Baby Marin | Week Forty

Week forty. Only twelve more weeks until our little girl is one years old. I can hardly believe it. 

This week, Marin experienced her very first Thanksgiving. Both sides of our family went to my parent's home, stuffed ourselves with delicious food, and passed two adorable babies around through out the festivities. Marin loved the sweet potatoes. She wasn't too keen on a few other things on her spoon but we are working on it. 

Marin wore the first dress that my mom made for her, along with the matching hat. The hat isn't finished yet so it was awfully big on her but still adorable. 

  

I couldn't help but think about how different this year is compared to this time last year. Last year, I was very pregnant and very curious about our little girl. I was very uncomfortable most of the time and very anxious. This year, we spent the day with our little girl and I was able to enjoy some wine. We are yet again surrounded by family but have added to little ones to the mix. So much has changed in a year. So much. 

Baby Marin. Week Forty. 

#BeThankful

I am so thankful for......

Family. Seeing life through the eyes of a child. Marin's milestones. Marriage. True Love. A roof over our heads. Heat. Food on our tables. Money to pay our bills. The Word. Baby smiles. Exploring the world. Cat cuddles. Steaming hot cups of coffee. Good food. Good company. The Creative. The church. Our jobs. Learning how to be a mom. Our side jobs. Good books. Clothes on our backs. Shoes on our feet. Clean water. Our home. The holidays. Community. Jesus. Early mornings. Late nights. Good wine. The Kingdom. Music. New friends. Songwriting. Afternoon walks.Old friends. Parenting together. Childhood wonder. Learning day by day how to be a mom and still be an artist. 

 

I'm thankful for....

The past that taught us so much, the present in which we live, and the future that we look forward to. 

A day late, but.... Happy Thanksgiving.

Baby Marin | Week Thirty Nine

Leaving Marin last weekend was tough. It's good to be home. I feel like every day she comes up with some new trick or milestone. For example, I put her in her crib to go grab my camera, and came back to this....standing up in her crib! Uh-oh. We are in trouble now. She usually wears a sleep sack when she naps and sleeps so she doesn't really try anything too crazy. But, put her in her crib without her sleep sack and she stands up all on her own. Slow down, baby. Slow down. 

I am really looking forward to the next few weeks with Marin. I love the holidays to begin with and add two little babies into the picture (including little cousin Gunnar) and fun will be had. I'm sure I will barely hold her the entire time we are at our parent's house for Thanksgiving. 

We have been experimenting with different finger foods and are slowly moving away from purees. She is still getting the hang of picking up food off her tray but we are working on it. She really likes trying new things and I am just praying that we don't have a picky eater on our hands. I don't think we will, at least so far. 

Oh and...still no teeth. 

Week Thirty Nine. 

Johnny Hickman & North Carolina

I believe I am now a fan of the south. Southern hospitality is like no other thing I have experienced in my life. I just wanted to sit down, drink sweet tea and eat too much seafood, all while chatting with the locals. Everyone says hi to you. I like that. 

Ryan and I had the awesome opportunity to head to Wilmington, NC to play music for the one and only Johnny Hickman. We count ourselves super lucky to be able to play with such a long standing musician. His fans adore him, his music is excellent. Playing music with him is always such a treat and I don't take that lightly. 

We traveld to North Carolina to play at a private birthday birthday for one of Hickman's fans and friends. We were welcomed with open arms, didn't pay for pretty much a single meal, and got to do something we really love: play music with our friends. They brought in a back line for the evening which meant, aside from flying with Ryan's guitar, we didn't have to bring a single piece of music gear. They even worked super hard to find the same keyboard I use normally. I loved it. It was so wonderful and so thoughtful. 

It was heaven. I ate fish tacos and drank margaritas. I had an island mahi mahi at dinner. I had an omelet with crab and shrimp in it. I would have eaten any sea food that anyone placed in front of me. I miss that...when you live on a coast or near a coast, seafood is incredible. Colorado is about as land locked as you can get. Give me all the seafood. 

Our hotel was right on the ocean with a marina on the other side. There's always something about the ocean that makes me feel so many things, causing me to come alive and reevaluate so much of our lives. I write a lot of lists in my mind. I contemplate and mull over lots of new goals.  I think of living on the north west and all of the trying and life-shaping times I spent on the coast and its little towns. I hope that someday we will find ourselves living on a coast again. 

This was the first time we have been away from Marin for longer than a night. I was so exhausted by the time my head hit my pillow every night that I didn't really wake up like I thought I would. I was always on alert though it seemed. Every once in a while it would hit me...Where's the baby?!?! Then I would realize that we didn't have her there with us and I didn't need to worry so much. She was shopping and hanging out with the grandparents. She was definitely ok. It was just so weird not hauling around all of the baby stuff and making sure Marin was doing well. I felt like a limb was missing. 

Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. It was a nice time away for a few short days. We needed to recharge. Everyone we met was amazing and I am so thankful that I get to play music with such an amazing group of people. We hadn't even met the drummer until the day before the gig but Carlton gelled so well with us, it felt as if he had played music with us along. 

I miss the seafood already.

Baby Marin | Week Thirty Eight

I don't have my ducks in a row this week. I don't have my stuff together. We are leaving for North Carolina for 3 days without Marin this morning. I have been packing and preparing. We have been making our lists and checking them twice. I don't think it has fully hit me yet that we are leaving our little girl for a few days. She will be in good hands but I know we will miss her like crazy. I'm sure I will wake up at 5 am wondering where the baby monitor is and why I can't hear her. 

I didn't pick up my camera to photograph her this week. My phone did though and that will have to do. This is the first Baby Marin post though that hasn't been taken with a DSLR. I made it 37 weeks though and that has to count for something. It's also stupidly cold around these parts and trying to get out and about to snap some photos definitely didn't happen. 

So, I will leave with this adorable, bundled up munchkin. She is not a fan of hats and mittens yet, but we are working on that. 

Baby Marin. Week Thirty Eight. 

Baby Marin | Week Thirty Seven

Marin generally does well in a lot of different situations and is pretty chill when around a lot of people. I will forever be thankful for that. She is usually great in restaurants, at church, family gatherings. That is awesome. 

On Thursday, we celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday at the bowling alley. We had a blast and Marin was great the entire evening. When one of us was up to bowl, Marin would be handed to the next family member and hang out. Kind of a musical chairs situation and she loved it. She was up way past her bedtime but loved the commotion of the bowling alley. That is really awesome. 

Marin is currently napping away upstairs and I can't help but think how lucky we are to have been blessed with such a great baby. Seriously. We have our moments and melt downs but overall I couldn't ask for a more awesome child. This week, she has started to wave at everyone and everything. She is just starting to eat finger foods. We still have no teeth but she is still all smiles. 

Baby Marin. Week Thirty Seven.

The End of an Era & the Beginning of Another

I think part of me never truly believed I would be writing these words. Part of me was so caught up in all the things that working in healthcare presents and supporting my family was found at the top of my list.

 

No more. There is a great deal of freedom now in my life. Last Wednesday, I walked through the hallways of a dental clinic as an employee for the last time. I turned in my keys, my sweaters, and my laptop. I said my goodbyes and gave my hugs. It felt strange, almost like a twilight version of my job, as if it wasn't really happening.

I worked at a dental office for nearly 6 years. That's a lot of years. That's a lot of time. That's a lot of paychecks, meetings, and to do lists. I learned so many things about the business world and working with people and I am so glad that I went in for that job interview all those years ago.

Had someone sat me down ten years ago and told me that I would be working in human resources at a pediatric dental clinic, I probably would have laughed at them and walked away. Ten years ago, I figured I would be playing a ton of music, traveling, taking a lot of photos, and living out a creative life as much as I possibly could. But then, life happened. Life happens. Good life happens. Becoming an adult had to happen and bills needed to be paid.

 

If I have worked with you over the last few years, thank you. You have taught me so many things about myself and my capacity in the business world. You have been a home away from home in many ways. You have helped me strive and helped me live. You have challenged me. I would be lying if I said it was always good. There were times that were tough, times when I wanted to walk away and be done with all of it, but I endured. Transitions come and go and so do people and now I'm on the the other side of it.

 

Just, thank you. You all are wonderful.

This past season has been one of lots of waiting and of wondering where it would all end up. I knew my time was coming to an end but I didn't know the hows or whys. This past season has not necessarily been easy but I believe that our little family have never been in such a good place like we are now. I am embarking upon a new job as the Events Coordinator at Vintage City Church. I am able to use my college degree yet again and use all of the things that I learned at the dental office. I am able to spend more time with my family and make my own schedule for the most part. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. I was made for a job like this.

So, Toothzone, I bid you farewell. I will surely not forget that last 6 years of my life but I am very excited for the next years of our lives.

Farewell.

Baby Marin | Week Thirty Six

Look at our child's face. Just look at it. This is the face of...OMG, Mom, you almost forgot to post my weekly picture. 

You're right, kid. You are right. It is Saturday evening and here I am writing away. 

We will keep this short and sweet because that's kind of how life is rolling these days. I've recently changed jobs, more on that later. I am surrounded by baby toys and a fussy baby that is probably not going to take this time change very well. She will surely be a little confused tomorrow morning when she tries to wake up at 4am. Still no teeth in her adorable little mouth and I am certain I will be shocked when we finally have a tooth. 

Good things are happening, many good things. 

Baby Marin. Week Thirty Six.