My goodness, in one week we will have a 20 month old! I fear that soon we won't be referring to her age in months anymore:( And while I love her growing independence in many ways, it also makes me sad that there isn't much baby left in my "baby" anymore either.
I'm hoping that in turning 20 months old, Emma will have a new-found love for sleeping in. (Ya right;) But for the last month she has been consistently waking up at 5:30 every morning with no sleep left in her. She's wide-eyed and ready for the day. We've done some tweaking with her bedtime and that hasn't helped. So we've taken the plunge into 1 nap world! Most days her 2 naps were only about 45 minutes long with the afternoon nap being the longer of the 2. So last week we started skipping her morning nap, resulting in a little earlier bedtime (obviously.) But this weekend when we were in Carroll for Uncle Mike's funeral, she got kind of messed up. So we hit the new schedule hard when we got back on Sunday. And Monday night I was happy to report that she didn't wake up until almost 7! Yay!!! (But this morning she was up at the "new" usual 5:30:( Needless to say Emma's sleep continues to be the most challenging thing about raising her thus far. So all in all, we're pretty lucky:)
current loves include:
-Barney
-singing/dancing
-fruit snacks
-m&m's
-all her stuffed animals (which are continuously drug from her closet-to her bed-to the livingroom-to her bed-to her closet-etc.
-wearing other people's shoes
-the pretty Christmas trees and lights
-books
Emma's current dislikes:
-diaper changes
-being told "no" (of course)
-mealtime
-church nursery ("dislike" would be a seriously understated description)
-playing by herself
I am getting so excited for Christmas! I'm done with Christmas shopping and almost done wrapping everything:) I can't wait to see Emma's reactions to opening gifts and I love all the family time that comes with the holidays! Less than 2 weeks! Hopefully we have a little snow for Christmas too and not just all this yucky rain...
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
It's feeling like Christmas!
Well after our nice little dusting of snow we had last week I'm starting to really get in the Christmas spirit! We had a tough Thanksgiving with several sad events, and I was wondering if I would actually feel Christmas-y by Christmas. But I know that what happened on Christmas thousands of years ago is still the same no matter what our current status in life is. And that is reason to celebrate!:)
Miss Emma is doing great, she is growing like a weed! Shes's wearing mostly 24 month clothes, and talking so much! She says more words than I can remember, will repeat about anything you say to her, and is putting words together really well. Some of our favorite things she's saying/doing right now and some of her more recent accomplishments are:
* "monkey", "RO-AR", "pretty", " 'noman" (snowman:) "owl" and "ammals" (animals) are a few of the new words she is saying a lot now.
* "tank you" She is getting so good at saying this at the appropriate times:)
* "k K" (She never says just ok, it's always k, k!:)
* "I want!" (It can get old sometime, but it sure beats just grunting angrily:)
* I know that this would not rank high on RJ's list as he doesn't care for Barney, but Emma LOVES him and is frequently singing the I Love You Song. It's so cute and goes something like this, " III YOU, YOUUUU MEEE, WEEEEEEEEEE (then she emphasized a huge hug;)"
* She doesn't get her sippy cup when she goes to bed anymore. She was waking up SOOOO soggy in the morning that we've been cutting back on fluids before bedtime.
* A couple of weeks ago she had a sleep over with Nana, (which are always fun:), and she's starting to sleep better in her bed there.
She continues to bring us more joy than we could have imagined and allowed us to feel more love than we ever knew we could!
Miss Emma is doing great, she is growing like a weed! Shes's wearing mostly 24 month clothes, and talking so much! She says more words than I can remember, will repeat about anything you say to her, and is putting words together really well. Some of our favorite things she's saying/doing right now and some of her more recent accomplishments are:
* "monkey", "RO-AR", "pretty", " 'noman" (snowman:) "owl" and "ammals" (animals) are a few of the new words she is saying a lot now.
* "tank you" She is getting so good at saying this at the appropriate times:)
* "k K" (She never says just ok, it's always k, k!:)
* "I want!" (It can get old sometime, but it sure beats just grunting angrily:)
* I know that this would not rank high on RJ's list as he doesn't care for Barney, but Emma LOVES him and is frequently singing the I Love You Song. It's so cute and goes something like this, " III YOU, YOUUUU MEEE, WEEEEEEEEEE (then she emphasized a huge hug;)"
* She doesn't get her sippy cup when she goes to bed anymore. She was waking up SOOOO soggy in the morning that we've been cutting back on fluids before bedtime.
* A couple of weeks ago she had a sleep over with Nana, (which are always fun:), and she's starting to sleep better in her bed there.
She continues to bring us more joy than we could have imagined and allowed us to feel more love than we ever knew we could!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Hello again!
Gosh, I didn't realize it had been this long since I last posted!
Lot's going on around here, but nothing big. We had a sad end to October as little Alf had to go back home. He and Otto were NOT getting along and while we expected this reaction out of our cat, we did NOT expect the reaction out of Alf that we got. For a dog that is supposedly "good with cats," he acted like he would rip Otto apart if Otto hadn't stayed high and out of reach! And as we didn't want to leave Otto locked down in the basement and Alfie locked upstairs, and knowing Otto has no claws to defend himself SHOULD they "get together," I decided to take the new pooch back. It only seemed fair as Otto has been here for 3 years and was our first pet as a married couple. Hopefully he finds a great, loving home; he was SOOO good with Emma and would make a super little companion!
Anywho, the holiday season is quickly approaching and tomorrow we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Carroll with our family there. It should be a great time having the whole family together, but I am also realizing how hard of a time it will be for everyone as Rj's Uncle Mike who is fighting a rapidly spreading bone cancer, will be with us. We are so happy that he can be with us this weekend, but do not look forward to seeing him in pain. We continue to pray for a miracle for him, although it's looking like this could be the last time we see him:( We want to especially lift up Grandma Joni as seeing her baby boy suffering like this is really taking it's toll on this sweet little lady who has already suffered so much loss. And I can't IMAGINE having to see my child suffering!
We continue to give thanks for all of the wonderful blessings we have been given, and pray that more than ever all our friends and loved ones would feel the love of God surround them and know Him more and more!
Lot's going on around here, but nothing big. We had a sad end to October as little Alf had to go back home. He and Otto were NOT getting along and while we expected this reaction out of our cat, we did NOT expect the reaction out of Alf that we got. For a dog that is supposedly "good with cats," he acted like he would rip Otto apart if Otto hadn't stayed high and out of reach! And as we didn't want to leave Otto locked down in the basement and Alfie locked upstairs, and knowing Otto has no claws to defend himself SHOULD they "get together," I decided to take the new pooch back. It only seemed fair as Otto has been here for 3 years and was our first pet as a married couple. Hopefully he finds a great, loving home; he was SOOO good with Emma and would make a super little companion!
Anywho, the holiday season is quickly approaching and tomorrow we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Carroll with our family there. It should be a great time having the whole family together, but I am also realizing how hard of a time it will be for everyone as Rj's Uncle Mike who is fighting a rapidly spreading bone cancer, will be with us. We are so happy that he can be with us this weekend, but do not look forward to seeing him in pain. We continue to pray for a miracle for him, although it's looking like this could be the last time we see him:( We want to especially lift up Grandma Joni as seeing her baby boy suffering like this is really taking it's toll on this sweet little lady who has already suffered so much loss. And I can't IMAGINE having to see my child suffering!
We continue to give thanks for all of the wonderful blessings we have been given, and pray that more than ever all our friends and loved ones would feel the love of God surround them and know Him more and more!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Our family has grown by 4 feet!
No, I'm not having twins, but we did add to our family this week. We now own a 2 year old yorkie/terrior mix dog named Alf. (RJ would say, "no babe, YOU own...." :) We went to the Marion County Humane Society in Knoxville on Tuesday evening this week to look at a couple little puppies, and I fell in love with our little guy. He's a perfect size for our family and has a super sweet disposition. And he's already house-trained which made the decision even easier. He also doesn't shed-another plus! He is SUPER with Miss Em and she adores him as well:)
Our only real complaint after 48 hours with him, is that at night when we put him in his kennel out in the kitchen, he whines and barks. (Separation anxiety I'm sure.) I tried covering his kennel with a blanket, but that made it worse. Emma slept through it all but RJ and I couldn't, so for the night we moved his kennel into our bedroom where he could see us, and we never heard a peep out of him! We'd rather not keep him in our room though, so tonight we've borrowed a bark collar to see if that helps or hurts. Wish us luck!:)
I am loving the beautiful fall weather we've had the past few days and we are looking forward to a nice quiet weekend♥ Tomorrow night Emma is going to stay with Nana and RJ and I have a board game night planned. Here's to the last few days of October!
Our only real complaint after 48 hours with him, is that at night when we put him in his kennel out in the kitchen, he whines and barks. (Separation anxiety I'm sure.) I tried covering his kennel with a blanket, but that made it worse. Emma slept through it all but RJ and I couldn't, so for the night we moved his kennel into our bedroom where he could see us, and we never heard a peep out of him! We'd rather not keep him in our room though, so tonight we've borrowed a bark collar to see if that helps or hurts. Wish us luck!:)
I am loving the beautiful fall weather we've had the past few days and we are looking forward to a nice quiet weekend♥ Tomorrow night Emma is going to stay with Nana and RJ and I have a board game night planned. Here's to the last few days of October!
Monday, October 10, 2011
What 4 hours away does to me..
As pathetic as this may sound to some, I know many that would understand. My mama came over for lunch and offered to take Miss Emma with her for the afternoon. I was so excited to get some things done around the house, and for Emma to get to go with Nana to Des Moines to see her Auntie:) After just a few hours I was wandering around the house, trying to figure out what to do with myself;P I quite enjoyed my peaceful afternoon but with my free time I found myself looking through old pictures and video's of our little one and started getting emotional....is she really 1 1/2 already?!?!?!
This sweet little girl is my life!
Mommy loves you so very much sweet Emma Rae!!!
This sweet little girl is my life!
Mommy loves you so very much sweet Emma Rae!!!
Friday, October 7, 2011
And I'm feelin' good!
Just had to share:
As of 10 o'clock this morning, Emma and I were both bathed and dressed, we were all packed for a weekend away, fresh bread was baked and the kitchen was clean! Aahhhh.....:) Mornings like this are worth recording!
THis is more like it!
As of 10 o'clock this morning, Emma and I were both bathed and dressed, we were all packed for a weekend away, fresh bread was baked and the kitchen was clean! Aahhhh.....:) Mornings like this are worth recording!
THis is more like it!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Fun in the Fall
I don't have anything really new to post about, but life is pretty good.
