Lately

We have had such beautiful weather lately. It has been a wonderful break in February. The neighborhood has come alive after hibernation! We have really enjoyed going on walks and hanging out at the park. Marin has had lots of fun swinging. It makes it really hard to go to work wishing I was at home playing with her outside.

Each new stage of Marin's life brings excitement and a little sadness knowing that she'll never be that tiny baby anymore. I get so sad putting away the clothes that she has outgrown. Marin has two little teeth coming in the bottom front, and I'm really going to miss that sweet toothless smile! She rolls over all the time now, and she can roll over both ways! She's getting pretty good at sitting up now too. Marin has gotten so much better at eating solids. She gobbles up her sweet potatoes. She tried peas for the first time yesterday, and she was not a fan. We'll keep working on those. I feel like she has really hit a growth spurt lately. She seems heavier and stronger to me. She's now taking 8 ounces in each bottle 5 times a day. That's a lot of milk!

My mom came and kept Marin for a few days, while we found a new nanny. She had so much fun with Marin and said it was hard leaving this time. So, our new nanny is so much better with Marin. She plays with her all day, and she even monogrammed her a few things already. She made a CD of children's music to play for Marin. It's much easier going to work knowing she's in good hands, even though I still wish I could be with her.

Sweet girl at 5 months

She loves swinging

She is so proud of herself now that she can sit up!

A Sad Goodbye

After the Iron Bowl, an Alabama fan decided to poison our beloved oak trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn. These 130 year old trees are so beautiful and mean a tremendous amount to the Auburn family. It's so hard to understand how someone could do that. To have such a lack of respect for nature makes no sense to me. These trees are irreplaceable, and the news of this brought such sadness to us and the entire Auburn family. We always envisioned ourselves taking Marin to Toomer's Corner, and it may never be the same. So, this weekend we decided to load up and head to Auburn so we could at least take her there to see the trees one more time. It was a beautiful day and it was fun and sad all at the same time to see so many people coming out to say their goodbye's. This man has taken a symbol of our school, but he can never change the Auburn spirit.

I hope they can survive

Daddy taking Marin into Toomer's for their famous lemonade...

maybe next time she'll get to have some.

She loves Auburn already!

The new basketball arena that I hadn't seen yet.

It was so fun taking Marin around campus and trying to

guess what it might be like by the time she goes to school there.

It has already changed so much since we were there.

So tired after a fun day outside. Check out those chubby legs!

4 Months Already

I keep telling Marin to stop growing up, and she's definitely not listening. She turned four months old last week. It amazes me when I stop and think that 1/3 of her first year is gone! Why can't they stay babies longer?? I have really enjoyed these four months with her. She is just constantly doing something cute, and I'm just more and more in love with her everyday.

She had her four month check up today, and everything was great! She is 16 pounds 14 ounces, which is in the 90th percentile. She is 25 inches long, which is also in the 90th percentile. Here are a few things about Marin at this age:

• She loves to play airplane by flying on my legs.
• She rolls onto her side all the time now, and has even rolled all the way over a few times.
• Even her cry is adorable. Somehow she makes her face completely flat and rolls her bottom lip. When she's really mad, she holds her breath and her whole face turns red.
• Loud noises make her cry, especially when she's zoned out having a bottle.
• She hates wearing hats.
• She loves to roll on her side in her crib and feel the inside of her bumper. It helps her go to sleep.
• She is definitely going to be a thumb sucker. A lot of times she sucks on her entire hand, or she'll put her thumb and pointer together and suck on those. She only occasionally takes a pacifier at bedtime.
• I love listening to her talk and laugh at herself while she lays in her crib.
• She LOVES music. When Mark plays the guitar, she is mesmerized and sometimes it even puts her to sleep. She really does love any music though... instruments, singing, the radio. Marin laughs if you sing or dance with her. I think she will have some musical talent.
• She is beginning to learn how to eat. She is slowly getting better at eating cereal. Once she masters that I'm excited to begin feeding her real food. I've been making and freezing some veggies for her!

Enjoying tummy time these days

The most adorable smile

She LOVES this doll. Her face just lights up when she sees it. I guess she thinks it's another baby because it makes all kinds of baby noises just like her.

She has to wear things with hoods if we go out in the cold because she dislikes hats so much.

Tasting cereal for the first time

Auburn University: 2010 BCS Champions

Mark amazingly made it to the championship game in Glendale after being told they didn't have the tickets he bought to the game anymore, surviving an overnight stay at a Birmingham airport hotel and winter storm weather delays. After spending most of the morning and afternoon waiting at the airport, they arrived at the stadium when the team ran onto the field... 10 minutes before kickoff. Then, right after the game, they got on a plane and came home. He basically spent 6 hours in Arizona and 30 hours getting there. But it was worth it because Auburn WON!!!

Tickets are finally in hand!

Blood splatter on the bedside lampshade at the "shady" Birmingham airport hotel. Yikes!

Pink and white = Birmingham shuts down.

Finally made it to the game. Just in time.

Mr. Penny!

Mom and her two (of three) sons.

Auburn is the 2010 BCS Champion!

First Swim

Marin and I were looking for a way to get out of the house, but also out of the cold. So, we went to an indoor swimming pool and tried out her new bathing suit. She really liked it, but unfortunately the water was a little chillier than I expected. We didn't last too long, but she did look so adorably cute. We had fun, so I now I need to find an indoor pool in Birmingham that's a bit warmer before she outgrows this bathing suit. I can tell we're going to have a lot of fun at the pool this summer! She's going to have to love the pool, since that's about what I do everyday in the summer!

Marin Reports Live on the Scene

Mark is working on his iMovie production skills. Here is his first project...

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