Marin is 1

We have had a blessed time celebrating Marin's first birthday over the past week.  She turned a year old on May 16th and although I have tried to write this post multiple times since her actual birthday I have struggled to put into words this past year of her life.  She is amazing, beautiful, loving,  friendly, determined, strong willed, curious, and to quote my friend a "live wire."  This year with her has been challenging, wonderful, stressful, blessed, and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.  There have been lots of tears and tons of laughter from all of us.  Symeon has adjusted to life with his baby sister and on most days he is loving, caring, gentle, takes good care of her, and makes sure she has everything she needs.  Marin adores Symeon follows him around, hugs him more often than he would like, and did I mention she follows him around I mean everywhere!  They are wonderful to watch and although there have been times over this last year that we struggled to get through multiple days with both of them wanting to be held by me I do love that they are so close together.

Marin is doing all sorts of things like climbing onto everything.  I found her on our table, she figured out she can push anything around and make it a stool even her little bike which has wheels, our couch, Symeon's small table, standing on cardboard boxes in the middle of the room and her newest trick to go along with the climbing is that she takes her hands off and balances making this funny noise until you may attention to her. Which is usually really quick since the noise usually involves a stunt that is rather dangerous.  Just to put it in perspective the other we were shopping for her new car seat and she was sitting in the cart I was looking at the seat when that mother instinct told me to turn around and I see Marin standing up in the cart.  I grabbed her and she laughed which is true to her nature as well.  I feel blessed that my inner voice spoke up before she had let go to do her balancing act so she was still holding onto the side of the cart yet standing in that small seat area.  I found her trying to scale her changing table and our bed and when she is standing on our kitchen chairs she is now trying to scale the bank rungs I have begun hooking the chairs under the table so I now I find her screaming stuck between the chair and the table unable to get up or down.  I feel bad but at least she is safe.

Marin was not a friendly baby for many many months.  There were several months that she would not even let Shawn hold her I was her one and only but in the last month she has become so friendly it is a bit scary.  The other day she walked up and hugged this lady as Chic-fil-A and I had to peel her off her legs.  The beauty of her friendliness is that she is like a small angel walking around bring light and love into everyone's life.  People can't help but smile at her, talk to her, wave at her and they seem to be drawn to her.  She is a pure joy and gift to take anywhere it is amazing the ministry a baby can have just being herself.  The other day at the Farmer's Market she had these 3 older men eating out of her hand.  She kept going back to them and "talking" looking up at them waving and blowing kisses.  I was cracking up one of  them said I don't want any more babies my baby just turned 21 but if I did I would love to have one like her.  It was so sweet and she left them smiling and talking about her as we walked away.

Marin is saying more words and often catches us off guard when she repeats us.  She has 6 teeth and has been working on a few more the past week.  She weighs 21 pounds and is 31 inches tall.  She is in the 75% for weight and the 97% for height.  She claps, does song motions, eats anything you give her, she screams if she thinks she is being shorted in any way, and every time the fridge opens she runs over to snag a grape (Symeon did the exact same thing at her age).  She loves to brush her teeth and would do it about 20 times a day if we let her.  She basically weaned herself during the day, for several days I tried to nurse her and she would have nothing to do with it often when I put her down she would come to the kitchen and sign eat and I would give her something else that she wanted.  I nurse her at night before she goes to bed but even that she is starting to resist and finally I nurse her early in the morning and then she goes back to sleep for a couple of hours.  When it comes to sleep Marin does not need very  much during the day and she is still really pleasant.  She takes a morning nap and then sometimes she will take an afternoon power nap or catch a snooze in the car.  Sometimes she will wake up at noon and not go back to sleep until 8 that night and she is fine I will often put her in her bed for a bit in the afternoon for a rest and sometime she will sleep for 45 mins or an hour and sometimes she will to sleep at all, it really is quite amazing for her age!  The other night she feel asleep in the car and we were trying to keep her awake so Shawn reached back and tickled her a bit she laughed and smiled but did not wake up.  Her arms were limp she was in a deep sleep and she was laughing we were cracking up it was so funny.

