It's Beginning to Feel a lot like Christmas!

Well, the air is chilly and the trees are bare. The winter coats are out and so are the Christmas decorations!
Last friday while everyone else was out shopping with all the crazies, Emma and I spent the day listening to Christmas music and decorating the house. We've got some presents wrapped under the tree and my willow tree nativity scene is up. It's such a cozy feeling having the house all "Christmasy":)
We got to share our home with some special family this weekend. My Uncle Wyatt and his family came up to visit from Missouri for Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday night Ria & Andy, Katlyn, Curtis, and Miss Addi came over to hangout for awhile and we got to spend some special time with them. And Katlyn and her family stayed with us Saturday night, and although it was a short stay, we had so much fun! It was so great to see our Missouri family that we don't get to see near as much as we'd like. And it was the first time we got to see Addi in person, and what a sweetie she is! We hope you come back again soon guys!!
Life with Emma continues to be crazy and wonderful. She just gets more and more fun as time goes by! RJ and I are completely loving being parents and enjoy watching her grow and change and learn. I don't think there's any way I'd be able to keep up with all the new developments in her life everyday. But she is starting to sit up for much longer by herself and taking better naps than she used too. She still is a great sleeper at night, and my only complaint is that she wakes up just a bit earlier than I'd like. She typically rises about 6am, occasionally sleeping in until 7. We have tried putting her to bed a little earlier or later but she is a stickler about her 8 o'clock bedtime. And it's a good time in the evening for us to put her down also. So I've just been counting my blessings and enjoying our little catnap together in the morning:)
This week we've put away most of Emma's 6-9 month clothes as they're getting quite snug. She mostly wears 12 month now and I like them being just a tad big so that we can layer in the winter. She also got her Christmas present from Grandpa and Grandma Van Dyke early, as she was getting pretty big for her infant carseat. So Thanksgiving day when we were in Carroll with RJ's family, she got her big girl carseat:) We picked out the Britax Marathon and so far we are LOVING it! It is comfy for Emma and is one of the safest seats out there. We like that it is so easy to adjust and it reclines also so it's great when she sleeps. And she sleeps MUCH more in this carseat than she ever did in her old one. Which makes car rides with her so easy!
Well my hubby and I are going to watch some Monday night football now, so I will leave you with all our love and wishes for a great end to your November!

Little Miss Emma Update

Being a mom is so amazing! It's amazing to me that even though we have had quite a tough morning, I am still able to update about my daughter with such joy and love! She is learning so much lately!!
-She is a master at rolling over especially when you're trying to change her diaper or get her dressed
-She says Da-da, although not necessarily when she's see's RJ. She babbles all the time and definitely has plenty to say to the world!
-Her new thing to do is shake her head back and forth. She doesn't say no-no yet, but that is DEFinitely what she is saying when she does it. Which is great that she can let us know when a bottle, rocking, playing, etc is not what she wants. Although it makes me a little nervous about her potential attitude.
-When placed in the sitting position she holds it pretty darn well, but I wouldn't leave her sitting without a boppy or pillow or something to catch her, because she's still topples over
-She is trying SOOOO hard to crawl and is SO close! She's up on all fours and bouncing and rocking. She scoots around in a circle all the time!
-She constantly twirling her hands and has started opening and closing them in what looks to me like a wave.
-Her new favorite thing is her toes! I am so happy, I've been waiting almost 7 months for her to discover her little toesies:) She loves to play with them, suck on her big toe, and wiggles them lots!
-Another thing mommy adores is Emma's love of hugs and snuggles. Whether tired, happy, or bashful, she loves to bury her face in your shoulder. These moments make my world go round!
-Emma LOVES Elmo! If she's not taking a nap, we've started watching Seasame Street in the mornings. (I thought it's probably more educational then Price Is Right. And we've been trying to keep our tv watching to a minimum) And whenever Elmo comes on the screen or talks, she cracks the biggest grin and gets all wiggly:)
-She also has become very clingy to mommy.... She is dealing with a liitle separation anxiety lately, even when I leave the room for just a moment. She wants to be able to see me from wherever she is.
-Animals continue to be great entertainment!

