(Marin asks that you please excuse the drool coming from her mouth- it's a hazard that comes from teething.) :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Discovering her roots...
Here's a girl who's proud of where she comes from!!
(Marin asks that you please excuse the drool coming from her mouth- it's a hazard that comes from teething.) :)
(Marin asks that you please excuse the drool coming from her mouth- it's a hazard that comes from teething.) :)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Rubber Duckie- Er, Whale, You're the One!
Bath time is certainly lots of fun at our house! Marin has lots of bath toys, but the blue whale is a recent favorite. That, and eating the washcloth are a regular part of our bath times! Here is a video from Marin's bath last night. She just loves to kick and play in the water!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Child of God...
Marin was baptized on Sunday. It was such a special day! The ceremony was so beautiful, and she didn't cry one peep. (Even though Mommy kinda messed up feeding times, and she was due to eat right on the button when the ceremony started.) There were four other babies (all girls!) who were baptized with her, and none of them cried either. What good girls!Jason and I chose my brother, Jake, to be Marin's
godfather, and our friend, Mika, to be her godmother. We are so honored to have them as her godparents. We know that Jake will not only protect Marin, but will teach her all about kindness, by example. He and Marin will also probably have a lot of laughs along the way. And we know that Mika will not only be a fabulous leader in the way of faith, but will also teach Marin all about the important value of friendship and the virtue of family. What a lucky little lady to have these, and many other important role models in her life!Marin was baptized at Old St. Pat's. It is the oldest
public building in Chicago. It is a gorgeous church, and it was a perfect day. We feel so lucky to have had so many friends and family that were able to celebrate with us. And afterwards, we had about 40 people back to our home for a party. It was unorganized chaos with all of those people in our small space, but it worked. Jason made his famous pork loin, and we made some sides. My mom was a huge help by making food as well, and my Grandma Martin, at 91, insisted on making 3 kinds of cookies from scratch. There were at least 10 dozen of them! Marin was happy as can be to get passed from person to person all day long. She is so loved, and we are so grateful.
It was a day for the history books- or at least her baby book. I can't wait to tell Marin all about it someday. Our little Angel.
Friday, July 10, 2009
5 months old!!!!
Five Month Stats:
13 lbs. 15.8 oz (10th percentile)
Another month has flown by in the blink of an eye! Marin was five months old on Wednesday!
Here are a few of the new tricks she has up her sleeves:
** We think that she is getting ready to cut some teeth. None have popped through yet, but everything goes into her mouth. Her hands are her favorite. One day, I went in there to feel around for teeth, and she gnawed away at my finger like it was a carrot stick! We're using all makes and models of teethers.
** Marin is much more into toys these days. Especially those that she can get a really good grip on. She really likes her colorful rings. She grabs at them and then shakes her arms up and down as if it were the most fun she could imagine.
** She loves to hold onto soft things. When it is time for her nap, often times I give her a small stuffed animal that is just her size. She loves this little bunny that she has with soft ears, from Grandma. Marin is really a cuddler. She loves to cuddle with her stuffed animals, and she loves to cuddle with us, as well.
** Now that she is rolling all the time, Marin sleeps on her side or on her stomach. Gone are the days of the swaddle. Earlier this month I found her on her stomach on the swaddle, and that was the end of that. And speaking of rolling, this is her main mode of getting places. She rolls all over the place and she can seriously move!
** When Marin is on her tummy she acts like she wants to crawl. She pulls her legs under her bottom and scoots back and forth. If she knew to pull her arms under her, she would crawl.
** She still loves "reading" aka look at bright pictures in books. One recent development as she learns to interact with toys more, is that she wants to hold her books now. When we read to her she reaches out for the pages. She has some tiny books that she can hold all on her own.
** Marin is laughing a lot! It cracks us up when she cracks herself up. Jason is the best at making her laugh. And this past weekend at Lake Minnetonka, she went on the swings for the first time, and that make her laugh and laugh and laugh.
** We think that Marin might be having a little bit of a growth spurt. She is waking up at night one time again now. She wakes up at about 3:30am as hungry as a bear. The good news is that she is all business. She barely opens her eyes. She just eats and then goes right back to sleep. Still, I will be glad when this growth spurt is past us. :)
** She is a little harder to put down at night these days, too. It used to be that we could feed her, say our prayers, and lay her down sleepy and she'd just go to sleep. Lately when we do this she starts to cry. All the books and her doctor, say that it is time for us to let her cry it out, but I can't quite do that yet. I will some day- but she's so little. And, I love snuggling her to sleep in my arms. We did have one night on our cousin's trip where we were willingly bullied (if there is such a thing) by Jason's cousin Don, a father of three non criers, to let her cry it out. As we were sitting there listening to her cry, he could tell how pained I was. To credit that she needed to learn to sooth herself Don said, "She's just sitting up there saying, "I'm bored. Come entertain me!" I told him that I was worried she was saying, "I'm learning not to trust, Mom. Your ruining my ability to maintain a lasting relationship. If you let me cry one more second I'll grow up to be a stripper!" However, I stayed the course and she fell asleep (eventually) peacefully and soundly.