As we celebrate her first year of life we feel humbled and honored that God gave this precious beautiful baby girl to our family.   Happy Birthday our dear sweet Sissy, Babes, Marin!

Marin Treva Delp born May 16th 2009 at 4:15 pm she weighed 7lbs 15 oz and was 19 inches long

Marin Treva Delp showing me she is 1 year old

Marin giving her big loves that melt your heart!  She also pats your back while she is  hugging you!

My parents bought Marin this princess chair for her birthday and when it arrived and she sat in it for the first time it was like she was saying it was about time some one recognized me need for a throne and acted.  

Here she is standing on one of our chairs letting go and making the funny noise that signals she is doing something dangerous.


Here is Marin at her first birthday party with all of her Paxton friends.  We had a first party for Symeon with the residents and when May rolled around people started to ask about Marin's party.  So on her actual birthday we had a party for about 85 people and it was wonderful.  

the cake for 85

some of her Paxton friends

waiting to sing and using the microphone so everyone could hear

every one sang it was so sweet

Marin eating her cake hands free

a classic Marin look

some of her friends wishing her happy birthday she is giving them high five's


Her actual birthday was on a Sunday this year and it was beautiful so we ended the day with some family time down by the river.

The birthday girl loves a good accessory especially a hat like her brother. 


We had a birthday party for other family and friends a week later and here is the recap of that fun day...

I made the cupcake cake for the polka dotted themed party

the dessert table we did tacos for the meal

Marin's friend Sammy

Marin's friend Emma

Marin's friend Jonas

Marin's friend Ila

a litte indoor soccer since it was storming and muggy on the day of the party

Symeon was caught several times licking frosting off the cupcakes  needless to say those were deemed his and one he gave to his sister

the birthday girl


the cake eating process

Symeon bringing Marin her cake

Marin loves cake

opening gifts greasy frosting hair and all, by the end of the day she looked like she had partied pretty hard

We had such a fun time celebrating Marin's life.  On the right are two of my great aunts and one great uncle, at the head of the table is Shawn's Nana and on the left are Shawn's mom and step-dad.  It meant so much to me that they all came to celebrate Marin.  These great aunts are my Grandma's sisters and it was like having a small piece of her there to celebrate Marin's life.  On days like these I miss my Grandmother so much.  I know she would have loved to see Marin and Symeon and I would have loved to watch her with them, she passed away several months before Symeon was born and Marin is her name sake. 

Marin working it for the camera

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate this special day in Marin's life and thank you to everyone who has loved and cherished her over this first year.  We look forward to many more years of celebrating our daughter's life.   

Mommeeeeee

After this week I know that when Symeon says Mommmeeee in this manner I should come pretty quickly.  3 times this week I heard my name called in this manner and 3 times I told him to wait a minute.  Now granted he says Mommy about 1000 times a day and I have been working with him to learn to wait without saying my name a 100 times so with that background asking him wait seemed reasonable.  I learned that inflection for Symeon is everything true to his nature he did not get upset he wasn't frantically calling my name he was just very calmly saying Mommmeeee over and over. 

So the the first time he is sitting at the kitchen table and I was in our room changing Marin's diaper and I said I will be right there.  So two minutes later when I come out he has my phone and he is listening to someone.  I look and he had called my job and the receptionist not knowing it was Symeon was asking to talk to his Mommy.  When I took the phone and apologized they were laughing that is was Symeon and they said he has called 3 times and they were trying to get him to put his mom on the phone, hence the Mommmeee.  We all had a good laugh and I assured them I do watch him.  Later at work everyone had a good laugh about it.

The second time Symeon was standing at the bathroom sink on his stool washing his hands or so I thought.  I hear the Mommeee again and again I am changing Marin's diaper.  I tell him to wait minute and over and over Mommeee.  Well when I round the corner into the bathroom he has stopped up the sink and it was overflowing all over the vanity and onto the floor. 