Emma and I are enjoying the fall weather and are outside as much as possible. Emma is getting over her shyness with our neighbor kiddos and they having some great fun playing outside together:) It's really fun to watch her interact with other kids. With her being at home with me or with Nana or Grammy, she isn't used to playing with other little ones much. We had a play date this past friday though, and Emma and Layton are sooo cute together. And she did remarkably well doing some good sharing.
She is doing very well in the eating department too, starting to eat a little more meat for us. She's always done well with chicken nuggets, but the past couple weeks she's had a few decent helpings of hamburger, ham steak, and cubed ham. Now to work on turkey and fish:)
We've also introduced her to her potty chair. I am in no way wanting or trying to rush her into potty training but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have it in the bathroom so she can sit on it while mommy and daddy go if she wants. She thinks it's fun to sit on and likes throwing toilet paper in it:) She hasn't really showed any signs of being at all ready and never lets me know when she's gone in her diaper so I think we're a ways out yet:P I just hope to try to start by the time she turns 2, but am really not in a big hurry.
I'm afraid we're also on our way to dropping a nap:( I am exceptionally sad because she never took good naps to begin with and I hate to see her lose out on even more sleep. She usually takes 2 naps about 45 min to an hour long each and about 3 days this week she didn't take her morning nap. She still goes to her crib for a "nap time," but will often fuss, play, and yell (or a combination of the 3) the entire time:( But she still goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps till about 6:30-7am, getting a good 11 hours in at night. I'm not giving in yet, and will keep trying for a little while yet, but I know that this happens at some point.
RJ and I are glad football season is here, and enjoy watching the Hawkeyes play on Saturdays, Sunday afternoons of naps and NFL, and on Friday nights we tune in for the Carroll tigers football games to hear Grandpa Jim announce the games on the radio!
On the house front; we finally got the house painted and it's amazing how much better it looks! Next on the list is a new sliding patio door and a few new windows. I hate that home improvement projects have to be so expensive:/
That's all for now, Happy October!!!
A few pictures from Emma and Layton's playdate! 9/30/11
Emma and I are enjoying the fall weather and are outside as much as possible. Emma is getting over her shyness with our neighbor kiddos and they having some great fun playing outside together:) It's really fun to watch her interact with other kids. With her being at home with me or with Nana or Grammy, she isn't used to playing with other little ones much. We had a play date this past friday though, and Emma and Layton are sooo cute together. And she did remarkably well doing some good sharing.
She is doing very well in the eating department too, starting to eat a little more meat for us. She's always done well with chicken nuggets, but the past couple weeks she's had a few decent helpings of hamburger, ham steak, and cubed ham. Now to work on turkey and fish:)
We've also introduced her to her potty chair. I am in no way wanting or trying to rush her into potty training but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have it in the bathroom so she can sit on it while mommy and daddy go if she wants. She thinks it's fun to sit on and likes throwing toilet paper in it:) She hasn't really showed any signs of being at all ready and never lets me know when she's gone in her diaper so I think we're a ways out yet:P I just hope to try to start by the time she turns 2, but am really not in a big hurry.
I'm afraid we're also on our way to dropping a nap:( I am exceptionally sad because she never took good naps to begin with and I hate to see her lose out on even more sleep. She usually takes 2 naps about 45 min to an hour long each and about 3 days this week she didn't take her morning nap. She still goes to her crib for a "nap time," but will often fuss, play, and yell (or a combination of the 3) the entire time:( But she still goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps till about 6:30-7am, getting a good 11 hours in at night. I'm not giving in yet, and will keep trying for a little while yet, but I know that this happens at some point.
RJ and I are glad football season is here, and enjoy watching the Hawkeyes play on Saturdays, Sunday afternoons of naps and NFL, and on Friday nights we tune in for the Carroll tigers football games to hear Grandpa Jim announce the games on the radio!
On the house front; we finally got the house painted and it's amazing how much better it looks! Next on the list is a new sliding patio door and a few new windows. I hate that home improvement projects have to be so expensive:/
That's all for now, Happy October!!!
A few pictures from Emma and Layton's playdate! 9/30/11
Sunday, September 25, 2011
25, 3, and 17...
Pop quiz!
What do these numbers stand for?
25-my age as of tomorrow. A quarter of a century old! I've never really even considered my age before; at least not in the way of, "Wow! I'm ** years old!" But this year I actually have thought about it quite a bit. I never dreamed that at 25 years old I would have gone 2 years without seeing my dad. Not having his jokes, love, help, hugs, and wisdom is something I honestly didn't think I could live without. And somedays I still don't think I can.
But God has given to me a loving husband, a job, a house of our own, and a beautiful daughter. I couldn't be more thankful to be where I am today!
3-the number of years RJ and I will have been married. Tuesday marks our 3rd anniversary! We've been through more than most couples in the first few years of marriage I would say. Losing Dad when we'd only been married 6 months, moving 3 times and then becoming 1st time homeowners together, and in a year and a half welcoming Emma Rae into our lives... They have been some of the hardest but the some of the BEST times of my life! RJ is truly my other half and I still can't wait to see him when he gets home from work each day, and we LOVE our home together. Having a baby is far from easy, and there are moments when we honestly don't think we have a clue what we're doing and are just praying to make it through the next hour, but together we make it. And I truly believe that we are the BEST parents in the world that Emma could ever have. God chose US to be her mom and dad and we continue to thank Him for this, and to continue to guide us in the process of raising her up.
Speaking of which:
17-the number of months Missy Moo has been in our lives:) She's amazing. That pretty much sums it up. This is probably the last time I'm going to actually list some of the new words she is saying because there's just no way I could actually keep up anymore;P She mastered "up" quite awhile back, but up until this point it has also served as 'down' too. Now she actually specifies if she wants "up" or "down." :) She loves the Dykstra boys to death and loves the attention she gets from Collin. She says his name clear as a bell now, and I'm impressed at how well she even pronounces the L's in it.
Other words worth mentioning are: thanks, open, baby, cool, ball, and car.
She has a new enthusiasm for blowing kisses with a dramatized "mmmmmmmmUAH!" Pretty adorable. And she will give them to any kind soul who takes the time to give her a smile or a wave:) She's discovered her legos, she loves her baby stroller, and she's fascinated by bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories. Yep, we still want to keep her;)♥
Still plenty going on, and all 3 of us are currently fighting off colds. Boo! oh well, 'tis the season!
Happy 3rd anniversary on Tuesday babe! I love you!
Look at us on our honeymoon:)
What do these numbers stand for?
25-my age as of tomorrow. A quarter of a century old! I've never really even considered my age before; at least not in the way of, "Wow! I'm ** years old!" But this year I actually have thought about it quite a bit. I never dreamed that at 25 years old I would have gone 2 years without seeing my dad. Not having his jokes, love, help, hugs, and wisdom is something I honestly didn't think I could live without. And somedays I still don't think I can.
But God has given to me a loving husband, a job, a house of our own, and a beautiful daughter. I couldn't be more thankful to be where I am today!
3-the number of years RJ and I will have been married. Tuesday marks our 3rd anniversary! We've been through more than most couples in the first few years of marriage I would say. Losing Dad when we'd only been married 6 months, moving 3 times and then becoming 1st time homeowners together, and in a year and a half welcoming Emma Rae into our lives... They have been some of the hardest but the some of the BEST times of my life! RJ is truly my other half and I still can't wait to see him when he gets home from work each day, and we LOVE our home together. Having a baby is far from easy, and there are moments when we honestly don't think we have a clue what we're doing and are just praying to make it through the next hour, but together we make it. And I truly believe that we are the BEST parents in the world that Emma could ever have. God chose US to be her mom and dad and we continue to thank Him for this, and to continue to guide us in the process of raising her up.
Speaking of which:
17-the number of months Missy Moo has been in our lives:) She's amazing. That pretty much sums it up. This is probably the last time I'm going to actually list some of the new words she is saying because there's just no way I could actually keep up anymore;P She mastered "up" quite awhile back, but up until this point it has also served as 'down' too. Now she actually specifies if she wants "up" or "down." :) She loves the Dykstra boys to death and loves the attention she gets from Collin. She says his name clear as a bell now, and I'm impressed at how well she even pronounces the L's in it.
Other words worth mentioning are: thanks, open, baby, cool, ball, and car.
She has a new enthusiasm for blowing kisses with a dramatized "mmmmmmmmUAH!" Pretty adorable. And she will give them to any kind soul who takes the time to give her a smile or a wave:) She's discovered her legos, she loves her baby stroller, and she's fascinated by bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories. Yep, we still want to keep her;)♥
Still plenty going on, and all 3 of us are currently fighting off colds. Boo! oh well, 'tis the season!
Happy 3rd anniversary on Tuesday babe! I love you!
Look at us on our honeymoon:)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Our Crazy Little Girl:)
She is such a goof!
Showing Otto her trashcan:) Bahahaha!
Filing her toenails:D
"Singing"about the wonderful leaf she found:):):)
"Dis"
We have spent several evenings lately, just sitting back and watching her go! All the talking and playing she does with such a silly sense of humor. We just sit and laugh:) We've honestly wondered why we have a television!
She's starting to repeat just about anything that come out of your mouth, and saying more words than I could ever hope to remember. Just a few of the newest would be: help, mess, kitty, go, Auntie:), Papa, and she now calls herself by name when she sees herself in pictures.
She loves putting things away and packing bags full of random things. Yesterday in the trashcan in her room I found: the remote for our bedroom tv, a wet wipe, one of my headbands, a clean diaper, and a book. And today she was packing a package of wipes, her dirty clothes from yesterday, her stuffed kitty, and the newspaper into her princess suitcase! She is just too funny:)
I think I say it every month, but seriously this phase is my favorite! Her personality is just shining through, (although sometimes it's more like screaming through..:P) She's very talkative and friendly, and getting more independent every day. She has been sleeping great ever since we got home from Carroll and you can tell in her attitude during the day. She is sweet as can be, (90% of the time:), funny as all-get-out, and full of energy. I'm exhausted as ever, but loving it! She is worth every bit of it:)
Hope you are all enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather as much as we are! Yay Fall!!!!!!!!!
Showing Otto her trashcan:) Bahahaha!
Filing her toenails:D
"Singing"about the wonderful leaf she found:):):)
"Dis"We have spent several evenings lately, just sitting back and watching her go! All the talking and playing she does with such a silly sense of humor. We just sit and laugh:) We've honestly wondered why we have a television!
