I love my weekends with Emma!

What more is there to say!?

8 Months

When you were born and we were still in the hospital, I told Dr. McLelland that I wanted you to stay just like this (itty bitty and snuggly). She told me that you couldn't stay that way, but as you changed, I would love each stage and that each stage would have something wonderful that I wouldn't want to live without. She was right! Every stage has been my favorite through these eight months, and this one is no different. Here are some of my favorite things from this past month!

Last month you really started getting a kick out of Peek a boo. This month you've started playing with us! You like to take a blanket (or anything else that will work) and cover your face. Then daddy and I say, "Emma! Where are you!? Where did you go!?" You quickly pull it from your face and laugh with that big, gorgeous smile of yours! It is so much fun!

You have learned the word bye-bye. At first, you would just hold up your hand. Now you hold up your hand and open and close it. Sometimes you turn your palm in towards yourself and look at it, other times you open and close it towards whoever is saying "bye bye".

You are just like your mommy and daddy - you love to talk! You are always gibber gabbering, saying things like mamama, dadada, tatata, aD, aG. Most recently, you like to hold a conversation, especially when we're driving in the car. You say "dadada" and then daddy says, "dadada". Then you say, "aD" and then daddy says, "aD". This goes on for quite alwhile. It's really neat!

Toys, toys, toys. Emma bear, you love your toys!!! You love to just sit and play with your blocks, stuffed animals, fishies, and more. You especially love any remote control. You started pulling out toys from your fishbowl. You don't like to put them back in yet. You now realize if we take something away from you. You get quite upset. You also get upset when you drop a toy and cannot reach it. In addition, you have also started tossing your toys on purpose to play a little "pick up" game with mommy and daddy.

You've graduated to forward facing riding in your stroller. You absolutely LOVE it!! Even though you're buckled in, you lean forward, sitting straight up (pulling the back of the stroller with you), and hang on tight to the tray. It is the cutest thing!

One of my most favorite things, and has been for awhile, is your open-mouthed smiles. You light up the room when you smile! I also love your open-mouthed kisses! They are just wonderful!

Crawling is coming soon. For awhile, we didn't think you really had any desire to crawl. We'd put toys out of reach. You'd try to get it for a second and then just give up. In the past few days, you've started a little rocking/wiggling motion from left to right. You slowly make your way to a toy that you want to play with.

Teeth are coming soon too! You don't have any "toophers" yet, but we're sure that one will make a debut soon. The other night, as we were snuggling before you went to bed, you started gnawing on my arm. You actually left two bruises! Ouch!

You lost all of your gorgeous, dark hair that you were born with (except the little mullet at the bottom of your neck), but more is growing back. It is more of a dirty blonde color right now, growing slowly, but surely!

It's amazing that having a child fosters a love in your heart so strong that you never imagined existed. Emma, you'll never quite understand how much your daddy and I love you until you are grown and have a little precious one of your own. You are the love of our lives little one. Each day you bring sunshine into our home. What did we ever do without you?

Busy Busy

This week has been a busy week with a very random work schedule. I feel like I have barely seen my little Emma Grace. We did have a few fun moments though...

Monday night, Dusty had some errands to run. Emma and I played blocks while he was gone. I love to sit back and watch how she explores everything. Some of her blocks have cylinders and such inside with noise makers. She could tell there was something inside a few of her favorite blocks and was even working her little fingers to get it out! She is so amazing. Little ones change so much in the course of eight months. Emma also loves when we stack the blocks up so she can knock them down!

Tuesday night I had to work late. I got home just in time to feed my Emma Bear. After "snacking" for awhile, Emma turned away to look out into the room. On this particular evening, she wasn't as sleepy as she usually is. She stared out into the room for awhile. Finally I asked her what she was up to in a soft, night time voice. She quickly turned, as if surprised by me. She looked as if she was thinking, "Hey! It's you! What are you doing here?" I got a good laugh out of it. Too cute. Who did you think had been feeding you this entire time, silly?!?

Two mornings this week I went into work later than usual because of the unusual schedules. Both mornings Emma was awake when I left. Her newest trick excited me both mornings: a good-bye wave for mommy. After seeing the cute little arm stick up into the air - I didn't want to leave for a minute!

Oh and my other favorite - the laughing, screeching, and wiggling when I came home every night! Makes me feel loved.

Running through the Woods

Dusty and Jimmy ran the Southern 6 today. Emma and I were there at the finish to cheer them on!

Dusty actually ran 5.9 miles to the starting line, and then roughly 3.7 miles for the race. What a beast in training!

Daddy's biggest fan

Emma's New Ride

Mom-mom and pops brought Emma something special on Monday....(they said she requested it after seeing the Daytona 500 with them...)

(please note - our house is still under remodeling construction - please disregard the mess in the video.)