** Marin loves to hold onto something when she eats. This is one of my favorite things. For some reason I find it so endearing. She swings her free arm around searching for something to grab. I usually offer her my finger, and she grips it tightly. I love it. That is some serious bonding.
** I think we're on our last month of exclusive breastfeeding. At the beginning of month six we will start to introduce rice cereal, as the doctor suggest we do. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand it will be a welcome break from the pressure of maintaining my supply, on the other I will miss the irreplaceable bond. Still, we'll have a few remaining times of the day when she will nurse, and I will cherish these, until she is old enough where it is weird.
** Marin is starting to realize how the rest of the world eats. She watches your every move when you put a glass to your mouth. And she watches intently as we eat. Hopefully this will help us when we introduce food to her (and the concept of a spoon in her mouth!) in a matter of weeks.
** Marin is very adaptable. She will usually go to anyone at any time and let them hold her. One exception being poor Auntie Molly this week- as much as she was looking forward to some quality bonding time, I think she caught Marin on a particularly over tired night, and she just wanted mom and dad. I hope that this does not stick around. What good is daycare, if not to make the child easier to pass from person to person?!
** Marin's personality is really proving to be pretty laid back. She takes after her dad in that way, for sure. That sorta worked out nicely for me, didn't it? Easy going husband+ easy going baby= less crazy, crazy mama!
** Of course we're still singing daily and dancing our little hearts out. In addition to loving to "stand" she is pulling herself up when aided, and I think will sit on her own soon. She is very strong. As she gets sturdier, she's getting a little more playful, too. We love the airplane- soaring high above our heads- and a recent addition- the rocket ship (she cracks up at the jerky blast off).
We have a great month ahead filled with a lot of momentous events. Her baptism, her first vacation and first plane ride just to name a few. And, fast as it goes, we love watching Marin grown and change daily. Marin fills even the grayest of days with warm July sunshine!
Here are a few of the new tricks she has up her sleeves:
** We think that she is getting ready to cut some teeth. None have popped through yet, but everything goes into her mouth. Her hands are her favorite. One day, I went in there to feel around for teeth, and she gnawed away at my finger like it was a carrot stick! We're using all makes and models of teethers.
** Marin is much more into toys these days. Especially those that she can get a really good grip on. She really likes her colorful rings. She grabs at them and then shakes her arms up and down as if it were the most fun she could imagine.
** She loves to hold onto soft things. When it is time for her nap, often times I give her a small stuffed animal that is just her size. She loves this little bunny that she has with soft ears, from Grandma. Marin is really a cuddler. She loves to cuddle with her stuffed animals, and she loves to cuddle with us, as well.
** Now that she is rolling all the time, Marin sleeps on her side or on her stomach. Gone are the days of the swaddle. Earlier this month I found her on her stomach on the swaddle, and that was the end of that. And speaking of rolling, this is her main mode of getting places. She rolls all over the place and she can seriously move!
** When Marin is on her tummy she acts like she wants to crawl. She pulls her legs under her bottom and scoots back and forth. If she knew to pull her arms under her, she would crawl.
** She still loves "reading" aka look at bright pictures in books. One recent development as she learns to interact with toys more, is that she wants to hold her books now. When we read to her she reaches out for the pages. She has some tiny books that she can hold all on her own.
** Marin is laughing a lot! It cracks us up when she cracks herself up. Jason is the best at making her laugh. And this past weekend at Lake Minnetonka, she went on the swings for the first time, and that make her laugh and laugh and laugh.
** We think that Marin might be having a little bit of a growth spurt. She is waking up at night one time again now. She wakes up at about 3:30am as hungry as a bear. The good news is that she is all business. She barely opens her eyes. She just eats and then goes right back to sleep. Still, I will be glad when this growth spurt is past us. :)
** She is a little harder to put down at night these days, too. It used to be that we could feed her, say our prayers, and lay her down sleepy and she'd just go to sleep. Lately when we do this she starts to cry. All the books and her doctor, say that it is time for us to let her cry it out, but I can't quite do that yet. I will some day- but she's so little. And, I love snuggling her to sleep in my arms. We did have one night on our cousin's trip where we were willingly bullied (if there is such a thing) by Jason's cousin Don, a father of three non criers, to let her cry it out. As we were sitting there listening to her cry, he could tell how pained I was. To credit that she needed to learn to sooth herself Don said, "She's just sitting up there saying, "I'm bored. Come entertain me!" I told him that I was worried she was saying, "I'm learning not to trust, Mom. Your ruining my ability to maintain a lasting relationship. If you let me cry one more second I'll grow up to be a stripper!" However, I stayed the course and she fell asleep (eventually) peacefully and soundly.
