Beep Beep The Elephant

Yesterday Emma found the stuffed Elephant that my brother had gotten her when she was born. Ever since then she has carried it with her wherever she goes, since she is crawling she kind of drags it along. Anyways, today in the car my mom squeezed the elephants nose and said "beep, beep". It is so cute now Emma says "beep beep" every time she picks up the elephant. I guess "beep beep" is easier to say than elephant! It is so funny and sweet. I should probably try to buy another one in case "beep beep" gets lost! hahaha

Easter Egg Hunt

Emma did her first Easter Egg hunt today, actually she had two egg hunts. The first one this afternoon we went with her friend Madeline and Lauren. She crawled around in the grass and got 3 eggs. Who would have thought watching my baby crawl to get plastic eggs would be so much fun?






The second egg hunt was actually at the aquatic center and she got to "catch" Easter egg in a little kiddy pool. She loved it. She got to splash around and catch the eggs. I think we had as much fun watching her as she had splashing around. It's funny how much amusement we get
from her.

Kisses

Emma mimics everything that we do, today she mimic kisses. This sweet little puckered lip "sucking" sound. Now I just need to teach her to kiss me and not just make the sounds. How much fun!

It's finished, official, terminated, done...

I have breast fed Emma for the last time this morning. Even then I don't think I could consider what she did as breast feeding. Emma took three sucks and signed "all done". Even if I wasn't ready to quite, she was. I am sure that I will have a harder time with it than she will. Actually, I know I will.

A Laughing Day With Friends

Emma and I spent the day with Madeline and Laura today. Emma just loves her friend Maddie. This evening the girls took a bath together and they were splashing and cracking up! Emma was laughing so hard. Laura got her video camera and recorded it, hopefully I will get a copy because it was priceless. I just love listening to her laugh. I don't think there is anything in the whole world that is as wonderful as hearing your baby laugh. I wish that I had it on an audio cassette so that I can hear it everyday!

Shots

Emma had her one year shots today. MMR and chicken pox. It's great that children now get the chicken pox vaccine so that hopefully she won't get the disease. The Pediatrician said that there is a small chance she might come down with chicken pox or measles. Hopefully not, that would totally suck! She cried so hard when she got the shots. She looked at me like I had just tortured her. Big o'l tears. It took forever for her to settle down.

Otherwise, the Dr thought that she was doing great. She thought Emma was progressing slowly (but normally) with physical things like walking. But was advanced with speech and communication. She told me I should be proud of how many words she can speak and sign. My baby is so smart! I am not to concerned she is not walking yet, she is already pulling up to her knees. I have a feeling that the crawling stage will be short lived. I still can't believe my baby is one!

Want... More... Drink

Emma signed three signs in a row today, making a sentence (sort of). I have such a smart baby. She is saying more and more every day. What a big girl she is getting to be. I have a feeling this next year is going to fly by with all the new things she will learn.

Pup-py

New word. Emma is saying Pup-py for Abby. It is so neat that she is starting to say words.

Got Milk?

Today I started giving Emma some whole milk. I mixed one ounce of whole milk to three ounces of breast milk. Hopefully she will tolerate it well. My mom said that I had a horrible allergy to milk as a baby. I will gradually add milk to get her use to it. I have a lot of breast milk left so the process can go slow. We'll see.

Gramma Signs

While I was at work today my mom came over to spend time with Emma. Mom told me that Emma signed to her "more" ,"drink". Mom was so tickled that she knew what she wanted. She said she felt like she was having a conversation with her. I wish I had been home to see it because Emma is so stubborn about doing "drink".