Seven Months

Seven months have passed my little Emma Bear. Where are the days going? Ever since I returned to work, time seems to have entered warp speed. The evenings aren't long enough. Neither are the weekends. I just try to soak up as much of you as possible! You are the joy in my life. Such a perfect little ray of sunshine always. I love you so much.

You're getting so big. You weigh in at over seventeen pounds now and you're over 26 inches long! You now roll over from front to back and back to front. We have found you in your crib on your tummy a few times in the past two weeks. You have also started gaining strength in your little legs from playing in your exersaucer and jumper. You can now stand for very short periods of time by holding on to a table or the edge of your crib.

You reach out and grab anything that is near you. You're super quick! You can get our glasses off in no time flat! You also love playing with all your toys. You actually have started getting upset if we take toys away from you when you're playing (the TV remote especially). You love a good game of peek a boo whether it be with a blanket, pillow, or peeking around daddy. You get such a kick out of the game, laughing and giggling in that cute way that you do!

Along with your adorable laugh, you love to talk. Last month, you started saying mamama and tatatata. You have added to your repertoire with sounds like dadadada (daddy loves that one) and babababa. It is music to our ears when you chatter.

Until this month, you had not met a food you didn't like. Peas are definitely not your favorite. However, you do enjoy everything else you've tasted including oatmeal, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, peaches, applesauce, and applejuice. You have gotten a bit too strong for your bumbo seat and have graduated to your high chair. The first time we put you in it, you sat so proudly, like a little queen on her thrown. You knew it was special!

We travelled with you for the first time in an airplane to Washington DC. We had taken for granted the ease to which we could fly around an airport without a baby or the stroller and accessories, but oh what fun it was to travel with you. We love taking you everywhere we go.

Emma, we're off to another month. Another month of new adventures and accomplishments!

Emma in the Capital City

Dusty and Emma joined me on a business trip to Washington DC this week. We flew in on Tuesday afternoon. I was in training Wednesday and Thursday, but we were able to enjoy some sites on Friday. Of course, DC was experiencing some of the coldest weather this winter while we were there, but we braved the cold. We bundled Emma-Bear up in the evening so we could go out to eat. By the end of the day, Dusty was especially stir crazy and needed to get out! Thank goodness the weather warmed up to a balmy 40 degrees or so on Friday. We decided to take Emma around to some sites. We visited the Smithsonian, touring the Museum of American History and the Museum of Natural History. Emma slept through most of the Natural History museum, missing all of the animals. I’m sure she will love seeing all of them one day! After the museums, the sun was high and it wasn’t as bitter cold. We decided to stroll the National Mall. We cruised past the White House first. Emma really wanted to meet President Obama, maybe have a little snack at his place, but he was a little busy since he’s new in town. We walked past the Washington Monument, continuing alongside the reflection pond, and on to the Lincoln Memorial. What a great view from the Lincoln Memorial out over the pond to the Washington Monument. Our final stop was the Vietnam Memorial. Emma did so well, we carried her through the memorial as to be respectful to the memorial and to those walking through. This is the second time I have been here, and my experience was quite the same. Tears filled my eyes as we passed name after endless name of those soldiers who had fallen or were never found. We stopped to take a crayon rubbing of one of my Pop Pop’s friends who was lost towards the end of the war. It was time to head back now. We took a detour to walk past the other side of the White House and then cruised back to our hotel. What a wonderful day spending time with my lovelies and a wonderful trip.

Thanks to Auntie Rel, we had a great little snow suit to bundle up Emma in the cold DC weather! Doesn't our Emma bear look cute in her bear outfit!?

In front of the White House. The inauguration stuff was still up, hence the getto looking fence.

"Capital Shmapital, is it time to go home yet?"

Emma is very excited to be at the Lincoln Memorial.

Our little family.

In front of the Washington Monument.

Great picture of us in front of the Reflection Pond, but note Dusty's head blocking the rest of the view. Oh well.

At the Museum of Natural History.

Daddy and Emma snoozing. Emma refused to sleep in the pack and play. We never let her sleep in bed with us. One, because it is dangerous and two, because we don't want to start that!! In a hotel though, we do whatever we can to calm the upset baby! So in a king size bed, I had a little bitty spot on the left side and Dusty had a little bitty spot on the right. Emma had the rest of the bed!! She was so very excited to be in the bed with us. Every night she would get in between us, and look from me to Dusty over and over with a huge smile. Then she'd start making her motorboat sounds. She's too cute! Although we don't want her sleeping with us, it sure was sweet to roll over at any time during the night and see our little sweetheart.

Entertaining a nearly seven-month old kiddo in a hotel room takes some creativity. I grabbed one of Dusty's t-shirts and kept flinging it around, saying choo choo! Note Emma's huge smile. She couldn't get enough!

