The Year of Change

This time last year we were desperately hoping for some change in our lives. We said that 2010 would be "The Year of Change" for us, and we were right! We were fortunate to be able to sell our house and move into a new home in Ross Bridge, which is where we had been wanting to be for quite some time. And on New Years Eve of 2009 we found out we were expecting a baby in 2010! What a perfect way to ring in the new year. I will never forget that phone call and the words I had been wanting to hear for so long. Marin has certainly changed our lives and I wouldn't have it any other way. We were so blessed in 2010 and hate to see it go, but maybe 2011 has exciting things in store for us as well!

My 2010 angel

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful first Christmas in our new home with Marin. It's amazing how having a baby brings an even greater spirit to Christmas. It began with the Lighting of the Green, our neighborhood Christmas celebration. We had my brother and sister in law and their kids over for dinner. Then we headed to the front of the neighborhood to see Santa! It was fun catching up with some of our neighbors, and Marin did so good sitting on Santa's lap after quite a long wait! There was food, hot chocolate, fireworks, horse and buggy rides, and singing. It was a nice start to the Christmas season for us.

Then we decorated the tree. Actually, Mark did most of the work while Marin and I watched. Marin did hang her own ornament that she made with her handprint. We listened to Christmas music and had a really nice day together. We didn't make our usual adventure to the Christmas tree farm to chop down our own tree. We decided that it was too cold and too difficult with a two month old. Next year, I'm sure we'll go back to the farm though.

Of course, we had to take pictures for Christmas cards. Marin had to pose with her cousins for Mark's parents card. Poor Marin was only two months old and of course could not sit up on her own. She was all scrunched up and oh so mad!!! Needless to say, her screaming and crying was infectious and we actually got a pretty funny card out of it!

Marin's cousins, Cameron and Currin, hosted a Happy Birthday Jesus party. We had a lot of fun visiting and having lunch at their house. Marin must have partied a little too hard and passed out in my arms right in the middle of it!

We hosted a brunch to celebrate Christmas with Mark's family. It was so nice to get everyone together and just enjoy the company. Marin had fun playing with her cousins and grandparents. She loves having people over!

For Christmas we went up to Knoxville to visit my family. My sister, Debbie, hosted a very nice Christmas Eve dinner. Then we went to my sister Susie's house for Christmas day breakfast and mom hosted Christmas dinner at her home. Again, Marin had so fun being with her family. Her cousin, Audrey, especially loved laying on the bed and playing with Marin. She kept saying, "Her likes me!" My Christmas present from Marin was sleeping through the night on Christmas Eve! That was all I really wanted, and somehow she knew it! Unfortunately, it didn't continue as I hoped, but it was still nice. Marin's first Christmas was a white one. We had fun playing in the snow with Bentley. He LOVES snow and chased us up and down the hills during sledding.

Dancing With Daddy

Marin's new favorite thing is dancing with Daddy! She really starts laughing and even squeals when she gets really excited! It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Hopefully I can get a video of it, but here are some pictures for now.

Thankful

I think Marin decided to make sure we had something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! She started feeling sick Thanksgiving evening. She threw up, wasn't eating much, and extremely fussy. I knew something wasn't right. On Friday, she still wasn't eating much so we called our pediatrician. They were closed and told us to take her to Children's Hospital. We left home at halftime of the Iron Bowl. We watched the rest of the Iron Bowl from the ER waiting room. It was actually quite a memorable way to watch it. After a few tests, they decided Marin had a bladder infection and sent us home with antibiotics. On Sunday she still wasn't feeling any better and the pediatrician sent us back to Children's since she still had a high white blood cell count. I had a feeling they were going to put her through some unnecessary tests, but I had no idea what we were getting into. Once we met with a doctor there, she told us a few different things it could be. She mentioned meningitis and a problem with her bowels. Poor Marin had a spinal tap, X-ray, ultrasound and four blown veins from trying to get an IV started. Late that night they finally said it might just be a stomach virus. I can't believe they put her though all that just for the stomach virus. I wish they had mentioned that possibility a bit earlier before she had all those tests. We had to spend the night with her in the hospital and she was already feeling better by the next day. She is back to her old self and feeling great now. I wish we had just waited it out at home a bit longer, but we didn't know what to do. Anyway, I am just so thankful she didn't have anything seriously wrong with her. Her health is something I will never take for granted!

Poor baby

Watching the Iron Bowl from the ER was quite interesting

There was a good mix of AU/UA fans, but this guy decided to stand right in front of us.

We thought it was pretty funny.