slobber, mini-vans and the 4th of July

First of all, I want to start off by talking about baby slobber. Where the heck does it come from and what causes it? How could a child so small create so much slobber that she completely soaks her clothes? We're constantly wiping away spit bubbles and slobber. It's pretty gross when you think about it! Dave and I did get a good laugh the other day when Emily made a spit string that hung down a good 5-6 inches. If you can't laugh about slobber then really, what can you laugh about?

I mentioned in a post a while back that Dave and I were looking at mini-vans. For those of you who know me well, you'll be relieved to know that I'm NOT driving a mini-van. Dave and I decided to go with an XC-90, the Volvo version of the mini-van/SUV. It totally sucks on gas mileage, and I do mean that literally. We leave it parked during the week and only take it out for family adventures. It is really nice to drive around, and I love not feeling like my knees are smashed into the dashboard. It was also fun taking all of our gear and the puppies for the 4th of July. (Of course we had to buy "gear" just so we could pack it around in our new car)

I did want to talk a little bit about the 4th of July. This year my family had their annual party on Saturday the 5th. The day started out rainy and yucky and ended even worse. I'm sad to say that my brother Zeb suffered from some pretty serious burns after an accident with fireworks. We're thinking that a piece of lit fuse landed in a box of fireworks and created a pretty serious explosion that Zeb just happened to be standing next to. He's got severe burns on his entire left arm and hand, some burns on his right hand, and a burnt face with some blistering around his nose. I can't even begin to explain how scary this whole thing was. He's going to be ok, but when I think about what could have been it feels like my heart skips a beat. This could have by far been the absolute worst weekend of my life and as far as I'm concerned we're very lucky that my brother is still with us. I've now made a vow that I'll never say goodbye to my brother or my sister again without giving them a big fat hug. I love them both so much and I'm so thankful and lucky to have them in my life.

Now lets talk about miss Em-dawg. She is so dang cute and lovable. She is getting so big and strong that it just blows us away. Now when Dave and I talk to her and play with her its obvious that she knows us and loves us. She has the biggest smile and of course she loves all of our crazy voices and our funny faces. She and I even spent a day talking in British accents! She is starting to open her hands and grab our fingers, and she's even leaning up on her elbows during tummy time. I've been bad about taking and posting pictures and I promise I'll try to do better. This whole work thing is taking all my time and zapping all my energy! Please enjoy the pics!

Chunky monkey...

Emily saw the doctor the other day and is now a whopping 11 lbs 13 oz! She measured in at 23 and ¼ inches tall. She’s working on her third chin now and her little belly is spilling over her diaper! (Don’t tell her I said so…) Everything is good with that little muffin head. Unfortunately though the doctor’s visit was good and bad. It was good to know that she’s growing and healthy but it was really hard because she had to get her first round of shots.

I was honestly considering not getting the vaccines at all because of all the controversy surrounding the mercury content and other preservatives in the vaccines. And of course there’s the fact that some research indicates there may be a link between the vaccines and autism. Unfortunately most daycare facilities require the vaccines and if anything ever happened and our nanny couldn’t watch her anymore, we’d be in a pretty tough spot if she didn’t have them. Then of course there’s the fact that they’re sticking a pretty big needle into each of my daughter’s legs. I’ve never heard such screams in my life and it actually made me burst into tears myself. It took nearly 10 minutes for me to compose myself so that I could leave the doctor’s office. It’s not fair that we have to sit by and watch as our babies get poked and prodded!! Poor little Emily. And poor Dave too, he doesn’t know it yet but he’s taking her for the next round of shots.

On a much lighter and happier note, Emily got her first bike!! Of course she can’t ride it yet, but it’s really THE cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I posted a picture below. It's made for 1-3 year olds and we're so excited about it!! This gift is really special because it helps us to imagine a year or so into the future when she will be riding her pink and purple bike up and down the hallways and all around the house with the dogs chasing behind her. How fun is that??!!

Finally!!

Great! someone finally told me that I look like I was never pregnant. While I know that this is absolutely the furthest thing from any sort of truth, it sure made my day!

Wanted: Free housekeeper and chef

Emily is still getting cuter every day and she is so responsive now. Her smiles are just gorgeous and they're coming more frequently now. It's hard being away from her during the day but I also feel great pride knowing that I can be a successful and functioning mommy. I will admit though that I do have some moments where I miss her so much that my heart hurts.

Amazingly enough I've nearly forgotten the misery of pregnancy and Dave and I are already talking about timing for baby #2. We were even looking at minivans yesterday! (OMG!) One of my co-workers is pregnant and we had a baby shower for her today. Believe it or not I actually feel jealous of the experience she has ahead of her. I had such a beautiful birth experience and the moment I met Emily was so incredibly amazing. It was by far the greatest moment of my life and I really can't wait to do it again! I guess that reminds me of another question... Am I crazy for already thinking about another baby?

Enjoy the pics!










PS: She got her daddy's dimples. Aren't they just the most adorable things you've ever seen?

Say it ain't so...

Tomorrow will begin a new chapter since I am returning to work after spending 8 weeks with Emily. I can't believe how quickly this time has passed. While I'm definitely feeling physically ready to return to work, I'm not sure that my heart is ready. I'm just starting to figure out Emily's routine and now I feel as though she's being taken away from me! Our good friend Barb will be coming to watch her and Dave is still working from home, so I have no doubts that she'll be well cared for. The care that she'll be getting is not what worries me. Honestly what really worries me is when I think about the things that I will miss while I'm away from Emily. What if her only smiles happen during the day while I'm gone? Will she roll over or crawl while I'm away? And it's not just a question of what I'll miss tomorrow, but what will I miss next week? Next month? Next year??

I can't help but wonder how Emily will feel about all this. Will she be sad that I'm gone? Will she smile when she sees me or will she be mad at me for having left her all day? Will she forget about me during the day?

All I really know for sure is that when I go to work tomorrow I'll be leaving my heart at home.

7 weeks!!

Another week has passed and things just keep getting better around here. Emily is more alert than ever and her smiles just keep on coming. She is still eating like a champ and sometimes she even sleeps for 5 hours at a time! We've been introducing different toys to see if she'll grab at them. She shows lots of interest and easily tracks objects with her eyes but doesn't yet realize that she can use her hands for grabbing and picking up things. She's been kicking her legs like crazy and during tummy time she'll scoot herself forward. It's so cute! The only problem during floor time is that the puppies want to play with her. Caesar will usually drop a toy right next to her while Rosie just sits by and watches.

Here are some pictures from this past week!

Really daddy, are you serious?


The dogs stand by waiting for play time with Emily


So fun!


I like this picture just because it shows off her double chin. She can thank mommy for that! :)


Just some random pictures...

6 week check -up

Emily had her 6 week check up today with the midwife and all is well! She now weighs a whopping 10 lbs 12 oz!! That's more than 2 lbs over her birth weight! She has also grown an inch and a half and is now 22 inches tall.

I think it's amazing that since the date of conception my body has given Emily everything she needs to be happy and healthy (ok, maybe not always happy). It's truly a gift from mother nature!