Weaning

We are officially starting to wean, although technically we have started the weaning process a long time ago because I am only nursing her in the morning and at night. By officially I mean that we are planning to start the stopping process. Next week I am planning on dropping the night time feeding and then eventually stop all together. I think it is more traumatizing on me than on her. Although the other day we were sitting in the rocking chair and she patted my chest and then did the "more" sign, which for her means I want to either eat or drink something. Well, it was right after her nap and since my milk is drying up if I would have nursed her then I wouldn't have been able to feed her before bed, so we went down to the kitchen and got her sippy cup of milk. She drank a few ounces of it then she patted me again, pulled down my shirt, put her mouth to my breast bone, and did the "more" sign. I then attempted to give her the sippy cup again, but she nodded "no" and did the "more" sign. It cracked me up. I guess it is time to wean when she is telling me she wants to nurse. Hopefully this process will be easy for her, I am sure it will be more difficult for me.

It's official!

Crawling has begun. She finally started crawling across the living room. It's so cute. I can see her concentrating so hard on getting all her limbs and muscles to work the way she wants them to. I will have to say, she is a little lazy though. I put her across the living room to get her to come to me and she stopped at her toys wanting to take a break. Still even now that she knows how to crawl if I put all her toys by her she will just sit and play. She is still catching up on her sleep from traveling and do all this extra working out! I am so glad that she is finally crawling, I was a smidgen worried that she was never going to be mobile, especially since she is now one.

Papa & Hi

Emma said "papa" tonight for Steve. It was so cute, whether or not she was actually saying it to him or just repeating what "gramma" was saying who knows. Also, she says "Hi". She says it at all random times and sometimes at appropriate times so it is so hard to say if she really knows what she is saying or just repeating what we are saying. Does this count as "words"? Or does she have to actually look at Steve and say "papa" while holding out her hands. Or say "Hi" when we first arrive while she is waving her hand. Don't know, I'll ask the Pediatrician if this counts. It is awfully fun though.

Crawling?

Emma made four little crawls! She is so close. I can see it in her eyes, she really really wants to move. This is more fun than I thought it would be. My baby is growing up! Waaahhaaaa.

Cruise

Well, being on a cruise with a one year old is completely different than going on a cruise for our honeymoon. Hmmm, maybe not the best idea. We are having a great time but I feel guilty that Emma is totally off on her schedule. I look forward to getting back on schedule, but I will be sad to get home. Well, off to the pool. =)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Emma's ONE years old! I can't believe my baby is a whole year now! She had chocolate cake for her birthday and she loved it. She was upset when it was all gone. The cake was all over, it was so cute.

Packing...packing...packing

Well, we are being brave and taking Emma on a one week cruise. We leave tomorrow, Friday, to drive to Galveston. We are staying the night in a hotel and then boarding the cruise on Sat. Wish us luck. I hope Emma doesn't get sea sick! Actually, I hope I don't get sea sick!

Sitting up

My baby Emma is getting to be such a big girl. Today when I laid her down for a nap I could hear her playing in the room so I went to watch her on the video monitor, well, she had rolled over on her stomach and then she sat up! She went from her stomach to sitting up! I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't saw it. Luckily, I had put her crib on it's lowest setting and had put her crib rail up at nap time, so she couldn't fall out. Although, I have to say that I need to get into the habit of raising her crib rail. I watched her for a while, after a while she put her thumb in her mouth. It seems she could get into a sitting position but couldn't figure out how to lay back down. So I went in and laid her down. She look on her face said "Thanks so much mommy, I couldn't figure out what to do."

Uh...oh

Today Kevin taught Emma how to say "Uh oh". It is so cute. Is there anything that she does that isn't cute. I love her so much more every day if that is even possible. I look forward to when she is really talking and not just repeating what we are saying. I just love spending time with her!

My baby is a genius!

Today she finally started signing 'more'. 'More' had been her first sign but then she wouldn't ever do it, unless it was for something she really really wanted. And I stress really. But she did it over and over today. As a matter of fact, when we were going to the kitchen for dinner I was saying "are you hungry" and I was signing 'hungry'. Well, she doesn't have hungry down yet, but she was signing 'more'. It was so cute! Also, I think she was trying to sign 'thirsty' at dinner too. My baby is a genius! She now knows... more, bath, thirst, all done, toy, fall down (or as we call it "bonk bonk")... and we're still working on... hungry, cat, want, and nap. We will add soon... dog, thank you, please, no touch. This is so much fun. I just love being able to communicate with my baby.

