Marin Turns Four!

Top photo: Marin at 3 years old. Bottom: Marin at 4 years old. 

On Sunday, February 18th, our baby girl turned four years old. It still seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting her arrival and she decided to take her precious time....arriving 10 days after my due date. Marin is spunky, incredibly smart, and I am so blessed to be her mother. I look at her and cannot quite believe that she is ours and that we get to journey through life together, through every triumph and toddler tantrum. We get to be there with her along the way as she learns new things, soaking them all in like a little sponge. We get to be there along the way as she goes to school, makes friends, faces growing pains. 

She surprises me every single day with her extensive vocabulary and how she soaks in everything around her constantly. She takes it all in and doesn't let go. Sometimes, I think she gets frustrated because the rest of her world doesn't want to move through life at the same learning pace that she does. She loves Jesus and going to church. She loves preschool and I have watched her grow leaps and bounds through the classroom. 

Birthday Party Spread 

She currently is obsessed with all things involving space and can name all of the planets. She likes to talk about galaxies and moons.  She is in love with dinosaurs and My Little Pony. She loves to "read" books and dance around the living room. Bath time is one of her favorite times and she would stay in there all day, turning into a little raisin, if we let her. 

She is the most amazing big sister to Sullivan. She is always looking for an opportunity to help me by grabbing a diaper, comforting him when he's fussy, and picking up all of the toys that he constantly throws on the floor. Their relationship is a great one and I love seeing it grow.

She is the picky eater in our family and would survive on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken nuggets, cheese burgers, and yogurt if I let her. I've been trying to get her to eat different things, especially now that Sullivan is exploring the world of solid food. We are very far from having a grand and expanded palette but hopefully someday, her relationship with food will be a good one. 

Miss Marin, we love you and can't believe we get to be your parents. Thank you for making our lives a glorious adventure, one day at a time. I cannot imagine life without you and I'm blessed to be your mother. You have stretched me in ways I didn't think were possible and can't believe you are mine. 

Happy Birthday, Marin Ryan Hollen! 

Hollen Home | Marin's Big Girl Room

When we were expecting our first kiddo, we decided early on that we weren't going to have a pink, princess nursery. I wanted something that was fairly neutral. We went with lighter green walls with lots of black and white accents. You can see the before and after of Marin's nursery here.  I've loved this room for the past 3 years.

When we found out we were expecting again, I started clearing out our office space in our spare room in preparation for our newest little one. Once we found out we were having a little boy, we decided it would actually be much easier to keep Marin's current green room as the nursery and make the office spare room Marin's new room.

I wasn't sure if she could be convinced to have a different room and give her little brother her old room, but once I mentioned that she could paint one wall whatever color she wanted, she was sold. I knew what was coming. Marin is all spunk and all pink. Most of our lives are covered in glitter and princess pink.  I now have the one thing in our home that I didn't think we ever would: a bright pink wall. I actually kind of love it. Only painting an accent wall and then painting the trim white really helped.

We gave Marin a big girl bed for Christmas that just sat in a box until her big girl room was completed. The matching dresser, an awesome little chair, and a new white bookcase were added as well. I bought her a little rug. My mom made her awesome pink curtains and she has some awesome princess bedding. It all has come together quite well.

Now when the sun hits the front side of our house, Marin's room glows a nice pink color all the way out into the hallway. She loves her new big girl room. I can't quite believe we have a bright pink wall.

Next up in nesting....A revamped baby nursery. Stay tuned.

Sources:

Rug: RugsUSA

Bedding: Walmart

Bed, Chair, & Dresser: American Furniture Warehouse

Bookcase: Amazon

Paint Color: Behr Sweet Chrysanthemum

Wall Art: Hobby Lobby

Baby Marin | Week Forty One

Marin had her 9 month well-check yesterday afternoon. The nurses and doctors just can't get enough of her. They say that she is very bright and doing very well. Of course, my mommy heart just about bursts when they say that, but I agree with them. She is one smart cookie. One smart, feisty cookie. 

Marin now weighs 16.5 lb. and is almost 27 inches long. She still measures in the petite range but is growing like a weed. We also didn't need to get any shots of any sort yesterday, which was a nice change of pace. We are not a big fan of shots, pretty much ever. 

The next time we will take her to a well-check appointment, Marin will be one year old. Where is the time going? Where? 

Week Forty One.