She's starting to repeat just about anything that come out of your mouth, and saying more words than I could ever hope to remember. Just a few of the newest would be: help, mess, kitty, go, Auntie:), Papa, and she now calls herself by name when she sees herself in pictures.
She loves putting things away and packing bags full of random things. Yesterday in the trashcan in her room I found: the remote for our bedroom tv, a wet wipe, one of my headbands, a clean diaper, and a book. And today she was packing a package of wipes, her dirty clothes from yesterday, her stuffed kitty, and the newspaper into her princess suitcase! She is just too funny:)
I think I say it every month, but seriously this phase is my favorite! Her personality is just shining through, (although sometimes it's more like screaming through..:P) She's very talkative and friendly, and getting more independent every day. She has been sleeping great ever since we got home from Carroll and you can tell in her attitude during the day. She is sweet as can be, (90% of the time:), funny as all-get-out, and full of energy. I'm exhausted as ever, but loving it! She is worth every bit of it:)
Hope you are all enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather as much as we are! Yay Fall!!!!!!!!!
Friday, September 2, 2011
My Favorite Month
It's no surprise why September would be my favorite month of the year.... Not only does it generally hold beaUtiful weather, but it is also my birthday month and the month of RJ and I's anniversary. September also means harvest time (my favorite time of the year.) Since my daddy has been gone, harvest time has definitely been harder. Living on the street we do, just down from the Coop, it is a constant stream of tractors and machinery. It is hard to watch and not see Dad driving by, but it is also a bit therapeutic for me as it brings back all of the happy memories of my childhood. It seems like just yesterday we were out in the cornfield waiting at the end of the last row to cheer for Dad as the harvest was completed! Or meeting him out in the bean field to celebrate my birthday since he would be out in the field late into the night. My daddy was and will probably always be the hardest working man that I will ever know....and during the month of September, the memories seem to flood my mind more than ever.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
New Look!
Ugh! I'm finally done messing! My blog finally has a design that I'm happy with!!!! I've done a lot of looking and FINALLY found this one that I LOVE! Ever since I've had E I have fallen in love with these cute little owls:) Now there won't be a new design every time you check in on us;P Enjoy!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
News Flash! Being a mommy is exhausting!!!
Whew! I'm finding it hard to come up with a neat/original post for tonight, but I find myself just enjoying sitting and staring blankly into space. It's peaceful:)
Seriously, chasing after Emma and keeping her from getting into things, eating things, breaking things, and answering all her, "Mom!"s is enough to send me to bed at 9 o'clock lately;P And she's not even a very naughty girl, just busy! I don't know how some mom's with multiple young ones do it!:)
Despite the fatigue, we really are enjoying this phase with Emma as she learns new things hourly and is starting to repeat words left and right! I don't even know where to start with new words she says! Ball, hat, peas (please), open, Toby (mom's dog), Abby (mom's horse), duck, the list could go on.....
Her attention to detail and hand-eye coordination is amazing! She watches you open something, and she can immediately do it too. You show her how to put little people in their cars, and she does it exactly right right away. Each person has their own place they sit, animals have their own place in the barn, and she loves taking each and every item out of her purse (or mine) and then putting them each back in. She will read books front to back and then back to front over and over again; trying to repeat everything you pointed out on each page.
But her old favorites; bananas, Elmo, and her golf clubs remain unchanged:) And Mommy is still #1 on the list; she seriously doesn't want ANYONE ELSE when I'm in the room. Not Daddy, Nana, Auntie, anyone. If I leave, she's fine.... It's as exhausting as the running around!:) And as frustrating as it can be sometimes when I feel I haven't accomplished a single thing in a day- I can be gone from her for just a few hours and I'm already missing her like crazy!!! Oh motherhood, what did I do before you?:-D
Have a good night everyone!
Seriously, chasing after Emma and keeping her from getting into things, eating things, breaking things, and answering all her, "Mom!"s is enough to send me to bed at 9 o'clock lately;P And she's not even a very naughty girl, just busy! I don't know how some mom's with multiple young ones do it!:)
Despite the fatigue, we really are enjoying this phase with Emma as she learns new things hourly and is starting to repeat words left and right! I don't even know where to start with new words she says! Ball, hat, peas (please), open, Toby (mom's dog), Abby (mom's horse), duck, the list could go on.....
Her attention to detail and hand-eye coordination is amazing! She watches you open something, and she can immediately do it too. You show her how to put little people in their cars, and she does it exactly right right away. Each person has their own place they sit, animals have their own place in the barn, and she loves taking each and every item out of her purse (or mine) and then putting them each back in. She will read books front to back and then back to front over and over again; trying to repeat everything you pointed out on each page.
But her old favorites; bananas, Elmo, and her golf clubs remain unchanged:) And Mommy is still #1 on the list; she seriously doesn't want ANYONE ELSE when I'm in the room. Not Daddy, Nana, Auntie, anyone. If I leave, she's fine.... It's as exhausting as the running around!:) And as frustrating as it can be sometimes when I feel I haven't accomplished a single thing in a day- I can be gone from her for just a few hours and I'm already missing her like crazy!!! Oh motherhood, what did I do before you?:-D
Have a good night everyone!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
"Blog Worthy"
While I'm sure there those of you who will not find this news worthy of being blogged about, but I'm pretty stoked.
Emma and I headed out the door this morning to get groceries, etc at Wal-Mart. She chatted away then entire time while watching Praise Baby:)
Once we got to Wal-Mart I realized she was in need of a diaper change which I dread doing in public places because Miss Emma usually throws quite a dramatic fit. (She hates laying on those changing stations, I think she feels as though she's falling.) But when nature calls, mommy's have to answer so off we went. She spent the duration of the diaper change pointing to her "eyes" and "nose" and saying hi to all the nice ladies that walked by:) Not a tear was shed! Success!
Then came the challenge, trying to keep her occupied while I hustle through the store trying to shop wisely and keep her entertained. This day she actually WANTED to get in the cart and played with a penny and a quarter out of my wallet the entire time! (I hate to think she's already fascinated with money, but HEY! whatever works;) I was able to follow my list and enjoy grocery shopping once again!
She got a little upset when I put her back in her car seat and started wailing, but I told her we were going to go eat at Mc Donald's and since she was such a big girl, she could have a happy meal with APPLES! She immediately smiled and said, "Ap-poll" ;) What a smart girl! And I love that I can bribe my daughter with fruit over junk food.
She ate her chicken like a pro-and all of her "ap-polls" :) And played with a straw the whole way home, happy as a clam.
Emma has been so clingy and crabby lately that I just had to make note of such an easy-going, happy morning we had together♥
Emma and I headed out the door this morning to get groceries, etc at Wal-Mart. She chatted away then entire time while watching Praise Baby:)
Once we got to Wal-Mart I realized she was in need of a diaper change which I dread doing in public places because Miss Emma usually throws quite a dramatic fit. (She hates laying on those changing stations, I think she feels as though she's falling.) But when nature calls, mommy's have to answer so off we went. She spent the duration of the diaper change pointing to her "eyes" and "nose" and saying hi to all the nice ladies that walked by:) Not a tear was shed! Success!
Then came the challenge, trying to keep her occupied while I hustle through the store trying to shop wisely and keep her entertained. This day she actually WANTED to get in the cart and played with a penny and a quarter out of my wallet the entire time! (I hate to think she's already fascinated with money, but HEY! whatever works;) I was able to follow my list and enjoy grocery shopping once again!
She got a little upset when I put her back in her car seat and started wailing, but I told her we were going to go eat at Mc Donald's and since she was such a big girl, she could have a happy meal with APPLES! She immediately smiled and said, "Ap-poll" ;) What a smart girl! And I love that I can bribe my daughter with fruit over junk food.
She ate her chicken like a pro-and all of her "ap-polls" :) And played with a straw the whole way home, happy as a clam.
Emma has been so clingy and crabby lately that I just had to make note of such an easy-going, happy morning we had together♥
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A not-so-patient mommy:)
This mornings sermon was on the way that Christianity should be modeled in the home. I think it's safe to say that RJ and I both left feeling challenged to do better at being a husband, a wife, and better parents.
As a fairly new mommy I am still hungry for information on improving my mothering skills and I'm currently reading a book I picked up at the Christian bookstore called "MomSense." This book has been great so far, I'm not quite halfway through, because it's full of encouragement. It's not full of critiques and all the things you're doing wrong; but offers tips, and most of all it builds faith in yourself as a mother and really how/when to trust your gut:) The chapter I just finished reading really corresponded with a lot of what I was thinking about following church today so I thought I'd share:)
The author did a really good job of narrowing down a small list of some essential mommy skills. I then selected a few that I felt I needed the most work on. Here's the list she supplied:
-a Sense of Patience (#1 on my list!:)
-Sense of Respect
-Sense of Consistency
-Sense of Perspective
-Sense of Self-Control
-Sense of Calm
-Sense of Joy
and a Sense of Love.
I chose 3 of these that I feel need the most attention in my life right now, and am going to focus on my sense of Patience, Consistency, and Self-Control. Patience is this week! I am not a particularly patient person and I really want Emma to develop more of it than I currently possess. Wish me luck!:)
As a fairly new mommy I am still hungry for information on improving my mothering skills and I'm currently reading a book I picked up at the Christian bookstore called "MomSense." This book has been great so far, I'm not quite halfway through, because it's full of encouragement. It's not full of critiques and all the things you're doing wrong; but offers tips, and most of all it builds faith in yourself as a mother and really how/when to trust your gut:) The chapter I just finished reading really corresponded with a lot of what I was thinking about following church today so I thought I'd share:)
The author did a really good job of narrowing down a small list of some essential mommy skills. I then selected a few that I felt I needed the most work on. Here's the list she supplied:
-a Sense of Patience (#1 on my list!:)
-Sense of Respect
-Sense of Consistency
-Sense of Perspective
-Sense of Self-Control
-Sense of Calm
-Sense of Joy
and a Sense of Love.
I chose 3 of these that I feel need the most attention in my life right now, and am going to focus on my sense of Patience, Consistency, and Self-Control. Patience is this week! I am not a particularly patient person and I really want Emma to develop more of it than I currently possess. Wish me luck!:)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Home again, home again!:)
Well vacation is officially over:( We left last Saturday bright and early and returned yesterday around 2 in the afternoon. We had a great week with friends up at the lake house on Clear Lake, but we are glad to be home.
Emma did pretty good. She didn't sleep nearly as well as we were expecting/hoping, but we made it, (with a mid-week break, thanks to Grammie & Grandpa:)
The first two nights were really rough with Emma sleeping in the pack n play in our bedroom. She would wake up during the night and see us and scream until we picked her up. We were willing to break the routine and let her sleep in bed with us, but she was more interested in playing than sleeping. So for the rest of the week, we slept out on the fold out couch in the living room and let Emma have the room to herself. Much better!