Stand up... stand up...

I let Emma sit in her crib with the crib rail down this afternoon to practice pulling up. She actually pulled up to standing! I couldn't believe it. What a big girl she is becoming. She still isn't crawling yet but she is a butt scooter. I think she is going to skip crawling all together and then just start walking. She probably won't be walking for several months though.

Bath time sign

We started a few weeks ago signing "bath". Emma signed it tonight, well tried anyways. She was rolling her hands instead of making a sign like washing her body. She is so smart!

Breakfast

Well, I finally did it. I fed Emma breakfast today. You say, "What are you talking about. You don't feed her breakfast?" Actually, I haven't. I nurse her in the morning, then she takes a morning nap, and then she gets up and we eat lunch together. She nurses again before her afternoon nap. Gets up, eats dinner, and then nurses one more time before bed. Well, being that I am going to have to start weaning her soon I need to start feeding her more. I have just been resistant b/c I hate getting up early. I bought myself some diet coke for the morning to help wake myself up, we don't do coffee. This morning I fed her rice cereal with peaches and some toast. She loved the toast. Today when I went grocery shopping I bought her some waffles and oatmeal to eat for breakfast. I think maybe we'll do waffles tomorrow. I bet she will love that.

Double signs.

My baby is so smart. Emma was in the bath tub holding one of her toys and trying to get to more toys. So I said and signed... Emma do you want "more" "toys". She actually signed "more"and then "toys". This is so much fun! I can't wait until she actually is speaking.

'Datch

It is so much fun seeing Emma try to pronounce words. Yesterday she was looking at my watch and I would say "watch", she would then say 'datch. It is so cute. Also, when she signs all done she says 'ahhdon. It is so cute. I just love this stage that she is in. I can't wait to hear "mama" and know she means it!

Reception

Emma thinks her step-cousin Nathan is soooo funny!

Four Generation of Women

Here I am with Emma, my mom, and my grandmother. My grandmother is young enough that someday I am sure we will do a five generation picture! Now that will be cool.

Wedding Day!

Emma did unbelievably good for the wedding. Before we walked down the aisle I handed her flower basket to her, the entire way down the aisle she went "ooohhhh". It was adorable. I held her during the wedding ceremony and she was spectacular. She made a few small little peeps, but nothing really loud. She basically just played with the flowers the whole time. I have such a GREAT baby. I am so lucky and fortunate. I was thinking that maybe since she is so good I should just have one kid. Hmmm, naaahhh, how about four kids. =) Everyone tells me that I should wait and decide on having four until after I have two kids. All I know is that I don't want three, I want either 2 or 4. Actually, Kevin and I have discussed having two kids of our own and then adopting two kids, maybe a sibling pair. Or fostering children to adopt. We really want to help a few children that are less fortunate and would benefit from loving parents. Who knows what God has in store for us.

Special Occasion

My mom is getting married this weekend, she had been with her beau for 7 years (it's about time!!). So Emma's maternal great grandparents have come down to visit for the week for the wedding. It is so cute to see them with her. They love her so much. I wish they lived closer so that she could get to know them growing up. I would have loved to lived closer to them growing up. What nick name do you call great grandparents? I called mine great-grandpa. My mom suggested Gigi for my grandma, but what about my grandpa, Gipi? hahahaha I think we will just use Papa, or how about G-papa. That would be easy. I am sure Emma will come up with something cute.

Whoopie, right teeth!

I was worried, there for a long time there was not sign of teeth on the right side. Now she is getting both her upper and lower right teeth. She has been grinding her teeth also. It is like scrapping your nails on a chalk board. A horrible sound. You would just have to hear it.