Well you would think by the third Mommmeee in one week I would have learned my lesson but this time I thought what could be wrong I am standing about 5 feet away from him.  I was washing dishes and he was using his markers at our kitchen table. Marin was playing on the floor.  I hear Mommmee and for the third time I tell him to wait a minute.  Well he got a little louder and finally I turned around to see Marin on top of the table with his markers in her mouth.  She loves markers and is not allowed to have them since she sucks on them like lollipops.  So she had climbed up on a chair then onto the table and she was putting them into her mouth as fast as she could.  I might add we have a round table that could easily flip but she was lucky and it didn't.   Symeon just sat there looking at her and then as me like I told you so and he said Mommmeee like aren't you watching this kid or what. 

So lesson learned if Symeon says Mommeee even in the calmest of ways I should go see what  he wants immediately. 

Spooky

Symeon continue to love to do lots of things in the spooky which is the dark.  They each have these fun lights so we turn off all the lights and close all the doors and turn on the fun lights.  We have added playing sports and dancing to things we can do in the spooky.  It is lots of fun and I was able to capture these fun pictures with my new camera. 

Love of sports

Symeon like his Dad loves sports.  He has been really good at them since he was pretty tiny and he seems to be improving and adding new ones to his repertoire all the time.  Since starting to pick out what he would like to wear we have found it difficult to get him out of just a few shirts.  One particular Union soccer jersey was worn four days in a row and slept in once.  I finally put my foot down and told him it had to go into the laundry and with that he put on an Eagles jersey.  So in general he has all these cute clothes and he basically wears Phillies tee shirts, an Eagles jersey, a Union jersey, and  Flyers hockey jersey often all in the same day.  He has now started changing shirts when he plays a different sport during the day which adds to the fun.  He has also started asking to have Sissy wear sports apparel which is fine but I have refused to change her clothes every time he changes his.  The latest additions have been matching hats to the sporting event of choice, Sissy is pretty funny with this as well she loves a good accessory.  It is pretty funny to see them walking around in matching sports gear with matching hats.

If you don't know the Flyers are in the run for the Stanley Cup so we have been watching alot of playoff hockey and Symeon loves it the one thing we realize is just how much he takes in from the game.  So if you know anything about hockey you know there is body checking and throwing yourself and others into the boards.  Well Symeon has started using our kitchen cabinets as the boards and he throws himself into the boards and whacks them with his hockey stick!  Although it is pretty funny it is one of those times as a parent you have to correct in the present and laugh later.  The other night he had me laughing so hard Shawn had to discipline him because I could not keep a straight face.  Here is our soccer, hockey, baseball, football loving little guy.

DVD Rogers

This is something I hear about 20 times a day.  Symeon loves Mister Roger's which is not even on tv anymore but he found him first on PBS Kids.com and started watching short clips of him and now he can't get enough of him.  We borrowed a DVD from the library where Rogers goes to the circus and it is great.  I love the positive influence Rogers is and I love how slow it moves.  Symeon would watch Rogers all day if I let him but that is not an option but with all the choices of things to watch DVD Rogers is great with us. 

Here he is proudly showing Rogers which is how Symeon refers to him. 

I keep reminding him that DVD Rogers belongs to the library and that someday we are going to have to return it.  I have renewed it several times and although I am sure it is not in hot demand it will eventually have to be returned I am hoping that we can find another DVD Rogers to get out of the library on the day we return this one but we will see. 

Mother's Day

I had a very nice Mother's Day a wonderful time with my family just hanging out.  In the morning before church I was surprised with a really nice gift a new camera.  I have been wanting a  camera that is fast has a bit of a zoom and digital.  My husband surprised me with it and I have been a picture taking mama since.  It is great super fast for me and with some great settings.  Thanks Lisa for the advice he bought the Canon EOS Rebel XS.  I was so blessed by Shawn's thoughtfulness and planning ahead to surprise me.  I am truly blessed with this amazing man in my life who without I would not have these amazing children. 

Here are a few pictures I have taken of our family since getting my camera.  I have a lot to learn but it is tons of fun.  Thank you Shawn, Symeon, and Marin for making me feel so special and so loved on Mother's Day and so many other times through out the year.   

 

I Love that smile!

Me and My girl!