Daddy got to do some golfing and boating, Mommy got to lay on the beach to soak up some sun and do a little shopping, and Emma got to go on her first boat ride and get spoiled by her buddies Andrew and Olivia. Lake life is the best! You eat, sleep, and play whenever you want not worrying about time. The kiddo's played all day, and once they went to bed the grown ups could have some fun, playing yard toss, ladder-ball, nighttime boat rides, board games, chatting, and just plain relaxing! I'd say a good time was had by all:) Although Nana might say it was too long of a trip, and so once she got off of work yesterday, she came and picked Emma up and took her home to spend the night and get caught up on her Emma-time:) So Mommy and Daddy got to get all unpacked, and go out to eat together. It was so so great:)
Here are a few snapshots from our trip! Enjoy!
Running around pointing to her belly button:)
Breakfast time for the kiddos!
Ready to blow bubbles with Andrew and Olivia
This was my view most nights relaxing on the back deck!
Off and running down the dock!
Telling Grammie about the baby ducks passing by:)
Conked out not 10 minutes down the road on the way home:) (Sorry it's sideways;P)
Emma did pretty good. She didn't sleep nearly as well as we were expecting/hoping, but we made it, (with a mid-week break, thanks to Grammie & Grandpa:)
The first two nights were really rough with Emma sleeping in the pack n play in our bedroom. She would wake up during the night and see us and scream until we picked her up. We were willing to break the routine and let her sleep in bed with us, but she was more interested in playing than sleeping. So for the rest of the week, we slept out on the fold out couch in the living room and let Emma have the room to herself. Much better!
Daddy got to do some golfing and boating, Mommy got to lay on the beach to soak up some sun and do a little shopping, and Emma got to go on her first boat ride and get spoiled by her buddies Andrew and Olivia. Lake life is the best! You eat, sleep, and play whenever you want not worrying about time. The kiddo's played all day, and once they went to bed the grown ups could have some fun, playing yard toss, ladder-ball, nighttime boat rides, board games, chatting, and just plain relaxing! I'd say a good time was had by all:) Although Nana might say it was too long of a trip, and so once she got off of work yesterday, she came and picked Emma up and took her home to spend the night and get caught up on her Emma-time:) So Mommy and Daddy got to get all unpacked, and go out to eat together. It was so so great:)
Here are a few snapshots from our trip! Enjoy!
Running around pointing to her belly button:)
Breakfast time for the kiddos!
Ready to blow bubbles with Andrew and Olivia
This was my view most nights relaxing on the back deck!
Off and running down the dock!
Telling Grammie about the baby ducks passing by:)
Conked out not 10 minutes down the road on the way home:) (Sorry it's sideways;P)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
15 month-new words!
Just in the last few days she is saying so much! I'm going to try and remember as much as I can:P
* UNCA- "uncle"
* NOSE
* TOES
* EYES
* NIGH- "nice"
* BAA-what the sheep says
* PLEASE
So if we add in the other words she says; mama, dada, nana, uh-oh, no no, hi, nigh-night, the sounds for puppy, kitty, piggy, and birdie, and the signs for 'more' and 'all done': our little girls says 20 words! I don't think that's too shabby for 15 months old:) And in addition to saying nose, eyes, and toes, she can point to them; as well as pointing to her belly button:)
We're so proud!
* UNCA- "uncle"
* NOSE
* TOES
* EYES
* NIGH- "nice"
* BAA-what the sheep says
* PLEASE
So if we add in the other words she says; mama, dada, nana, uh-oh, no no, hi, nigh-night, the sounds for puppy, kitty, piggy, and birdie, and the signs for 'more' and 'all done': our little girls says 20 words! I don't think that's too shabby for 15 months old:) And in addition to saying nose, eyes, and toes, she can point to them; as well as pointing to her belly button:)
We're so proud!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
15 months (one day short actually:)
playing at the park!
look how long my hair is getting!:D
pretty in plaid on a walk around town:)
look how long my hair is getting!:D
pretty in plaid on a walk around town:)
Sweet & Sour
I think our little Emma could be a commercial for those "sour patch kids" candy!
Today she was doing some rather 'sour' things, (a.k.a biting or hitting me,) and then almost before I had time to scold her, she would follow up with her new 'recovery gesture' we will call it. (We have been trying to teach Emma to be "nice" to the kitties, puppies, and babies; by saying"niiiiiice kitty" or "nniiiiiice puppy.) And when she does it right we praise her.
Well tonight she followed up a bite into my shoulder with, "niiiiiiii mama" and a stroke of her hand down my face....:P
Darn it, it worked too:)
Today she was doing some rather 'sour' things, (a.k.a biting or hitting me,) and then almost before I had time to scold her, she would follow up with her new 'recovery gesture' we will call it. (We have been trying to teach Emma to be "nice" to the kitties, puppies, and babies; by saying"niiiiiice kitty" or "nniiiiiice puppy.) And when she does it right we praise her.
Well tonight she followed up a bite into my shoulder with, "niiiiiiii mama" and a stroke of her hand down my face....:P
Darn it, it worked too:)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Family Prayers
Why is prayer usually one of the last things we think of doing when it should be the very first? I personally know the power of prayer, yet I struggle to simply take the time to do it. I have been feeling so convicted of this lately, as I feel this life does such a good job of keeping my mind busy with thoughts, feelings, worries, and day-to-day tasks. I feel like God has been trying to tell me that it would be so much easier to deal with it all if I would just stop for a few moments to take it to Him.
With all this on my brain, we've been trying to do better as a family at praying together. We now have a little girl growing up with her eyes on us, watching and listening to all we say and do. I want her to grow up less like her mommy in how see takes all her cares and concerns, and all that she deals with everyday to Jesus and not try and control it all herself. Even more importantly, what kind of relationship can we ALL have with Christ if we rarely take time to talk to Him, share with Him, and listen to what He wants to tell us!
Last night as we were getting ready to eat supper, we paused and asked Emma if we should pray before we eat.....she looked at us, smiled, and folded her hands together perfectly. After thanking God for our food she stretched her hands up and said "YAAAY!". (We must be doing ok:)
With all this on my brain, we've been trying to do better as a family at praying together. We now have a little girl growing up with her eyes on us, watching and listening to all we say and do. I want her to grow up less like her mommy in how see takes all her cares and concerns, and all that she deals with everyday to Jesus and not try and control it all herself. Even more importantly, what kind of relationship can we ALL have with Christ if we rarely take time to talk to Him, share with Him, and listen to what He wants to tell us!
Last night as we were getting ready to eat supper, we paused and asked Emma if we should pray before we eat.....she looked at us, smiled, and folded her hands together perfectly. After thanking God for our food she stretched her hands up and said "YAAAY!". (We must be doing ok:)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Cutest Little Girl
hot and sweaty from playing at the park, but still adorable!:)
all squinty at the 4th of July parade:)
Just try and tell me she isn't absolutely beautiful!
We are so in love with this little girl!!! She is the light of our lives these days and we are having such a great time as a family of 3!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Ever learning
Just in the past few days, I'm realizing all the new things Emma is doing and saying. I thought I better get them recorded quickly before I forget!:)
-saying "up!" when she wants to be held
-waving and saying "nigh-nigh" when I take her to her room for naps and bedtime
-unfolding her sofa when she wants to lay on it
-hiding all kinds of things in very random cupboards; this can make life very interesting:-D
-putting daddy's belts, mommy's headbands, cords (eek! We really have to be careful!), etc. draped over her shoulders. She loves wearing "necklaces" and LOVES to hear you say she looks pretty:)
-she also holds her hands up with her shoulder's shrugged whenever you ask her where something went as if to say, "I don't know..." Also very cute!
I continue to be amazed with her, and this past phase with her (12ish-14 months) has definitely been my favorite. She's such a joy and so much fun!
-saying "up!" when she wants to be held
-waving and saying "nigh-nigh" when I take her to her room for naps and bedtime
-unfolding her sofa when she wants to lay on it
-hiding all kinds of things in very random cupboards; this can make life very interesting:-D
-putting daddy's belts, mommy's headbands, cords (eek! We really have to be careful!), etc. draped over her shoulders. She loves wearing "necklaces" and LOVES to hear you say she looks pretty:)
-she also holds her hands up with her shoulder's shrugged whenever you ask her where something went as if to say, "I don't know..." Also very cute!
I continue to be amazed with her, and this past phase with her (12ish-14 months) has definitely been my favorite. She's such a joy and so much fun!
14 months old
Her very first happy meal:) And she loved it!
Yet another sign that she is growing up! Facing forward in the van! She thinks it's a pretty cool deal:)
She's becoming such a little girl! She's looking so grown up :(****
Friday, June 17, 2011
A deck, a lawn chair, and a citronella candle....
So if you were to judge this post by the title it sounds pretty nice, unfortunately, while trying to enjoy this beautiful night my mind is full of negatives. I'm going to take a moment here and try and turn my thinking around.......
June 7th was the 2 year anniversary of losing my dad. (A lot of times it's hard to see the positives even though I know they are true. But I had 22 years with a wonderful, hardworking, Christian father who loved me and set an amazing example for me. And who now resides in heaven with Jesus where I will one day get to join them forever:)
Last week we had ankle-deep water in our basement. (Nothing of great value to us was lost, so that's a positive thing I guess.) Yesterday I hit a deer with the van we've owned for 3 weeks. (No one was hurt, a positive right?)
Tonight, while dining out which we rarely do anymore, someone backed into the van we've owned for 3 weeks and 1 day and took off without leaving a note or anything. (Again, no one was hurt and it is only a worldly possession, so a positive right?)
Then while RJ was busy on the phone with the insurance company, I ran into get groceries with Emma and she had 2 meltdowns resulting in me skipping a good amount of the groceries we needed just to get out of that store! (A positive? Emma is a beautiful, healthy toddler.)
So we now have 2 large deductibles to pay, a pretty substantial need for a generator, along with; windows in the house that need replacing pretty badly, a new front door, (ours is hanging on by a thread), and medical bills that still need paid off. (Ok, help me out, what are the positives here?)........
We have a roof over our heads and a healthy daughter of our very own sleeping inside. Ahhh.....now I'm starting to feel a little better:) We have our health and our safety along with many other things that a lot of people go without.
For this I am SO thankful!
I will just ask that you keep us in your prayers as we try to get through the financial struggles of this life and keep our focus on our everlasting treasure which is in heaven with Jesus Christ!
