Miss Em...

Emily is getting so big!! We can hardly believe that she is already 3 months old. She loves to sit up so much that we got her a high chair the other day. As you can see below it's a little big, but I think she's really going to like being able to sit up with us. I was excited to get it for her because not only will she use it for eating, but she'll also be able to do some early coloring and other art projects on her tray.



I've been doing some shopping for 6 month old clothes lately and there is so much cute stuff! I'm totally obsessed with buying her cute outfits. Of course she's practically begging me for the stuff, and how can I say no? I keep telling her we can get it as long as she doesn't tell daddy. :) :)

We visited my friend Roberta and her 3 kids the other day, and the kids were kind enough to make Emily a paper hat. It was so adorable I had to include a picture.

We also spent some time with my parents over the last few days and they were kind enough to get Emily a new bathtub. It's very handy and fits right in the kitchen sink. Emily LOVED the bath because it actually allows her to sit up comfortably. She wasn't so hot on the bath we had because she had to lay down in it.






The rest of these pics are just us capturing some of Emily's cuteness...

She's really doing it!!

Oh my, I don't even know where to start!!

Emily is quite the busy baby lately. She's now fully turning her head to check out things around the house, and when one of us walks into the room she'll search all over until she finally spots us. Yesterday we were out to dinner and just for fun I was holding a spoon in front of her face. And guess what?? She reached for it!! It was so exciting! Just to make sure it wasn't just a lucky grab, I was testing her again today, only to find that she's really reaching and grabbing for things! She reached for everything from my fingers to her little toys and teething rings. She was even able to bring a few things straight into her mouth!

Emily is also quite the little tough girl and can sit up with some help from us or her boppy. We practice baby sit-ups where we pull her into a sitting position, and sometimes we can pull her all the way to her feet. It's to the point now where she is very unhappy just laying flat on her back. She likes to be up so she can see the world. She's also really starting to enjoy watching the puppies and she'll sit staring at them for minutes at a time. (in baby time minutes can seem like forever!) She's also started noticing her feet, and I'm sure she'll be grabbing at them soon too.

It's so amazing how she's growing every day. It feels like there is something brand new about her every time I look at her!

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.