Driving the cart car

Symeon and Marin love to drive those car carts at the grocery store and I hate to drive them.  I have rammed more people and displays with that stupid thing but it brings them such joy I continue to apologize to everyone who gets a flat tire from me driving and that includes Shawn and Symeon.  I was hysterical the other day in the super market when I gave Symeon his first flat tire when he was walking in front of the cart the look on his face was priceless and then he burst out laughing because I was laughing so hard everyone was staring at us and we were having such a good time. 

We have had quite a few adventures in the grocery store lately the other day we let each of our kids bring in their own little shopping carts into the store and  help us shop with them.  We only needed a few things so this worked out really well.  Symeon did great he stayed on task and put things in his cart it was great Marin on the other hand just put her head down and pushed her cart into everyone and everything but when you look down and see her cute face who could be mad.  She also made her way to a low meat counter when she proceeded to put large pieces of salami into her cart and then she began chewing on them which was gross and funny all at the same time.  It is amazing what she can reach especially when she uses her tip toes and stretches out to her full height.

Here is a funny picture from the other day at the grocery store.  I figure if I have to grocery shop we might as well all have a good time so it might take a bit longer but gosh it is much more fun.

 

Everybody knows you need to wear your shades when you are driving even in the grocery store.  Later we caught Marin climbing out the front window of the car luckily we were stopped but I hope she won't do that in the real thing but at this point I would not put it past her. 

Home Sweet Home

Symeon has started saying he is home when we pull into the parking lot of Paxton and I thought I have never really blogged about Paxton and our home.  Paxton is an amazing wonderful place where about 85 adults live with mental illness or developmental disabilities or both.  It is also home to our family and several others who have chosen to share their lives with these amazing people.  It warms me heart everyday that Symeon recognizes Paxton as home because home is the place where you are safe and loved and that is the essence of Paxton for Symeon and so many others. 

Our Home

The third floor windows on the left is home for our family.  

Here is where we park all the time it is also the view Symeon has when we pull in.  This is home for him!  His cousin Sam said "Symeon has a really big house" and I guess that is true.  Symeon and Marin see all of Paxton as their home.  The go to the industrial kitchen and know their way around.  They play pool, air hockey, and ping pong in the basement, the ride the elevator everyday, the run on the tennis court, and play at the playground.  

Here is just a small part of our backyard

Symeon Social

Every month Symeon has been hosting the Symeon Social for the residents where we live.  We live in a personal care home for people who live with mental illness or developmental disabilities or both.  There are about 85 residents and Symeon and Marin interact with many of them on a daily basis.  As Symeon has gotten older we decided he should start volunteering and where better than here.  So we bake things through the month freeze them and then host a social where Symeon chats with residents hands out snack and drinks.  I think the blessing goes both ways the residents adore him and he adores them. 

Symeon and one of his friends

Here is how we transport our goodies around the building!

Happy Belated Birthday Shawn

April 22nd was Shawn's birthday and although I am very late blogging about our celebration at least we weren't late celebrating him.  I asked Symeon what should we get Daddy for his birthday and he said a ooon which is balloon so off to the store we went.  I steered him away from the 3 foot round smiley face and the next one he picked was an Eagles balloon which seemed perfect.  So we bought the balloon and he was so happy to give it to Shawn in was super sweet.  We also bought Shawn a cast iron grill pan to make burgers in because as you might know I do not cook burgers of any sort and I don't ever cook red meat so every once in awhile my poor husband busts out a big griddle and makes himself a big old burger so we bought him a great pan that is perfect for these burger indulgences.  We baked him his favorite cookie cake and had a nice time hanging out as a family.  I love the days when we set aside all the do's of life and celebrate a person and what they mean to us and to the world.  We love you Shawn Happy Birthday!

Here is the present Symeon and I wrapped together.  I think he did a pretty good job very secure!

The birthday guy and his kiddos!  

You will notice there is a small piece of cookie cake missing.  We cut the cake a bit early because Symeon was waiting so patiently for Marin to wake up and it was just cruel how long she was sleeping.  

Marin having a little piece of cookie cake!  Preping for her own birthday cake!