Although I love Christmas time, I am sad to see the fall weather come to an end. Emma absolutely loves being outside. And I'm not sure how we will make it through the winter without our stroller rides. We may have to use the unfinished basement to go on "walks."
Emma is full of drama these days good or bad. She is such a girl!!!:) When upset she will through her head back and whine, and when something/someone makes her smile, she not only cracks a huge, 2-toothed grin but she shrieks with delight and we have learned how to make her giggle hysterically which is the BEST! The other day I was laying on the couch with her sitting up on my stomach and she plopped over into the couch cushion. I went, "Emma, what happened!?" She smiled so big with made me laugh, and the more I laughed, the more she laughed. What an amazing blessing it was to share that moment with her as Daddy was walking in the door from work:) My little family is so great!!!!

Well, I'm going to try and get Missy Moo down for a nap, as she got up quite early this morning and has been quite needy.
Our love to all!!

All is Well!:)

Miss Emma's ultrasound came back perfect! Praise God!!
Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Small Prayer Request

Today Miss Emma is having an ultrasound of her bladder and kidneys at 2 o'clock. She has been treated for a UTI and when little ones as young as she is have them, they like to rule out the possibility of a problem with her body. Please lift up our little girl and her mommy who will be attempting to hold a 6 month old still enough to get a good scan! We probably will not get the results until Monday, but I will update as soon as we get them back. Thank you for your prayers and we thank God for being in control of every situation we find ourselves in!

What I am learning

I really wanted to get a quick update posted tonight after having such a wonderful day. Often times I blog when I'm frustrated and I wanted on record to have a positive one:)
First let me just say that each and every day I am learning so much. Here's a quick list of things I've learned most recently as a wife and mom:
*When I go with my "mommy gut", I am USUALLY right
*I CAN cook supper and entertain Emma (for awhile I had just given up preparing meals and I think our bodies and budget were paying for our frequent take out meals and my poor supper choices.)
*Pampers diapers really do "contain" the best
*If I stop worrying about how on schedule Emma is, she usually does better
*God is SO faithful and has shown this to us multiple times recently (or at least we are choosing to see it now.) When we have really been in need of something, He has answered our prayers, and we give HIM the credit for the wonderful life we are living!
I'm learning that when we've had a bad day or a rough night, it's all temporary. It doesn't last forever, although it may seem like it at time, and that does not have to establish my attitude. I admit sometimes it does affect it, but I want to do better at not getting so easily discouraged. And nights like tonight when Emma puts her chubby little hands on my face, smiles at me, and then cuddles into my shoulder, that frustration is the FURTHEST thing from my mind!
Well I'm off to take a nice warm bath and read a good book! Have a mentioned I have the greatest husband ever?!?!:)

Night all!

November is here!

Although it is only 8:40pm, I am a tired mommy. Unfortunately we have a sweet little 6 month old with a UTI.....(I didn't know little babies got them already!) We've started her on an antibiotic, so I'm praying for no allergic reactions and a quick recovery for my little princess. I took her to the doctor yesterday after a little over a week of being exceptionally fussy and not wanting to be set down for a minute. I was suspecting an ear infection, but it just goes to show how little this mommy knows. I just can't believe how different my "motherly" feeling can be from one day to the next. Heck, from one minute to the next!! One minute I'm feelin like a pro, knowing just what Emma needs, following a good schedule, and even sneaking in some time for myself...and the next I'm that helpless first-time mommy not having a clue what she wants/needs, questioning my decisions, and wondering what in the world I'm doing!:D Thankfully RJ and I balance each other so incredibly well and when I'm overwhelmed, he gives me a pep talk, and if he can, takes his turns with Emma to give me a break. And when he is frustrated and ready to lose it, mommy steps in. We're such a great team. He remembers all the things I forget (not sure I ever got over the absentmindedness that accompanied pregnancy) and is always reminding me in the hard moments how blessed we are to have our baby girl.
We're planning a trip home to Carroll for the weekend, (Lord willing Emma is doing well) to spend some time with RJ's family and take some family pictures. I'm so excited and hoping they turn out well! Emma will also get some 6 month pics taken as well...hope she smiles pretty! Fortunately she is incredibly adorable even when she's not smiling so it won't matter much:) It will be E's 2nd trip to daddy's home town.
Well, RJ has put Miss Emma to bed and now we get to spend a little time together before heading to bed. I hope each of you try as I do to look at each day as a gift and treat everyone you meet with kindness.