June 7th was the 2 year anniversary of losing my dad. (A lot of times it's hard to see the positives even though I know they are true. But I had 22 years with a wonderful, hardworking, Christian father who loved me and set an amazing example for me. And who now resides in heaven with Jesus where I will one day get to join them forever:)
Last week we had ankle-deep water in our basement. (Nothing of great value to us was lost, so that's a positive thing I guess.) Yesterday I hit a deer with the van we've owned for 3 weeks. (No one was hurt, a positive right?)
Tonight, while dining out which we rarely do anymore, someone backed into the van we've owned for 3 weeks and 1 day and took off without leaving a note or anything. (Again, no one was hurt and it is only a worldly possession, so a positive right?)
Then while RJ was busy on the phone with the insurance company, I ran into get groceries with Emma and she had 2 meltdowns resulting in me skipping a good amount of the groceries we needed just to get out of that store! (A positive? Emma is a beautiful, healthy toddler.)
So we now have 2 large deductibles to pay, a pretty substantial need for a generator, along with; windows in the house that need replacing pretty badly, a new front door, (ours is hanging on by a thread), and medical bills that still need paid off. (Ok, help me out, what are the positives here?)........
We have a roof over our heads and a healthy daughter of our very own sleeping inside. Ahhh.....now I'm starting to feel a little better:) We have our health and our safety along with many other things that a lot of people go without.
For this I am SO thankful!
I will just ask that you keep us in your prayers as we try to get through the financial struggles of this life and keep our focus on our everlasting treasure which is in heaven with Jesus Christ!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Our little girl:)
Someday I will have time again for more lengthy and better written blog posts, but that time is not now...:P
New things Emma is doing at 13 months of age?
saying "woof woof!"
taking off her diaper
wiping herself off with her baby wipes
sitting in booster seats/high chairs at restaurants, and shopping carts without making a scene
adjusting to her new bedtime routine very well (we no longer rock her to sleep.....it wasn't working very well anymore and she was waking up a lot.) So we developed a routine of reading 2 books, singing 2 songs, and then giving kisses and "love you`'s" before laying her down wide awake. The first night she cried for an hour and 15 minutes before falling asleep, night 2 was only 30 minutes, and from then on she averages around 5-8 minutes of some sing-songy waa's before going to sleep. And she's been getting up only once or not at all since! The first 2 nights were hard, really hard, but I'm so glad we did it. As of last week we now do the same for naps.
What else, what else?.... She loves taking care of her babies and carries on full conversations with herself that only she can understand. She loves to talk and socialize with people after a minute or two of shy smiling. She is still quite a mama's girl:)
Oh my goodness she is so much fun:) There is so much more that happens every day I just can't even remember it all and I'm terrible at writing things down. (I feel bad for our future children)
New things Emma is doing at 13 months of age?
saying "woof woof!"
taking off her diaper
wiping herself off with her baby wipes
sitting in booster seats/high chairs at restaurants, and shopping carts without making a scene
adjusting to her new bedtime routine very well (we no longer rock her to sleep.....it wasn't working very well anymore and she was waking up a lot.) So we developed a routine of reading 2 books, singing 2 songs, and then giving kisses and "love you`'s" before laying her down wide awake. The first night she cried for an hour and 15 minutes before falling asleep, night 2 was only 30 minutes, and from then on she averages around 5-8 minutes of some sing-songy waa's before going to sleep. And she's been getting up only once or not at all since! The first 2 nights were hard, really hard, but I'm so glad we did it. As of last week we now do the same for naps.
What else, what else?.... She loves taking care of her babies and carries on full conversations with herself that only she can understand. She loves to talk and socialize with people after a minute or two of shy smiling. She is still quite a mama's girl:)
Oh my goodness she is so much fun:) There is so much more that happens every day I just can't even remember it all and I'm terrible at writing things down. (I feel bad for our future children)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tears
I know that when morning comes, it will be a new day and my outlook will be much more positive, but I'm having a very hard time tonight not breaking down into tears and throwing myself onto the floor in an Emma-like breakdown.
Bedtime has always been my very favorite time of the day. I (or RJ) gets to rock and snuggle our little girl as she drinks her milk and goes to sleep. We put her in her crib and 90% of the time she is asleep until at least 5 am; giving us a few hours of time together hanging out and keeping our relationship strong. The last week or so has been rough and the last 2 nights have been dreadful. She hasn't slept more than a couple hours at a time and getting her back to sleep can take 45 minutes or more. Last night I ended up sleeping on the floor with her from 1-5, because there was no other way she would sleep. She is not sick, and I am fairly confident that this is a stage/bad habit/etc. as she is old enough to work us with her tears.
As a parent I feel helpless because there doesn't seem to be any easy solution. Many methods have been tried and tested. I'm convinced we have a little girl who loves attention and never wants to miss out on anything therefore she is super fun during the day but nightime=NIGHTmare.
Tonight I am using all of my strength to hold myself onto the couch and not get up as I see if she will cry herself to sleep. Nothing else is helping. I am out of options, patience, and willpower. I have sung, hummed, and back-rubbed myself out. I will try my best to post an update to see how this goes. As of now she has been standing in her crib crying for 20 minutes.......I need some prayers, encouragement, and maybe even a little luck to survive this.
Come on Emma! You amaze me everyday and I know we will make it through this! I love you baby girl♥
Bedtime has always been my very favorite time of the day. I (or RJ) gets to rock and snuggle our little girl as she drinks her milk and goes to sleep. We put her in her crib and 90% of the time she is asleep until at least 5 am; giving us a few hours of time together hanging out and keeping our relationship strong. The last week or so has been rough and the last 2 nights have been dreadful. She hasn't slept more than a couple hours at a time and getting her back to sleep can take 45 minutes or more. Last night I ended up sleeping on the floor with her from 1-5, because there was no other way she would sleep. She is not sick, and I am fairly confident that this is a stage/bad habit/etc. as she is old enough to work us with her tears.
As a parent I feel helpless because there doesn't seem to be any easy solution. Many methods have been tried and tested. I'm convinced we have a little girl who loves attention and never wants to miss out on anything therefore she is super fun during the day but nightime=NIGHTmare.
Tonight I am using all of my strength to hold myself onto the couch and not get up as I see if she will cry herself to sleep. Nothing else is helping. I am out of options, patience, and willpower. I have sung, hummed, and back-rubbed myself out. I will try my best to post an update to see how this goes. As of now she has been standing in her crib crying for 20 minutes.......I need some prayers, encouragement, and maybe even a little luck to survive this.
Come on Emma! You amaze me everyday and I know we will make it through this! I love you baby girl♥
Sunday, April 24, 2011
No Ramblings-Just updates
Emma Rae @ 1 year of age:
*drinking exclusively from her sippy cups
*going from sitting to standing without holding onto anything
*walking everywhere (she rarely crawls anymore)
*working on her 9th tooth!
*hair long enough for ponytails:)
*will point to your nose on command
*will grab her toes on command (which are still her absolute favorite thing!)
*when asked, "how big is Emma?" she throws up her arms
*says "hi, mama, dada, nana, otto, yay, and nuh nuh (no no)"
*if she gets ahold of a phone or remote she holds it up to her ear and starts babbling
*she is now an experienced flower girl:)
*loves her stuffed kitty, her Elmo, and her baby, and giving "loves" which are kind of a combination of a hug and a snuggle
*drinking exclusively from her sippy cups
*going from sitting to standing without holding onto anything
*walking everywhere (she rarely crawls anymore)
*working on her 9th tooth!
*hair long enough for ponytails:)
*will point to your nose on command
*will grab her toes on command (which are still her absolute favorite thing!)
*when asked, "how big is Emma?" she throws up her arms
*says "hi, mama, dada, nana, otto, yay, and nuh nuh (no no)"
*if she gets ahold of a phone or remote she holds it up to her ear and starts babbling
*she is now an experienced flower girl:)
*loves her stuffed kitty, her Elmo, and her baby, and giving "loves" which are kind of a combination of a hug and a snuggle
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Very Belated
So I've been boycotting writing in my blog about her turning 11 months because it's the last time before it becomes "1 Year Old." I have so many thoughts and emotions I've been sorting out that I'm not even sure how to get them all written down. (That and the fact that I have an 11 month old:)
Miss Emma: she is cute as ever, more expressive than most babies her age, and getting so tall! She is taking about 5-10 steps at a time, I don't think I can quite say she is walking yet.....she still has to pull herself up onto something to get going, but the more steps she takes the more excited she gets and once she's off she goes SO fast! She will be running in no time.
At about 11 months + a week she started fighting her bottles, she would take a drink and push it away. So we tried putting her formula in a sippy cup which she was doing great with water and juice. But as soon as she got a taste, she threw it down and spit it out. So after double-checking with the Doc, we switched cold turkey over to whole milk. She wasn't crazy about the taste at first and the fact that it wasn't as warm, but within a couple days she was drinking it very well. During the day we gave it to her in her sippy's, and at night we tried putting it in her bottles, but the bottles didn't go well. So we thought, hey, why not wean from the bottle now as well! I was thrilled!!! Within a week we had no more formula or bottles and I feel free:) The whole process was much easier than I thought it would be, although I know that is not always the case.
We've since pretty much given up baby food too. She eats whatever we are eating (within reason). A few favorites of Emma's: strawberries, bananas, vanilla wafers, chicken, yogurt, french fries, mashed potatoes, and peas. She can't figure out how to chew lunchmeat or hamburger yet, so most of that ends up on the floor, and she will not eat cheese no matter how hard I try....
to be continued...
Miss Emma: she is cute as ever, more expressive than most babies her age, and getting so tall! She is taking about 5-10 steps at a time, I don't think I can quite say she is walking yet.....she still has to pull herself up onto something to get going, but the more steps she takes the more excited she gets and once she's off she goes SO fast! She will be running in no time.
At about 11 months + a week she started fighting her bottles, she would take a drink and push it away. So we tried putting her formula in a sippy cup which she was doing great with water and juice. But as soon as she got a taste, she threw it down and spit it out. So after double-checking with the Doc, we switched cold turkey over to whole milk. She wasn't crazy about the taste at first and the fact that it wasn't as warm, but within a couple days she was drinking it very well. During the day we gave it to her in her sippy's, and at night we tried putting it in her bottles, but the bottles didn't go well. So we thought, hey, why not wean from the bottle now as well! I was thrilled!!! Within a week we had no more formula or bottles and I feel free:) The whole process was much easier than I thought it would be, although I know that is not always the case.