Words

Marin said her first words, besides Ma Ma and Da Da, this week.  So at 11 months old her first word was hello.  She picked up my blackberry put it to her ear and said hello.  I could not believe it and I thought, much like when she took her first steps at 8 months that I was imagining things, well she continued to say it over and over.  I called Shawn so he could hear her say it and it was clear as day.  She will say hello and now we think she is saying lots of other things like this morning I am pretty sure she asked me for a banana saying "nana" which is how Symeon says it.  She also says hot and puts her hand up to the stove which is what Symeon does.  So it will be interesting to see if the words keep coming.  I have a feeling our little Babes has lots to say so I think conquering words is well within her reach.

Symeon's language has exploded.  He repeats just about everything  you say and he has started saying so much without our prompting.  He is super cute.  He says I luv you which just melts our hearts.  I love when kids have funny ways of saying things that make sense but aren't the "norm" for adults.  For instance Symeon likes to turn all the lights out and light up this ghost Mike and Traci got for him and when he wants the lights out he says spooky Mommy spooky.  The other night at twilight he looked out the window and said spooky Mommy.  So spooky means dark but what I love is that he isn't scared of the dark at least not yet so although he says spooky the only meaning it has is dark and I hope it stays that way.  He also uses the words this and that freely so if he is trying to tell you something and he does not have a word he uses this or that and when he is tired just about everything becomes this or that which can be rather confusing at times.  It is a joy to know at least a little bit of what is going on inside Symeon's mind.  I treasure this time as he learns to communicate parts of who he is and I pray we will be able to nurture all the beautiful parts of him. 

Humbled

Recently I have been so humbled as a mother.  I have always believed I forgive easily and in general I do but there are those times when things sneak up on you and you realize that deep inside yourself you were holding onto a hurt and maybe even nursing it. 

Well my 2 year old and 11 month old show me true forgiveness on a daily basis not only do they forgive me everyday for some mistake they forgive one another freely and without remembering the wrongs.  I have started taking them on my lap and apologizing to them when I have done something wrong or feel like I have blown it with them.  As they grow up I am sure I will have to say sorry many times because let's face it I am going to blow it often as I learn to be a mom to these two amazing changing people so I figure I mine as well start now so it is a normal part of our lives.  It makes it easy to ask them for forgiveness when they throw their arms around you and love on you.  I hope they will always accept my apologies like this and I hope I can accept theirs in the same manner. 

They also forgive one another so freely.  One minute they can be fighting for something and the next minute they are giving each other loves.  Symeon can be saying bye-bye baby when Sissy is bothering him and the next minute if I am give him something he wants to make sure there is one for Babes as well.  He never forgets about her.  He has taken to holding her hand these days when they walk and the other day she fell down and Symeon went over and grabbed her hand and helped her up.  It was so sweet and so loving and I am not quite sure he wasn't the one to push her down but hey that doesn't mean you can't be the one to help her up.

  I guess that is the essence of it all.  I don't literally push anyone down but I am sure there are days that I emotionally or spiritually push friends, Shawn, my kids, my family, or myself down but that doesn't mean I can't be the one to help them up as well.  Thank you Symeon and Marin for living out forgiveness and acceptance on a daily basis I pray we always have this type of honest real relationship with one another.

Where has his baby belly gone?

Symeon has had a great baby belly since he was a tiny baby.  You know what I mean that belly that sticks out and they lead with it  when they walk and when they eat it puffs out even more.  There have been times I thought his belly would pop it was so full.  It has been one of his features for so long it took me  awhile to notice it was completely gone.  His baby belly is gone and with it I mourn that he is not a baby anymore.  He is a toddle through and through.  I am sad to see the baby belly go but I rejoice in our time with him and in who he is becoming.  So although I miss the baby belly I love the toddler belly because that is who Symeon is today. 

I want to be like Daddy

Symeon wants to be like Shawn which I think is a good thing since Shawn is amazing.  Here is Symeon trying on Shawn's shin guards for size.  I hope he will be like Shawn in so many other ways. 

Symeon's animals

I have been finding Symeon's stuffed animals doing all kinds of things around our apartment.  I came into the room and found his dog like this and he was not even in the room anymore.