You Gotta Have Wings

Emma took her first flight this week, earning her wings! We flew from Atlanta to DC. Emma was an excellent flier. What a little traveler we have! We were able to get three seats together, so Emma could use her car seat. Unfortunately, we were in the back of the plane. Our view out of the windows was a lovely jet engine. That didn’t make for a quiet environment, but it didn’t seem to faze Em though. We decided to feed her as we were taking off to help with the pressure on her ears. I started feeding her as we taxied to the run-way. When the plane took off, Emma stopped feeding and looked up at me with this “what in the world is going on?” look. After that, she was just fine. She played through most of the flight (only 1 hour 15 minutes) in her carseat. Here is the best part. As we started to make our initial descent, Emma sipped on some apple juice to calm her little ears. She finished it all and then started to get sleepy. As we came across the Potomac (I think) into Reagan Int’l, her eyes became more heavy. Dusty and I looked at each other like, no way – she’s going to fall asleep during this? It was especially loud being near the engines. As the plane touched down, Emma stayed sleeping, snug as a little bug. Emma barely blinked an eye as the engines thrusted, slowing us down for our final turns to the gate. Dusty and I just laughed. We couldn’t believe this chick!

Favorite Toys

Emma has lots of toys to keep her curious hands busy. There are a few that she has taken a particular liking to.

Mr. Crab

This little crab is much fun! It has a great little place for Emma-Bear to hold while chomping on it! This little guy has provided hours of fun!

Minnie Mouse

You can see by the "love bites" on Minnie's hands, feet, and ears, that she is a favorite companion.

Mortimer

Mortimer, or Morty, is a little moose Emma received for Christmas. She loves this moose. He has a great scarf that makes crinkly noises and plastic antlers that offer a soothing surface for chewing. She loves to slide the antlers back and forth on her gums, making a squeaking sound.

Squash, Apple Juice, and Green Stuff

Until recently, Emma had not met a food she didn't like. It is quite apparent when you look at her absolutely adorable chubby thighs!! Her favorite veggie so far has been squash. As for the "green stuff", not her favorite. She enjoyed green beans for awhile, but after enjoying her squash, has changed her mind about that enjoyment. She has decided that green peas are yucky. She'll eat a few bites, decide it is gross, grunt, and spit it out.

She has only had applesauce right now for fruit, and loves it. She grunts when I don't get the spoon to her mouth fast enough! We have been trying to get Emma to drink liquids other than mommy's milk. She only likes water if it is from my water bottle. She has started drinking apple juice, but it has taken some time to get used to it.

6 Months

Emma Grace! You are half a year old today! Goodness gracious! You have had a great many changes and exciting events this month. Let's see...

Your biggest accomplishment this month has been sitting up. You seemed to just start it out of nowhere. You and Daddy were upstairs changing a diaper. When he was finished, he sat you up and you were intrigued by the wipes in front of you and sat up by yourself. You have continued this, playing with anything we put in front of you! What a smart little girl you are!

You are very strong. You love to stand on your little chubby feet. You can hold your own weight, you just need support from Mommy and Daddy to keep you balanced.

You are a reacher and a grabber. In the months past, you began reaching out and playing with your toys. This month, you have realized there is much more to grab and touch. You have started reaching out for things out of your immediate area. You love to leap forward and are quick to snatch things up!! You also love noses, glasses, and long hair. You've also found your toes - you like to grab and eat them!! Daddy likes to say you are doing your ballet stretches when you grab your feet!

Last month you started rolling from front to back. You have been working on rolling back to front. You get all the way over on your side, reach out for what you want, grab it, then roll back to your back. We think you know how to do it, but you just don't feel like it! We'll see!

You figured out your aquarium this month. You have a little aquarium in your crib that has a little fishy and crab that swim and bubble with music. There is a big blue button on the front, and you have figured out that it turns the music and bubbles on and off. Impressive!

You have tasted all sorts of food this month and haven't met a food you don't like! You've eaten sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, prunes, and oatmeal. Yummy yummy! You also started drinking water out of a sippy cup. More of it gets on you than in your mouth, but that's ok!

You have worked on more babbles this month. My favorite sound right now is your newest babble - mamamamamama!

Emma, you are our giggly, talkative, smiley baby girl. You are such a joy to be around. We love spending every minute of every day with you! We love you Emma Grace.

Emma's New Skill

Just this past week, Emma began sitting up by herself! It seemed to just come out of the blue! She has been sitting supported for awhile now, but all of a sudden, she had this new accomplishment. It's as if she works on these things at night in her crib when no one is watching. Maybe that's what all that noise is! She's not 100% accomplished at this new skill, but she's doing awesome. She is very proud of her accomplishment (as are we!) and loves to show it off!