Splish Splash

The sun was bright, the water was perfect, and the squeals of a cute little girl could be heard all over!

We found out Saturday that we have a little swimmer on our hands. Aunt Robin and Uncle Pete had a cookout to celebrate Jessi's graduation. They have a fabulous pool and Emma enjoyed every bit of it. This was Emma's first adventure in a big pool! Cousin Katie was swimming all around the pool when we first arrived and Emma was intrigued!

We first tried her little feet in the water, and she was timid, as we suspected. She kept her eyes on Katie, though. After we ate a little bit, the splashing fun started and Emma wanted to be a part of it!

Emma and I slowly made our way down the stairs into the water (partly because I didn't want to scare her, but mostly because the water was a bit cold). The cold water didn't seem to bother her one bit. Once we made it all the way in, Emma was eager to swim from my arms! She kept reaching out away from me. She wanted to be like her big cousin Katie and splish splash all over the place! We tried out her floats while we were in the pool. She loved them too! I would push her back and forth in the water, chasing after Katie. She had a blast!

Next on the list, signing up for swim lessons at the Y! What fun!

Emma and Aunt Robin

Toes in the Water

Emma and Katie

Splish Splash!

Audrey and Natalie with Aunt Robin by the pool

Swimming is hard work

Tiny Dancer

This past weekend was the spring recital. Emma and Dusty stopped by the theater on Thursday for dress rehearsal. Emma was ready for dancing, sporting her lovely tutu. This year, the Civic Ballet performed Cinderella. Emma watched the entire ballet, cruising back and forth down the aisle, bouncing up and down, making all sorts of excited sounds. She was especially interested when Cinderella (the beautiful Anna) danced, reaching out and pointing at her. I'm so excited for her love in ballet! As I watched the youngest of our girls perform this weekend, I pictured our little Emma, wearing her adorable tutu, hair pulled back perfectly in a cute little bun, tiara on top! I hope as her Daddy and I expose her to the arts, her love will only grow.

Emma (and Plopper) watching the beautiful dancers.

A Trip to the Aquarium

Katie and Owen invited Emma and I to go to the Tennessee Aquarium on Friday. We had such a wonderful time. We made our way through the butterflies, then to the penguins and jelly fishes. The kiddos had a great time! I wasn't sure how Emma would react, or if she would react at all. Her face was priceless. As the penguins swam quickly by, Emma's little mouth opened wide in amazement. She stayed that way almost the entire time we were looking at the penguins! She was very interested in everything we looked at, but the penguins were by far her favorite. After the aquarium, we headed to Blue Plate for a yummy dinner where Emma and Owen enjoyed sitting together and snacking on dinner. Thanks Katie and Owen for a wonderful Friday night!

A Mother's Love

Photos by Moncrief Photography

No one can explain motherhood to you. No one can prepare you for the emotional highs and lows, the tears and the laughs. No one can prepare you for the heart-wrenching love that you truly do not fully experience until the moment they put that little baby on your belly. It honestly is a love so strong, so wonderful, so beautiful, that it hurts. No one can prepare you for how hard it is to leave your little one each and every day for work and how wonderful it is that at the end of each night, there is a sweet little girl squeeling for your arrival at the top of the stairs. No one can prepare you for the loss of the identity you worked so hard to create, or for the divine sweetness of being referred to as "Emma's Mom". No one can prepare you for the hardest, most amazing, most rewarding job you will ever have - motherhood. Thank you, God, for blessing me with motherhood and my dear, sweet Emma Grace.

As a pre-mother's day celebration, Emma and I took my mom and Omi out to tea at the English Rose. It was Emma's first tea. She had a wonderful time "drinking" from her own little tea set.

Mother's Day at the Crane House started Saturday night, when my loving husband came home from work with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The next morning when we got up, Emma and Dusty had mother's day gifts for me! Emma had recorded her sweet little voice in one of those recordable cards (I think that was my favorite gift). They also gave me a sweet jewelry box with spots for family pictures and a digital photo frame so I can always see my wonderful family at work. Dusty had all intentions of making us pancakes, but we had forgotten the batter! So we headed off for a little breakfast sandwhich from Starbucks. In the afternoon, Emma, Dusty, and I dodged the raindrops and went to the park for a picnic. I had such a wonderful day with my sweet, little family!

