Marion's Pre-Parties

Okay, nobody tell Grace, but Marion is having four birthday celebrations. Grace quickly realized that Marion was having one more than she had. She wasn't happy, and I told a small lie, "She's having 3, JUST LIKE YOU, and I'm not talking about it anymore!" Hmph!! She may think I can't count now, but she dropped it!!

First, we partied at Mom's Day Out. I came with the cake at the end of the day. Her teachers told me that they had been singing to her all day! After all of the celebrations of Grace's birthday last week, Marion is very into the birthday song and blowing out candles!

Blowing before the song is over!

She always has to go back for the 2nd candle!

Little school friends :)

It was YUM!!

Her sweet teachers even gave her a gift.

We celebrated again, with another cookie cake, on her real birthday with Nana and Paw Paw.

I'm glad that Nana and Paw Paw brought the energy to the birthday song, because the girls were tired! Marion had skipped her nap and played with them at home, while I took Grace to a friend's birthday party.

Another celebration, this time at her Mommy and Me class.

We had princess cupcakes this time!

Licking the candles, a special privilege of the birthday girl. She learned this from Grace!

Mommy and Me class

Marion is a Big Girl!

Well, maybe not yet, but she's getting there! Today was my baby's first day of Mom's Day Out. She'll go from 9 until 1, two days a week. She cried for a minute when I walked out of the door, but then she was good. When I picked her up, she was soooo cute!! She ran toward me, yelling "Mama! Mama!" When she got halfway, she started kissing the air, and didn't stop until she was in my arms kissing me! She is such a sweetie!! I hope to get that reaction every time I pick her up! I think it will be wonderful for Marion to have this time to play with little ones her own age!

Marion and her backpack... she didn't want to wear it.

Marion is walking very well, even running at times! She can also carry around armfuls of treasures! Marion is very close to being discharged from physical therapy. Last week her visits were decreased from once a week to once a month. She is pretty much age appropriate for motor skills now.

Marion's speech has had huge improvement just over the last week. In the past, when you told her, "Say _____," she would just stare back at you quietly. Now, she always tries to say what you ask of her!! Most things don't sound much like what they should, but some do!

Marion says... mama, dada, nana, paw paw, yeah and no very clearly, and she makes a variety of animal sounds. There are other things she says that I understand what she means, although they don't come out perfect, such as milk, dog, and up. She continues to have speech therapy once a week, so hopefully, now that she's more willing to talk, we'll see much improvement!

my little walker

"Yeah, she walks. I mean, it's not like it's her primary mode of transportation or anything, but yeah, she can walk."

I've heard myself saying this over and over for the past 6 weeks or so. Today, 2 days shy of her 18 month birthday, it changed. Today, Marion walked more than she crawled. Not just because I stayed on her little hiney all day about it (okay, maybe a little), but because she really wanted to. She likes to walk now, and can be found spontaneously popping up and toddling all over the house.

So, just when it was starting to seem that little Marion would stay a baby forever, she seems to be growing up all too fast. I know she's a bit overdue to be walking; but I'll still miss my baby that has me so wrapped around her little finger, she's been riding around on my hip for the past 8 months pointing me in which direction I should walk! Seriously, she's got me down! After her first session of physical therapy, I was told she was a lazy baby. That's okay with me, I just got to enjoy my "baby" for a little longer :)

MARION WALKS!!!

YES!!! It's true!!! At 16 months old, Marion has taken her first steps! I had to hold her to get her started and video at the same time, so it's a little close up and not the best angle. She was bribed with Nerds candy on the coffee table :)

Click on the videos to play them.

She takes 6 or 7 steps in this one!

This video shows her feet some... really, a one woman camera crew and mom makes for a tough video!

I am SO PROUD of sweet Marion!!! :)

happy birthday may may!!!

Me and my sweet baby girl!

We celebrated Marion's first birthday last weekend. Yes, there was still plenty of snow left from the blizzard that came through the day before. It was a pretty day though... cold, but pretty. The sun was out and there was no rain- I'll take it.

The ladybug release didn't go as well as it did at Grace's first birthday. They literally froze to death when they touched the snow. Paw Paw Jess joked that next year we should do it again... with canaries. Ha ha. Oh well, I tried.

Marion was a little sweetheart as always and made it through the whole day with only a tiny nap from 10am until 11am when the party started. She had so much fun with everyone (even spent some time in the jumpy thanks to Aunt Lindsey!) and got many wonderful gifts. Thank you everyone for coming out in the snow to celebrate our little Marion!!

No doubt, Big Sister added this decoration!

Marion with her cup of ladybugs.

Marion with her cake. It was yummy pink strawberry inside! She wasn't sure what to do with it!

I finally cut a slice, thinking that would help... she was still unsure. I had to chop it into baby chunks for her to eat it!

... but once she got started, she ate it ALL!