We've since pretty much given up baby food too. She eats whatever we are eating (within reason). A few favorites of Emma's: strawberries, bananas, vanilla wafers, chicken, yogurt, french fries, mashed potatoes, and peas. She can't figure out how to chew lunchmeat or hamburger yet, so most of that ends up on the floor, and she will not eat cheese no matter how hard I try....
to be continued...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
It's Been Awhile
Sorry, I know I haven't posted for awhile now, but believe me I have a pretty good reason....I have a 10 month old daughter!!!:) She is so busy these days, going everywhere and into everything! I feel like if I relax for too long I will miss something, good or bad. She is learning new sounds all the time, and even trying to form some words. She says Dada very clearly, and Mama is pretty good too, just not nearly as often; mostly when she's crying. Sometimes she will say Hi which sounds more like Hey, but it's really cute especially when accompanied by her happy waving:P Her other favorite word is Uh-oh. It's heavy on the Uh......and the oh part is a little delayed but we get the point! She is standing some by herself but has not attempted to walk alone yet, which is fine with me! I had a dream last night she was running and I woke up all freaked out that I had missed her walking..;D She is facinated with the bathroom and if she crawls off in a flash and gets quiet, we know she's doing one of 2 things.....hiding in the bathroom or pooping;) hahaha We try and keep the bathroom door shut as much as we can because she is super interested in the toilet and loves trying to climb into the bathtub and get to her bathtoys. Which I didn't think she could actually do until this morning when I was doing my hair and she went in headfirst:( (There was no water in it, of course.) I picked her up and cuddled her right away and she never even cried a tear. No bump or bruise either! Phew!
My goodness, being a mom is so crazy hard and amazingly satisfying, (if that makes any sense..) It seems like daily I'm having to make choices for her that I fear may not be the right ones, but the next moment I look at her....how she has grown and how much she is learning already, and especially how happy of a little girl she is. And when she wraps her little arms around my legs and buries her face in them and says "mama...," I know I can't be doing a bad job:)
My goodness, being a mom is so crazy hard and amazingly satisfying, (if that makes any sense..) It seems like daily I'm having to make choices for her that I fear may not be the right ones, but the next moment I look at her....how she has grown and how much she is learning already, and especially how happy of a little girl she is. And when she wraps her little arms around my legs and buries her face in them and says "mama...," I know I can't be doing a bad job:)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The World Through Emma's Eyes
So I obviously can't be certain that this description is 100% accurate, so maybe I should title it: The World Through Emma's Eyes, Through Mommy's Eyes:)
"I rise and shine fairly early and pretty much immediately want to make sure mom and dad know that I'm awake and wanting some attention. Sometimes they will let me fuss around for awhile trying to get a few more minutes of sleep, (as if they need it...hello, I'm the one being exhaustingly cute all the time.) Occasionally I need a few cuddles first, but then it's out to the living-room we go for some playtime! Most mornings daddy plays with me for awhile before he has to go to work.
Then after a bottle, and while my mommy eats her breakfast I get to watch 2 of my FAVorite shows; Super Why and Dinosaur Train:) Mommy like Super Why cuz it teaches me stuff and Daddy likes Dinosaur Train cuz it's not so girly.
I still love just snacking on my puffs and yogurt melts, and Mommy likes to sneak in bites of baby food when she doesn't think I'm paying attention..... I let her give me a few bites to help keep her self-confidence up. Mommy and Daddy say I'm a big girl now and when we eat lunch and supper, I get to eat some of their food too. I've tried tons of yummy stuff like; hamburger, jello, potatoes, chicken, yogurt, and ice cream!
If Mommy has to work, then I'm off to NaNa's! Unless, it's Tuesday and then my Grammie Sue come to love on me. On the days that Mommy is home, I like to keep her within eyesight most of the time so she brings the loads of laundry out to fold, vaccums, and reads books while I do some playing but she takes lots of breaks to stack my cups for me to knock down, read me MY books, (the flip ones and touch-and-feel ones are my favorites), play peek-a-boo, and have crawling races with me which make me giggle a lot:) I love going down the hallway and talking with the baby that lives in the mirror. Sometimes I give her kisses and play with her and sometimes, I just tell her how it is.
Mom and Dad have moved pretty much all the fun stuff up out of reach for me since I'm a master at standing up and cruising along whatever I can hold on to. Ya know, the good stuff like papers (which are super fun to rip up). And all that little stuff they think is so "dangerous" for me to put in my mouth....they're lame. But there's still some pretty sweet toys and stuff I can play with and they let me play with stuff in the kitchen cupboards too like plastic bowls, measuring cups, lids, and spoons.
Oh, and I love to play with my kitty, Otto, but he doesn't seem to be real thrilled with me yet. And sometimes he forgets how fast I am and I catch him! He puts up with it pretty well.
I like to keep Mom and Dad hopping with how fast I can get where I want to go, and it's kind of fun seeing what I can get to before they say, "No Emma." Most of the time I listen pretty well and will start shaking my head no-no and move on to something else. But there are times when it's funny to give them a silly grin and reach for it again, just to see what their reaction will be.
All in all, life's pretty good and even when I have fussy times it's just because I haven't taken a good nap, or I'm not getting quite enough attention.
I love giving kisses and snuggles and people seem to think it's pretty cute when I wave bye-bye. I can charm anyone;P"
-Emma Rae Van Dyke (10 months)
"I rise and shine fairly early and pretty much immediately want to make sure mom and dad know that I'm awake and wanting some attention. Sometimes they will let me fuss around for awhile trying to get a few more minutes of sleep, (as if they need it...hello, I'm the one being exhaustingly cute all the time.) Occasionally I need a few cuddles first, but then it's out to the living-room we go for some playtime! Most mornings daddy plays with me for awhile before he has to go to work.
Then after a bottle, and while my mommy eats her breakfast I get to watch 2 of my FAVorite shows; Super Why and Dinosaur Train:) Mommy like Super Why cuz it teaches me stuff and Daddy likes Dinosaur Train cuz it's not so girly.
I still love just snacking on my puffs and yogurt melts, and Mommy likes to sneak in bites of baby food when she doesn't think I'm paying attention..... I let her give me a few bites to help keep her self-confidence up. Mommy and Daddy say I'm a big girl now and when we eat lunch and supper, I get to eat some of their food too. I've tried tons of yummy stuff like; hamburger, jello, potatoes, chicken, yogurt, and ice cream!
If Mommy has to work, then I'm off to NaNa's! Unless, it's Tuesday and then my Grammie Sue come to love on me. On the days that Mommy is home, I like to keep her within eyesight most of the time so she brings the loads of laundry out to fold, vaccums, and reads books while I do some playing but she takes lots of breaks to stack my cups for me to knock down, read me MY books, (the flip ones and touch-and-feel ones are my favorites), play peek-a-boo, and have crawling races with me which make me giggle a lot:) I love going down the hallway and talking with the baby that lives in the mirror. Sometimes I give her kisses and play with her and sometimes, I just tell her how it is.
Mom and Dad have moved pretty much all the fun stuff up out of reach for me since I'm a master at standing up and cruising along whatever I can hold on to. Ya know, the good stuff like papers (which are super fun to rip up). And all that little stuff they think is so "dangerous" for me to put in my mouth....they're lame. But there's still some pretty sweet toys and stuff I can play with and they let me play with stuff in the kitchen cupboards too like plastic bowls, measuring cups, lids, and spoons.
Oh, and I love to play with my kitty, Otto, but he doesn't seem to be real thrilled with me yet. And sometimes he forgets how fast I am and I catch him! He puts up with it pretty well.
I like to keep Mom and Dad hopping with how fast I can get where I want to go, and it's kind of fun seeing what I can get to before they say, "No Emma." Most of the time I listen pretty well and will start shaking my head no-no and move on to something else. But there are times when it's funny to give them a silly grin and reach for it again, just to see what their reaction will be.
All in all, life's pretty good and even when I have fussy times it's just because I haven't taken a good nap, or I'm not getting quite enough attention.
I love giving kisses and snuggles and people seem to think it's pretty cute when I wave bye-bye. I can charm anyone;P"
-Emma Rae Van Dyke (10 months)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
More of my ramblings...
I apologize ahead of time as I have a feeling this post will sound just how I feel these days. Random and boring. I think I've just got a case of the winter blahs. I feel like the days are busy and yet at the end of the day I feel as if I haven't gotten much done. I've been a little slower in the shop the past month or so, which is kind of expected this time of year. So I'm home with Emma more which is so great and yet I usually find an excuse to get out of the house each day:) Don't want us to go stir crazy!:):)
All this cold has me down, along with Emma's lack of taking very good naps. I think partially due to her new skills of standing and crawling around. She has a tougher time settling down to sleep during the day. It just has me completely stumped with what to do....I've read several books and heeded lots of advice and still nothing very successful other than me rocking her. She goes down like an angel most nights, awake or asleep she goes right to sleep. Which gives me comfort and all around she is a very healthy happy baby; so forgive me if I'm not doing what you may think is best but for now it is working;P I may decide to do things differently if/when baby #2 comes along, but for now we are doing what is best for us.
Every circumstance is always, "compared to what?" She may not take great naps but compared to other babies who will only sleep in bed with their parents, or a baby who wont sleep at all during the night, she is super and I'm happy with that right now. I'm learning more and more how fast all these little phases are. I might complain and complain about a certain issue and before I know it, it has passed and we're onto a new one!
We getting more and more glimpses into her personality and she is a very fun and loving little girl:) But she has us a little worried when it comes to her arnery little attitude sometimes....;P She's pretty stubborn and quite dramatic when she doesn't want to do something. Is it because of her age? Because she's a girl? Or just being her? Only time will tell and we're in the beginnings of disciplining naughtiness:) Mostly just saying NO! and then distracting her.
Daddy has been great through everything too. I just have to add that. He is so great with Emma and has come so incredibly far from the guy who liked to play with kids but didn't know what to do with a baby, especially when they cried. Emma is very lucky and so am I. He has been getting up with Emma if/when she wakes around 6 so that he can spend some time with her before he goes to work. This is so good for he and Emma, and also for me who can get another 1/2 hour of sleep:) Although, knock on wood, Emma has been sleeping till between 6:30 and 7 the last couple of days!:)
Well to sum up all my ramblings; Emma is still such a joy! We're having tons of fun with her, falling more in love with her, and trying to learn along with her. We're ready, ready, READY for spring and continue to be blessed. We continue to thank God for all He has given us and for all He is doing in our lives.
Love to all!