** Marin loves to hold onto something when she eats. This is one of my favorite things. For some reason I find it so endearing. She swings her free arm around searching for something to grab. I usually offer her my finger, and she grips it tightly. I love it. That is some serious bonding.
** I think we're on our last month of exclusive breastfeeding. At the beginning of month six we will start to introduce rice cereal, as the doctor suggest we do. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand it will be a welcome break from the pressure of maintaining my supply, on the other I will miss the irreplaceable bond. Still, we'll have a few remaining times of the day when she will nurse, and I will cherish these, until she is old enough where it is weird.
** Marin is starting to realize how the rest of the world eats. She watches your every move when you put a glass to your mouth. And she watches intently as we eat. Hopefully this will help us when we introduce food to her (and the concept of a spoon in her mouth!) in a matter of weeks.
** Marin is very adaptable. She will usually go to anyone at any time and let them hold her. One exception being poor Auntie Molly this week- as much as she was looking forward to some quality bonding time, I think she caught Marin on a particularly over tired night, and she just wanted mom and dad. I hope that this does not stick around. What good is daycare, if not to make the child easier to pass from person to person?!
** Marin's personality is really proving to be pretty laid back. She takes after her dad in that way, for sure. That sorta worked out nicely for me, didn't it? Easy going husband+ easy going baby= less crazy, crazy mama!
** Of course we're still singing daily and dancing our little hearts out. In addition to loving to "stand" she is pulling herself up when aided, and I think will sit on her own soon. She is very strong. As she gets sturdier, she's getting a little more playful, too. We love the airplane- soaring high above our heads- and a recent addition- the rocket ship (she cracks up at the jerky blast off).
We have a great month ahead filled with a lot of momentous events. Her baptism, her first vacation and first plane ride just to name a few. And, fast as it goes, we love watching Marin grown and change daily. Marin fills even the grayest of days with warm July sunshine!
4th of July Weekend
Last weekend we headed to Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota for our annual Patterson Cousins reunion. Marin met a lot of her cousins (well, 2nd cousins), Jason got in some fishing, and we
both got in our annual dose of showing off in the way of water sports. I laid it on really thick since being pregnant last summer left me an observer rather than a participant, and left me begging 
for this years opportunity. I didn't fare so badly, either. First time out on the kneeboard I did a 360, and after my first wipe out, I did two 360's in a row! Not bad for an old lady. (Can you hear the horn tooting all the way to your own computer?!) :)
These trips are always a good time. Not only because it is a very laid back group where casual conversation and laughter are totally organic, or because we have two boats and every water equipment toy at our disposal- but because it is family. And the time is jammed full of everything that word draws to mind. Good times, with good people, a lot of laughter, and the requisite consumption of beer and junk food. When we started these trips maybe eight years ago, there were no children, and the majority of
us were just past college age. This year, there were five children (ages: 7yrs, 5yrs, 14mos, 9mos and 5 mos) and the "adult" crowd is, well, at the age where staying up until 11pm is pushing it. If you're like me, you fight through the drooping eye lids waiting for someone else to suggest calling it a night; if you're like Jason, you excuse yourself to go to the 
bathroom, and never come back again. Lucky for him, he avoided the ceremonial "pile on" (which is the normal penalty for being the first to bed) for fear that we would either wake the babies, or bust the air mattress.
us were just past college age. This year, there were five children (ages: 7yrs, 5yrs, 14mos, 9mos and 5 mos) and the "adult" crowd is, well, at the age where staying up until 11pm is pushing it. If you're like me, you fight through the drooping eye lids waiting for someone else to suggest calling it a night; if you're like Jason, you excuse yourself to go to the 
bathroom, and never come back again. Lucky for him, he avoided the ceremonial "pile on" (which is the normal penalty for being the first to bed) for fear that we would either wake the babies, or bust the air mattress. 
Marin looked so cute in her little life jacket, and was a rock star on the boat. When it was nap time, we made a little cubby for her on the floor under the dashboard of the boat where she slept for hours. It was in this very spot that she slept right through her very first fireworks.
She loved watching her older cousins, and they all played with her 
so sweetly. Marin 
played in the sand, loved the water, and survived the weekend burn free and without getting sunscreen in her eyes. I think it's safe to say- we have a water baby! Hip Hip Hooray! One day, she even drove the boat! ;) 
Jason's cousin Bob and Gretchen were perfect hosts. As a group of 9 adults and 5 babies the lake was not the only place we left a wake. I am sure their home (and their pets, who are used to the quiet) are still recovering from the Patterson takeover. But, we had great weather, and enjoyed our time together. What could be better than that?
Thank you, thank you, Patterson cousins. Our group may have evolved over the years, but the memories are still being made.
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