and moves on to the next room!

* Marin is really into playing with Norah now. She has finally learned to let go of the rope, so that she doesn't get dragged quite as much now when they play rope toss. Although, Marin has also learned that if she takes the rope and runs with it, that Norah will chase her. This cracks Marin up as she runs around squealing and giggling, but Norah only gets frustrated and looks back and me like, "Ugh, she took it! That is not how the game goes!"

* Marin is still sleeping and eating well. We put her to bed every night after a snuggle and our prayers, and she just rolls right to her side with her pink bear, (uncreatively named "pinkberry" by yours truly), and falls asleep. She wants to try anything and everything off of our plates, and wants to eat it like we do. For example, she doesn't want you to break the cracker apart for her, she wants to eat it whole like the big kids. Which is funny, because she still doesn't have a single tooth. Not one.

* She loves to climb stairs and is very proud when she does so. She crawls up our stairs so quickly, that I have had to run after her to catch her a few times. The only thing is, she is not so good at getting down. She has gone down a few steps at my parents house a handful of times, but she doesn't like to sit down and go around backwards. She wants to step down like the adults do. So, she stands at the top of the stairs and says, "eehhh! eeehhh!" for you to come and hold her hand so she can step down. Something to work on, for sure.

Where did the year go? Have I already written 12 of these? I guess so. And here we are. One year old. It really is amazing how much children learn in their first year of life. We've certainly come a long way. Thanks for reading!

A letter to Marin: One Year

Dear Marin Jane,

Much like I did after you were born, I have shed a lot of tears of joy in the last few days. At your birthday party on Saturday I spent a minute watching you dance and hug your friends and walk around like you have 60 people in your house every day. Aside from being incredibly proud of you, I couldn't believe that you are the same little seven pound person that Daddy and I brought home from the hospital a year ago.

Watching you grow has been a great joy! I think I have laughed and smiled more this year than ever before. I have loved watching your personality develop. I have loved relearning about the world through your curious eyes. I have loved watching your face transform as you wonder, discover, love, question. Every second with you is a gift. And I feel incredibly lucky to be the recipient.

I can't wait to see what your second year has in store for us. And the year after that; and the next one... I can't wait to see who you will become. What will you say? What will you do? What will you learn? Where will we go? I can't wait to answer those questions together this year. And next year, I'll be sitting where I am today, reminiscing about the day you changed my life with a single cry; remembering the expression on Daddy's face when he looked at me at 9:14pm on February 8, 2009 and said, "IT'S A GIRL!!!!"; knowing for sure that a feeling of joy can be saved in your heart forever; and wondering what the next year will bring.

Congratulations on a fabulous first year! You are a miracle. I love you. Happy Birthday!

Marin's first report card

Dear Marin,

A blog post by my sister-in-law got me thinking about report cards lately. Since its now been a year since we waited for you to arrive in the hospital lobby, I thought it might be about time to hijack your mom’s blog.

I know mom likes to get really sappy on this blog, so I’m going to try to keep it real for you. In the interest of preparing you for the years to come, I thought we’d look back and grade your first year.

Marin’s first year report card:

You stood on your own two feet.

Damn, girl! I wasn’t doing this until I was in college at least. And even then it was questionable. Way ahead of the curve on this one. A+

You are chatting up a storm.

I can’t say I’m not a little concerned that all this “talking” is going to turn into “talking back” in a few years. But let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. A+

You moved.

This was more of mom and dad’s doing. Why did they do this to you? Well, a lot of reasons. Its mostly about things like taxes, tuition, and dad’s affinity for power tools, but let’s not get into the weeds here on the blog. I know we’re living further apart now, but it was for the best, I promise. Plus, you showed great skills adapting to your new house and making new friends. A+ in this category.

We can take you anywhere.

I think this might be one of your best qualities. Remember when we took you here?

And here?

You even managed to get yourself invited on vacation twice. Well played. A+

You kinda lost it on your mom’s birthday.

I see you have a little learning to do in this area. I wouldn’t worry too much about it because your dad and I didn’t exactly learn it overnight. But here’s the thing: its all about mom on her birthday. You just gotta go with the flow, capisce? B- here. Sorry, someone had to tell you.

Don’t worry about the low marks on that last one. The best is really yet to come: I think your mom’s gonna let you have cake for your birthday. And since you’ve already been prepped for this, I think you are going to do really well.

Love you, baby girl.

Auntie Molly

Nostalgic Nelly

Seriously, there is no one sappier than I.

I was just looking back to my blog posts from a year ago today about being all set and ready to meet "the baby". A year ago today we didn't know if it would be a boy or a girl. We didn't know when he/she would finally be here. Reading the post, I nearly cried. The truth is, I loved being pregnant. Even though I was sick as a dog, and uncomfortable and never slept and gagged at the scent of anything other than bland crackers, I still loved the experience. I changed my shampoo, my deodorant, I took all the candles out of our house. I ate crazy things that I had never liked before, I walked a different route to work so that I didn't have to smell the cigarette smoke outside my building.... and still, I loved watching my stomach get bigger; I loved feeling Marin move and kick.

I have talked a lot about change in the last year. Life has definitely changed since we had Marin. Everything about life has changed. The way I think has changed. Sure, I'm still the same person, but my world is totally new. Today it hit me: It's not new anymore. It has been a year. This is my life. And I have to tell you, to me, it's perfect.

So am I crazy because I miss the anticipation that I remember vividly feeling as I typed my post a year ago? Am I crazy because on the way to Ms. Kathy's this morning I told an infant who can't understand, all about the day she was born? Am I crazy because even given how painful it was (before my friend the epidural) I wish that I was having Marin all over again on Monday?

Maybe. Or maybe that is just a glimpse at how much I love my little Marin Jane; a fraction of how special she is to us. I am sure that every year on her birthday I will be the same way. February 8, 2009 was the greatest day in Jason and my lives. It was the day we became a family. The day we became three. What a journey is has been!

Set your DVR's!

Calling all Chicagoans! Well, early riser Chicagoans... er, early riser Chicagoans who care.... something like that.

Today I submitted Marin's cute little mug to be shown during the NBC 5 "First Birthdays", a segment dedicated to the stations tiniest viewers who are turning one. I then followed up my submission with an email to an old friend from high school who is the traffic guy for Channel 5 news in the morning, asking to turn in my "I know someone famous" card. I know. I have officially become that mom. What's next- calls to the coach before tryouts?! ("You know, Marin has been practicing her flip turns and I think you will agree that she is a very gifted swimmer! Do you know that she was going all the way under water at just six months old! Heavens! You should have seen her at bath time!") Oh well... what can I say? You do crazy things for your kids, right?

Anyway, Matt assured me that her picture will be on air on Monday at 6:35am, right after his traffic report. Now, I'm obviously not the only parent that sent in their child's photo, so don't blink, or you might miss her. But, she'll be there and we'll be watching!

The Birthday Week...

Growing up in the Martin household, we celebrate the coveted Birthday Week. That is, the week leading up to your birthday, you are queen (or king) of the castle, so to speak. You get to choose what you want for dinner, and what activities you play, and my mom hangs a happy birthday banner and balloon all week long.

And so, today begins Marin's First Birthday Week! It's appropriate, because most of the week's activities will be spent preparing for her first birthday party on Saturday. If she could say more than "hi", "baba" "dada" "mama" and "wawa" I'm sure she'd say that she wanted to spend the week, dancing, talking on her phone, playing her miniature musical instruments, singing her favorite songs, and eating as many strawberries as she can get her hands on.

And so we'll do just that. Welcome to the tradition, Marin. Happy Birthday Week!