All this cold has me down, along with Emma's lack of taking very good naps. I think partially due to her new skills of standing and crawling around. She has a tougher time settling down to sleep during the day. It just has me completely stumped with what to do....I've read several books and heeded lots of advice and still nothing very successful other than me rocking her. She goes down like an angel most nights, awake or asleep she goes right to sleep. Which gives me comfort and all around she is a very healthy happy baby; so forgive me if I'm not doing what you may think is best but for now it is working;P I may decide to do things differently if/when baby #2 comes along, but for now we are doing what is best for us.
Every circumstance is always, "compared to what?" She may not take great naps but compared to other babies who will only sleep in bed with their parents, or a baby who wont sleep at all during the night, she is super and I'm happy with that right now. I'm learning more and more how fast all these little phases are. I might complain and complain about a certain issue and before I know it, it has passed and we're onto a new one!
We getting more and more glimpses into her personality and she is a very fun and loving little girl:) But she has us a little worried when it comes to her arnery little attitude sometimes....;P She's pretty stubborn and quite dramatic when she doesn't want to do something. Is it because of her age? Because she's a girl? Or just being her? Only time will tell and we're in the beginnings of disciplining naughtiness:) Mostly just saying NO! and then distracting her.
Daddy has been great through everything too. I just have to add that. He is so great with Emma and has come so incredibly far from the guy who liked to play with kids but didn't know what to do with a baby, especially when they cried. Emma is very lucky and so am I. He has been getting up with Emma if/when she wakes around 6 so that he can spend some time with her before he goes to work. This is so good for he and Emma, and also for me who can get another 1/2 hour of sleep:) Although, knock on wood, Emma has been sleeping till between 6:30 and 7 the last couple of days!:)
Well to sum up all my ramblings; Emma is still such a joy! We're having tons of fun with her, falling more in love with her, and trying to learn along with her. We're ready, ready, READY for spring and continue to be blessed. We continue to thank God for all He has given us and for all He is doing in our lives.
Love to all!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
And the doctor confirms....she's perfect!
Monday we had Emma's 9 month check-up and Dr. Wehr told us just what we expected; she is perfect:) Hahaha:) Not quite but close enough for us. She is 28 inches long and 20 pounds, about the 70th percentile for both. She is hitting all the major milestones and we feel so incredibly blessed to have such a healthy little girl♥ She did pretty good at the doc only crying when she had to be laid down to be weighed and when Dr. Wehr checked her ears and throat; which I don't think was because of what he was doing but the fact that he was just too close to her.... Not a surprise though. Anyway, she's been doing great with the table foods that we've tried and at 9 months, she can try anything we want to give her pretty much.
Emma is still drinking 4 bottles a day and that is about the only cuddling time I get anymore:( She is busy, busy, busy!!! Crawling everywhere, pulling herself up on anything she can, and taking steps along the couch, coffee table, and behind her toys that roll. She doesn't sit still much anymore except when watching one of her tv shows on IPTV or one of her Praise Baby dvds. (This is why most of the pictures I've taken lately have been in-front of the television...Not because I let her watch it all day, but because it's the only way I can get a picture that's not blurry:):)
I think this month I've seen her learn and do more things than ever!! It's crazy how quickly she is changing!!! Unfortunately all this mobility and unsteady toddling is resulting in lots of falling down and conking her head. I definitely try to keep a good watch and prevent as much as I can, and yet I know this is part of the learning process and I don't hover too much:) She has started to wave and kisses the "baby in the mirror." She knows exactly what to do with books and loves helping turn the pages. She loves to open and close things and like to hide & find toys in the seat of her car that she pushes around. She does patty-cake and loves to push her soccer back and forth with mommy or daddy. She is a total flirt and all girl:)
So much has changed with her in the last couple of weeks and yet there's many things that haven't. Her smile still melts my heart and as desperate as I can be for bedtime, most nights I still have to go in and get one last peek of her before I got to bed:) There's so much more that I know I would remember if it weren't 10:30 at night. But this mama is tired and although Emma continues to be an angel of a sleeper at night, her constant movement can still wear me out!!
Welcome February and how glad I was to hear the groundhog didn't see his stinkin shadow!!!!!:):)
Emma is still drinking 4 bottles a day and that is about the only cuddling time I get anymore:( She is busy, busy, busy!!! Crawling everywhere, pulling herself up on anything she can, and taking steps along the couch, coffee table, and behind her toys that roll. She doesn't sit still much anymore except when watching one of her tv shows on IPTV or one of her Praise Baby dvds. (This is why most of the pictures I've taken lately have been in-front of the television...Not because I let her watch it all day, but because it's the only way I can get a picture that's not blurry:):)
I think this month I've seen her learn and do more things than ever!! It's crazy how quickly she is changing!!! Unfortunately all this mobility and unsteady toddling is resulting in lots of falling down and conking her head. I definitely try to keep a good watch and prevent as much as I can, and yet I know this is part of the learning process and I don't hover too much:) She has started to wave and kisses the "baby in the mirror." She knows exactly what to do with books and loves helping turn the pages. She loves to open and close things and like to hide & find toys in the seat of her car that she pushes around. She does patty-cake and loves to push her soccer back and forth with mommy or daddy. She is a total flirt and all girl:)
So much has changed with her in the last couple of weeks and yet there's many things that haven't. Her smile still melts my heart and as desperate as I can be for bedtime, most nights I still have to go in and get one last peek of her before I got to bed:) There's so much more that I know I would remember if it weren't 10:30 at night. But this mama is tired and although Emma continues to be an angel of a sleeper at night, her constant movement can still wear me out!!
Welcome February and how glad I was to hear the groundhog didn't see his stinkin shadow!!!!!:):)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Holy Cow! 9 months?!
Has it really been 9 months since I met my little girl face to face?!?! That hardly seems possible, and yet I can't imagine life before or without her! A few things I hope to never forget as she continues to grow like a weed and change daily:
*her beautiful bedhead when she gets up
*her cute little buttcheeks (I know, I know...)
*the look of pride on her face when she stands herself up
*the halarious face she made the first time she tasted peas (and still often makes when we try and sneak them in!)
*how excited she gets when she sees Otto
*her adorable little fingers
*how incredibly cute it is when she claps her hands:)
*our wonderful quiet evenings after she goes to bed at 7:30:):):)
*her little gummy smile which is now changing quickly as she gets more and more teeth, although still a beaUtiful smile♥
*how we bounce and dance together during praise & worship on sunday mornings
*the fact that right now, she doesn't want me out of her sight; which seems like a burden sometimes, but I will need to remember this often as she grows up and mommy is not so cool anymore;P
*our cuddle time, which is getting less and less as she gets more active and mobile; it used to be all she wanted to do with me...:(
A few things I will try to forget:
*how hard and how often she bites me!!!
*the feelings of doubt I have about whether I'm doing the right things as her mommy
*how hard she cried the first time she fell and bonked her little head on the floor because I wasn't paying attention:( (She was fine:)
All in all, I absolutely LOVE being Emma's mommy! What a blessing she is♥
*her beautiful bedhead when she gets up
*her cute little buttcheeks (I know, I know...)
*the look of pride on her face when she stands herself up
*the halarious face she made the first time she tasted peas (and still often makes when we try and sneak them in!)
*how excited she gets when she sees Otto
*her adorable little fingers
*how incredibly cute it is when she claps her hands:)
*our wonderful quiet evenings after she goes to bed at 7:30:):):)
*her little gummy smile which is now changing quickly as she gets more and more teeth, although still a beaUtiful smile♥
*how we bounce and dance together during praise & worship on sunday mornings
*the fact that right now, she doesn't want me out of her sight; which seems like a burden sometimes, but I will need to remember this often as she grows up and mommy is not so cool anymore;P
*our cuddle time, which is getting less and less as she gets more active and mobile; it used to be all she wanted to do with me...:(
A few things I will try to forget:
*how hard and how often she bites me!!!
*the feelings of doubt I have about whether I'm doing the right things as her mommy
*how hard she cried the first time she fell and bonked her little head on the floor because I wasn't paying attention:( (She was fine:)
All in all, I absolutely LOVE being Emma's mommy! What a blessing she is♥
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Gettin a Little Cabin Fever
It's only mid-January and yet I am already wishing spring were here. I can't wait to get outside with Emma! I think she and I both are getting a little cooped-up. We're still having lots of fun as she is learning and growing, but she is definitely happiest outside:) As is here mommy:)
For the last week, we have really been buckling down on doing some sleep training. As you well know if you follow my blog at all, Emma has always done well sleeping at night, but naps have always been a struggle. She doesn't like to be away from everyone and doesn't want to miss anything. Again, she is very much like her mama. We have pretty much rocked her to sleep since she born and are starting to wean her off of needing that to go down. I have also been a little more conscious of her eating schedule and her wake time. I have also grown quite weary of her waking up earlier and earlier in the mornings so I really wanted to crack that habit! The method we've been going with and what seems to work best for us is kinda of a combination of crying it out/and the Sleep Lady Shuffle. I'm not the type that can just lay her down and let her cry for 45 minutes. And our rocking time before she goes to sleep is precious to all those in her life; mommy, daddy, Nana, Grandma Sue, and Auntie too. So we still rock for a few minutes till she starts to get drowsy and then before she actually falls asleep we lay her in her crib. We cuddle her with her lamby, and she does start to cry when you lay her down but not usually for more than 5-10 mins. That is bearable for us. She takes a nap around 9-930 and again between noon and 1. And if those naps weren't quite enough, which happens pretty often, she takes a final nap between 3:30 and 4.As far as the mornings go, if she is waking before 6 am we don't get her up. She may fuss for awhile but most mornings will end up back to sleep till 6:30 or 7. Much more do-able:) We have bad days here and there and tough naps too, but I promised myself to give it a good 2 weeks to see if its working and so far, I'm pretty pleased.
Well she is calling for me now, so bye for now!
I will try to post a few pics of our bathroom remodel project we did last weekend! We're very happy with the end result so far:)
For the last week, we have really been buckling down on doing some sleep training. As you well know if you follow my blog at all, Emma has always done well sleeping at night, but naps have always been a struggle. She doesn't like to be away from everyone and doesn't want to miss anything. Again, she is very much like her mama. We have pretty much rocked her to sleep since she born and are starting to wean her off of needing that to go down. I have also been a little more conscious of her eating schedule and her wake time. I have also grown quite weary of her waking up earlier and earlier in the mornings so I really wanted to crack that habit! The method we've been going with and what seems to work best for us is kinda of a combination of crying it out/and the Sleep Lady Shuffle. I'm not the type that can just lay her down and let her cry for 45 minutes. And our rocking time before she goes to sleep is precious to all those in her life; mommy, daddy, Nana, Grandma Sue, and Auntie too. So we still rock for a few minutes till she starts to get drowsy and then before she actually falls asleep we lay her in her crib. We cuddle her with her lamby, and she does start to cry when you lay her down but not usually for more than 5-10 mins. That is bearable for us. She takes a nap around 9-930 and again between noon and 1. And if those naps weren't quite enough, which happens pretty often, she takes a final nap between 3:30 and 4.As far as the mornings go, if she is waking before 6 am we don't get her up. She may fuss for awhile but most mornings will end up back to sleep till 6:30 or 7. Much more do-able:) We have bad days here and there and tough naps too, but I promised myself to give it a good 2 weeks to see if its working and so far, I'm pretty pleased.
