One month and counting...

It has been just over a month now since we first gazed into those amazing eyes of our dear little Marin. After all we have been though since that first encounter in Guangzhou, it feels more like a year. With the false start of our hospital stay, we are only now really getting into a regular routine. It feels good and it is a nice time of year to just take it easy and see to the new needs of both our girls.
All the little baby developmental things are coming along nicely. Marin has taken her first steps and is gaining more and more confidence with her legs. She is now eating solid food and her she finds new favorites on her tray every day. She is learning to use a sippy cup, which gives her great pride. Her words are still somewhat limited to "Mah mah", and the occasional "Dah dah", with lots of grunts and giggles thrown in.

So what's it like, living with Marin? Mostly its a lot of fun. She cracks us up constantly. She is a very good-natured, easy to please, little soul and we thought we would fill you in on some of her funny little quirks. She is very affectionate and likes to cuddle. She is also very expressive and claps her little hands when she is particularly pleased. She also likes to groove to the music. Whether you are singing I've Been Working on the Railroad or Paparazzi, she likes to sway her little body to the music.
She does not like to go to sleep alone, and we are often held captive, crib-side, until she nods off. If we are stretched at nap time and choose to drop her and run, this is the result 7 times out of 10: First of all she will take a very deep breath (and you wonder if she will start breathing again), then she will cry and cry. Her wales are so pitiful, you would have thought you just stole her brand new puppy. Often times the drama is too much and she wins out and we get her up. At that point, two things happen. First, she immediately stops crying and you soon realize it was all one big charade. And then, to rub it in your face, as you carry her down the hall toward the kitchen, she gives an audible little grunt and shrug, as if to say, "huh, I won." Her best naps happen in the car, parked in the garage. Often after taking big sister to school, she will conk out in her car seat and stay asleep for an hour or more.
Generally Marin enjoys car rides, unless the sun is in her eyes (then you hear all about it). When the ride is over, and I go to unbuckle her, she looks up at me and opens her mouth as wide as she possible can. I return the greeting and we laugh about it.
Lena, Marin and Daddy got out into the canyon for some snow-time this week. Marin got her first sleigh ride with her big sister and seemed to tolerate for a while. This quickly changed, when Lena decided to get out and walk and Marin was left to role around in the sled like a piece of cargo. Then, snow-time was over.