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.