Well she is calling for me now, so bye for now!
I will try to post a few pics of our bathroom remodel project we did last weekend! We're very happy with the end result so far:)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Growing, Eating, Learning
Well we are getting closer to the 9 month mark, and Miss Emma is changing sooo much sooo fast all of a sudden!!
She's trying a bunch of new foods. Her pincer grasp is getting quite good and loves to be able to pick up her food using that cute little pointer finger:) We try and give her baby food at breakfast, lunch, and supper. Although she is eating less of that since she's been getting bites of "real" food. So we sneak bites of baby food in between pinches of other fun stuff. She loves the puffs and the baby Mum Mums. She's had mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, bananas, bread, a few crackers, and Cheerios. I'm anxious to see what new things the doctor will clear her for at her appointment on the 31st.
She's also drinking really well out of her sippy cups. We started out with water, which wasn't super fun, and now she drinks pear, apple, white grape, and prune juice. (diluted with water, of course!) She's getting good at holding the cup herself and I'm amazed how much she has started to look like a little girl:(
This week she has begun the pull-herself-along army crawl with a few pushes with her knees thrown in there. It was basically just this past sunday evening when she did it the first time and is quickly getting the hang of it. Just when I thought she was going to skip the crawling! She is trying very hard to get herself pulled up to standing, and is not nearly as content to be sitting down anymore. She loves when you hold her hands so she can "walk". I'm can't believe how sure and deliberate her steps are, if only she had the balance, she would be OFF!!! But I'm not quite ready for that yet, now that I've seen she may do some crawling first.
Crazy thought to leave you with..... in 4 months we will have a 1 year old! Does that seem unbelievable to anyone else?!?!?!:)
She's trying a bunch of new foods. Her pincer grasp is getting quite good and loves to be able to pick up her food using that cute little pointer finger:) We try and give her baby food at breakfast, lunch, and supper. Although she is eating less of that since she's been getting bites of "real" food. So we sneak bites of baby food in between pinches of other fun stuff. She loves the puffs and the baby Mum Mums. She's had mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, bananas, bread, a few crackers, and Cheerios. I'm anxious to see what new things the doctor will clear her for at her appointment on the 31st.
She's also drinking really well out of her sippy cups. We started out with water, which wasn't super fun, and now she drinks pear, apple, white grape, and prune juice. (diluted with water, of course!) She's getting good at holding the cup herself and I'm amazed how much she has started to look like a little girl:(
This week she has begun the pull-herself-along army crawl with a few pushes with her knees thrown in there. It was basically just this past sunday evening when she did it the first time and is quickly getting the hang of it. Just when I thought she was going to skip the crawling! She is trying very hard to get herself pulled up to standing, and is not nearly as content to be sitting down anymore. She loves when you hold her hands so she can "walk". I'm can't believe how sure and deliberate her steps are, if only she had the balance, she would be OFF!!! But I'm not quite ready for that yet, now that I've seen she may do some crawling first.
Crazy thought to leave you with..... in 4 months we will have a 1 year old! Does that seem unbelievable to anyone else?!?!?!:)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
2 more teeth!
As of yesterday, tooth #3 and #4 have made their appearances! I would love to post a picture, but Emma wouldn't allow that, she doesn't really even let us look. But you can DEFINITELY feel them, and I've snuck a few peeks when she's been distracted, and they're both through! I am hoping this means a little relief is in sight for our little missy. I had heard that the top 2 were worse than the bottom and they definitely were considering we couldn't even tell when she got her first 2! I'm a bit exhausted of up by 5:30 am, fussing, and clinging to mommy all day long. It does feel quite good to know your little one loves and trusts you, which is what is making it bearable. And I got a nice break Saturday night as RJ and I had our first "real" date night since Emma has been born. Now, there have been trips to Wal-Mart, and an hour or 2 here or there when someone has watched her for us...but we actually got dressed up, went out to eat and out to a movie. It was hard for me to walk out the door, but once we were off, it was great! I'm so thankful that RJ & I can still have so much fun with each other. It's a blessing to have time alone sometimes, and we are realizing that having Emma has made our love for each grow even more!
A few notes of excitement in our household:
*We purchased some new flooring today and plan to start replacing the old linoleum in the bathroom, followed by the kitchen!
*Emma is standing really well and loving it! Tonight she stood up at her walk-behind piano without any help from mom and dad for a good minute a couple of times in a row! (We are so proud:)
*Mommy finally got a much-needed haircut! Wahoo!!!
*While daddy was at the Chicago Auto auction, Emma and Mommy had a very successful first overnight alone!:)
*Emma is "whistling!" Ok, not exactly but Nana is teaching her to call the doggies, and when she calls for them, Emma will pucker her lips and go, "woooo, woooooooo" It is so cute:)
*This weekend we celebrated Grandma & Grandpa De Cook's 60th wedding anniversary! What an awesome testimony!!!
Even with the holidays past us, there is still plenty going!! We are enjoying life so much!!!!!!
A few notes of excitement in our household:
*We purchased some new flooring today and plan to start replacing the old linoleum in the bathroom, followed by the kitchen!
*Emma is standing really well and loving it! Tonight she stood up at her walk-behind piano without any help from mom and dad for a good minute a couple of times in a row! (We are so proud:)
*Mommy finally got a much-needed haircut! Wahoo!!!
*While daddy was at the Chicago Auto auction, Emma and Mommy had a very successful first overnight alone!:)
*Emma is "whistling!" Ok, not exactly but Nana is teaching her to call the doggies, and when she calls for them, Emma will pucker her lips and go, "woooo, woooooooo" It is so cute:)
*This weekend we celebrated Grandma & Grandpa De Cook's 60th wedding anniversary! What an awesome testimony!!!
Even with the holidays past us, there is still plenty going!! We are enjoying life so much!!!!!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
So Blessed!
Part of me is sad that the holiday season is behind us.....and yet I could not be more excited to start 2011! We were so blessed this Christmas with good health, gifts, food, and most importantly by all of the time we were able to spend with BOTH our families this year, getting to see several family members we don't often get to see! I was reminded many times of specific blessings in my life that I can easily overlook.
While at home in Carroll, I stumbled upon a Christmas book that RJ wrote as a 5th grader and was touched by his understanding of what the Christmas season is all about. Similarly, I hope and pray that we can raise Emma to have a true understanding of the real meaning of Christmas.
While watching (and helping) my daughter opening and playing with all of her new things, I was struck by just how fast she is truly growing and all she is learning. I recently let go of my anxiety over Emma still not crawling and I have spent less time worrying about the laundry and dusting and more time just playing with her. I said many times, she'll crawl when she's ready, but now I truly mean it and am not bent on pushing her so much. She can get anywhere she wants to by rolling and scooting and wants to be standing much of the time. She can stand while holding onto something for a little bit at a time. And she may very well be one of those babies that skips crawling and goes right to walking!
She is really getting into looking at books and she is making TONS of new sounds! Lots of little "Oooo's" and babbles. Still just "da-da" no mama, but a few times she has said "hi" very clearly:) So cute! Her favorite thing: her TONGUE!!!! She is playing with it all the time; buzzing it, clicking it, and making so many cute noises with it. She can crack a smile and laugh out of anybody doing it!
Her personality is just bursting out! When she see's mommy or daddy after they've been gone or see's Otto or Nana's puppies, she gets so excited! She shrieks and bounces like crazy and it is so neat to watch:) When people come up and say hi to her, she does this cute little smile and buries her head in your shoulder like she is being bashful. But she peeks at you to see if your still looking at her:P
She is very opinionated......................aren't all girls?:P
Mommy is her security blanket although, Daddy, Nana, Grammy, Uncle Adam, and Auntie are all great and she is usually content with them on her own. Most anyone else is fine from a distance, but strangers who get too close will often get a pouty lip and and scared little wimper. For now that is just fine with me!
I'm off to get some rest, hopefully several hours straight, and looking forward to tomorrow.....SUEsday!!!!:):)
While at home in Carroll, I stumbled upon a Christmas book that RJ wrote as a 5th grader and was touched by his understanding of what the Christmas season is all about. Similarly, I hope and pray that we can raise Emma to have a true understanding of the real meaning of Christmas.
While watching (and helping) my daughter opening and playing with all of her new things, I was struck by just how fast she is truly growing and all she is learning. I recently let go of my anxiety over Emma still not crawling and I have spent less time worrying about the laundry and dusting and more time just playing with her. I said many times, she'll crawl when she's ready, but now I truly mean it and am not bent on pushing her so much. She can get anywhere she wants to by rolling and scooting and wants to be standing much of the time. She can stand while holding onto something for a little bit at a time. And she may very well be one of those babies that skips crawling and goes right to walking!
She is really getting into looking at books and she is making TONS of new sounds! Lots of little "Oooo's" and babbles. Still just "da-da" no mama, but a few times she has said "hi" very clearly:) So cute! Her favorite thing: her TONGUE!!!! She is playing with it all the time; buzzing it, clicking it, and making so many cute noises with it. She can crack a smile and laugh out of anybody doing it!
Her personality is just bursting out! When she see's mommy or daddy after they've been gone or see's Otto or Nana's puppies, she gets so excited! She shrieks and bounces like crazy and it is so neat to watch:) When people come up and say hi to her, she does this cute little smile and buries her head in your shoulder like she is being bashful. But she peeks at you to see if your still looking at her:P
She is very opinionated......................aren't all girls?:P
Mommy is her security blanket although, Daddy, Nana, Grammy, Uncle Adam, and Auntie are all great and she is usually content with them on her own. Most anyone else is fine from a distance, but strangers who get too close will often get a pouty lip and and scared little wimper. For now that is just fine with me!
I'm off to get some rest, hopefully several hours straight, and looking forward to tomorrow.....SUEsday!!!!:):)
Christmas Fun
She had so much fun opening presents, and there are many, MANY more pictures of all the festivities....just check out my facebook page!!
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