Ten Months

What a busy month for you Emma! You've had lots of accomplishments!

The biggest one yet is crawling. For a month or so you have been crawling and scooting backwards around the house. You especially loved to scoot around underneath furniture.

This past week you were full speed ahead, crawling everywhere! Time to make sure the house is Emma-Proof! Kind of hard seeing that we are in the middle of yet more remodeling in the house. Will it ever be done!?

You have also started pulling up all by yourself on the coffee table. You are quite efficient at it, too. You crawl right up to the table, and voila! you're standing at the table reaching for anything within your little reach.

Another big change this month was the sprouting of your first toopher!!! I was teaching ballet when Daddy noticed it had sprouted. He rushed you right over to the studio to share in the excitement! The next week another tooth sprouted on the bottom! You look adorable.

Emma, you attended your first Play Gym this month with your buddy Owen. You had lots of fun wiggle wiggling and bouncing and all sorts of other fun things!

You've been enjoying your yummy food. You have started eating finger foods. Your favorite right now are little crunchies and cheerios. You are so good at picking them up and eating them all on your own! Sometimes you get a few stuck on your chin, nose, or cheek while you're eating. You are just too cute, my little girlie! We're trying to get you to eat other foods as well, with different textures. You're not too fond of some of the new, thicker textures. You do like bite size fruit too, but don't like to eat with your own fingers. They're too sticky and slippery!

You're still a little babbler, talking all the time! You talk in your crib, you talk in your carseat, you talk while you're playing. Your latest new sound is vaaaavaaaaavaaaa. You also like to go oooooooo with your cute little mouth. You love to motorboat too! You'll just sit in your crib when it's time to go down for a nap and just motorboat. If we say motorboat, you chime right in with your motorboat noises!

You are our social butterfly, waving at every car that drives by and every person that walks by. You'll make noises when you're waving and we may not see it, as if you're trying to say, hello!

Emma Grace, it's unbelieveable that we're closing in on one year. I've already started planning your one year festivities. How exciting! We love you!

" Don't worry guys, I got it"

We Have a Toofer

It's official, we have a toofer sprouting!!!

26 Miles for a 26th Birthday

Last weekend the Crane family journeyed to Nashville for the first annual Push Your Tush. For some this was a marathon, others a half. We headed up Friday morning to meet up with the Whitakers and Moncriefs and to attend the Health and Fitness Expo and register for the race. There were people everywhere, exciting vendors, and lots of SWAG!

After the expo, we headed to the Whitaker's new homestead. What a lovely house! Owen and Katie and the Garzas joined us for a pre-race pasta dinner and a yummy chocolate cake (for my birthday - love you girls!). What a wonderful time surrounded by some of our closest friends.

We decided to call it an early night, or try, since the boys were running in the AM. Emma does not enjoy sleeping in her pack and play. She went down like usual, but when I came up to join her and daddy, that was the end of it. Dusty and Emma ended up going for a late night cruise in the car! We also had another unhappy kiddo next door for a bit. Needless to say, there wasn't much sleep going around the house that night!

The boys got up early and hit the road; we followed closely behind. This was the first time for most of us to go to this marathon, so we weren't quite sure what to do as spectators. We decided to hop on the participant bus and try to catch a glimpse of our honies at the start line. By the time we had made it, Jimmy had already started (he was in corral #1 with the Kenyans - what a beast). We actually found Dusty - amazing!! He got to see his Emma and her little shirt that said "Go Daddy! D. Crane's Biggest Fan!" We then looked for Brent. He was no where to be found!

There were 32 corrals!

Dusty's in the blue shirt and white hat!

After the runners started, we quickly realized that venturing to the start line was not the best idea. We looked at our watches and thought if we wanted to even try to see Jimmy finish we better walk fast. We hiked down Broadway (passing some participants even) and eventually made it to LP Field Finish Line. We walked at least 4 miles or so, I'm sure!

