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♥
Monday, January 24, 2011
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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