We ended up missing Jimmy - he ran the half in two hours. We looked everywhere and could not find him. Emma and I sat down to nurse. While we nursed in a shady spot under a tree, I got to see the first place finisher for the marathon. He was FAST!! He finished the full 26 miles in just over two hours! CRAZY!


Next finisher on our list to catch was Mr. Whitaker. Becca found a great spot just shy of the finish line and we were able to see him. We were so proud. This was Brent's first half-marathon and he did incredible. He looked fabulous!!

Becca running in with Brent.

After catching Brent, we headed over to a shady spot to sit and wait for Dusty. He called us at mile 16. When he was just a little bit out, Emma and I headed to find a spot to watch for our Dusty! He called again at mile 22 and was not able to speak. He just whispered. I was terrified. Part of me wanted to just tell him to catch a ride with a medic and come on in, but the other part of me who knew how hard he had worked for this and how much he wanted it, told him to keep going. Just walk in, I told him. I am, he replied in a whisper. I sat there, knots in my stomach, checking the clock on my phone every two minutes. Every time an ambulance siren went off, I worried.


Thank goodness for our friend Jimmy. He met Dusty at mile 24 and ran in with him. I was so thankful for him! When Jimmy did the Ironman last year, his wife Brittany ran in with him on the last part of the marathon in her teva flip flops with Ada in the front pack. I couldn't believe she had done that at the time and never dreamed that I could do it, but now I understand. I would have run in with Dusty in a heartbeat. I would have done anything to encourage him and give him strength to accomplish his goal.


Finally after the waiting and worrying, Dusty and Jimmy appeared at the bottom of the hill. They cruised by, Dusty flashed Emma and I an I love you. Butterflies filled my stomach and pride filled my heart. He had done it. 26 miles for his 26th birthday. When we met up with Dusty after he crossed the finish line, he and I hugged and cried. What an awesome feeling.

Dusty and Jimm running towards the finish line.

After a long day, Emma wasn't too impressed by her daddy's 26 mile run!

My Marathon Finisher!

Our three runners!

PS check out Becca's blog for more on the marathon and pictures! http://bandbwhitaker.blogspot.com/

Emma's First Easter

What a wonderful first Easter for our little Emma Bear! We enjoyed such a wonderful day surrounded by friends and family and beautiful sunshine!

The day started out with Easter in Coolidge Park with our good friends the McKennas and Moncriefs as well as some of the McKenna/Christnacht klan. Emma, Ada, and Owen are becoming such good little friends. Emma especially likes her Buddy Owen, she even smiled when she saw him this morning! Her and Owen sat together for a good bit of the morning, staring at each other, exchanging Easter eggs, and eating each other's outfits. Ada cruised the surroundings, making sure everything was in order!

OK, so poor little Emma did not have an Easter hat, hence the beenie for the services. In my defense, it was below 50, so she needed something warm...

Emma and her little buddy Owen

The three kiddos

This is my new favorite picture of my two lovelies.

After church, it was off to Grammy's house, but not without a little nap first and some shots with Emma and her new Easter basket.

At Grammy's, Emma enjoyed time with lots of her favorite family members. Her and her little cousins, Audrey and Natalie, ended up wearing the same cute little dress. Good taste must run in the family!

Alicia, Audrey, Spencer, and Natalie

Natalie chilling in her cute little bunny ears!

Emma and her cousin Jessi

Emma loves to clap!

I realized when writing this post that I got lots of pictures of Natalie and not of Audrey! Audrey was sleeping a lot today!

Playing with Aunt Robin

Emma and Natalie hanging with Papa

Chatting with Grammy

After Grammy's we had one more stop, the Northey household. We enjoyed dinner and dessert with Mom-mom, Pops, Omi, and Poppop. Emma enjoyed showing off her almost crawling skills for her favorite audience!

Keeping Poppop on his toes

Yay for Omi!

Mom-mom and Pops

What a wonderful day. Now it's 9:13 and Emma is so tired from the long, exciting day that she's wide awake in her crib. Hopefully sleep will settle in soon!!