New Things

Em is doing a few "new things" lately. She has started wanting to "share" things with others. She will come and hand you something and then of course want it right back Sometimes she'll even fake you out and pretend like she is going to give you something then change her mind when you reach for it. She also want to share ehr food. I just pretend on that one. Her other new thing is looking under my shirt!!!! How endearing, huh? She likes to grab my fat and shake it and then try to tase my belly, somtimes enthralled with the belly button. She will just walk up to me and lift up my shirt and just check it out.

Poor Tom, she just can't get enough of him. He has been SO patient with her. Her new thing is wanting to pick him up. She is trying her darndest but hasn't succeeded in that venture yet. Em has also discovered his tail. As you can see in the following pictures.

"Walk-Sleeping"

What beautiful weather we have had here! Almost 61 today, in the sun. So Emma and I went for TWO walks (this morning though it was rainy). These pictures are from this morning's walk when she fell asleep. How cute? Notice the bottom lip protruding? That is what she does when she is tired. It is ike a "sign" that she is ready to sleep, or at least "sleepy" wheather she will sleep or not.

This other picture is of her in a "tight spot". She is always exploring, so here she has wedged herself between the chair and the plantation shutters and is taking a look at the heat vent on the floor.

Hmmm, well I guess that is about it for now. Love to all...

Little Adventurer

Emma loves to pound on Roscoe, and eventually crawl over him! He just takes it all in stride - and has FINALLY won Elliott's heart becasue of it:)

El took her and Cooper for a walk the other night and Emma just LOVED it. She loves being outside and every time she feels the breeze she waves her arms and kicks her legs.

The poor thing has a cold - AGAIN! Today, she fell asleep in her high chair while she was eating! Jessica had given her a blueberry muffin and when I went in to pick her up there was Em sound asleep in her high chair, covered in blueberries from head to toe. So adorable:) Only a mom would leave her all messy so as not to waje her up on the way home.... hoever it didn't work and she was wide awake all day until we went for a walk at 4:30. Then she did fall asleep in her stroller for a bit.

Em is soaking things up all the time and exploring and learning learning learning... She has figured out that she can put things on top of the table, or couch, and they will still be there when she reaches for them again. She also understands that the nightlight goes in the wall somehow and tries to put it back in. She has also figured this out with her puzzle pieces!!!! In addiiton, she is now enthralled with taking her shoes and socks off while she is in the car. Yesterday she even decided to "chew" on her toes after all was removed.

Her third bottom tooth has just broke though, but she is still working on the top one htat has been nothering her since the beginning of the month. Funny how that works.

Well, we are looking forward to Elliott getting home tonight. He was in Portland for just twod ays, but man those Tuesday's are hard without him. Emma went to Jessica's and of course she had a wonderful time as always.

Love to all....

Mama's Little Helper

She's a girl!!!

HEre's Em all dressed up looking like a girl, for real:) She's been called a boy like three times in the past three weeks! I really don't care, but it is funny when she is wearing all pink, or a dress?! My mom and I have decided though that already she is just a little tom-boy - we'll see!!!
ANyway, here she is all dressed up to go to our friend Fawn's baby shower. It was just lovely, but Em got tired so we left early and she was literally asleep within 5 minutes of getting in her carseat!

When we got home she was just enthralled with the gift bag from the shower. She carried it ALL over the house, switching hands, shaking it, looking inside, taking things out, then moving along. Now that REALLY was like a little girl:)

Love to all...

Walking, walking, walking

Em is almost always walking, walking, walking! Here she is with her sippy cup (she loves water and apple juice). The next one she is walking around with ehr towel, and in the third picture she is tormenting the dogs - ha ha!

Elliott is in Alaska of all places so it has been just us. Yesterday we went to Costoc and took a wlak outside as it has been spring-like here, in the upper 50's (50 is the normal high for now). I am DYING to get outside and work!

Not a lot new going on here. El gets home today (yippie!!!!!!!!!) so that will be wonderful.

Love to all...

Quote of the Day

I found the following quote in a magazine we get called Wondertime. It made me smile, as all most of us want is for our kids to be happy.

"Yes, we can loll her for six more chapters, before - ys, waffles, yes you can stay naked all day or until you think you need cothes, yes to butter on the video popcorn today and me beside you for not just the scary parts, then yes to a rain-walk, yes, even tot he culvert rushing water and the long way home, yes to candles with dinner, yes to no lettuce, yes, I'll save the opera and switch to jazz, yes- a bath bead? - take two, and yes I will sing the sond, yes, just his once, three times."
- Ellen Dore Watson, May 1996

Love to all...

Starting Early

Yes, that is Em with a bottle of wine, and rum...... She found the liquor cabinet a little early:( Well, she had fun:) The other pictures are her in her new pink dress with a satin from her grown-up dinner at Timberlodge Steakhouse. The last picture is HER way of playing with her new toy. She just wanted to carry it around like The Incredible Hulk. She is so funny.

So carrying things around - speciafically towels - is her new favorite thing to do. She spent all day yesterday walking around happy as a lark carrying a kitchen towel. She continued today. How funny she is. Watch she'll end up using a kitchen towel as a "blankie".

Well Dad left for Alaska this morning so it is just us girls and the dogs..... Wish us luck:)

Love to all...

More Pictures

Walking to Aunt Becca - With Grandma and Grandpa and Tuffy (who she tried to chase the whole visit, but he was having none of it).

Playing with Grandpa and her new singing frog - Crawling DOWN the stairs (her idea!)

Doochies in Minnesota

Emma LOVES "doochies" or Cheerios as theya re commonly called! Here she is snakcing on them in Minnestoa. The next pic she is playing with a shot glass! And the final is celebrating my mom's birthday. We had such a WONDERFUL weekend in Minnesota. We got in WEdnesday evening (after Emma took a nap on the plane - yippie!). On Thursday Em and I went to spend time with her Great Grandma Hinrichs. We had fun playing and exploring and ESPECIALLY loved chasing the cat Molly. We went out to lunch and Emma did so well (she went out to eat more over the weekend than she has been her whole life thus far!). On Friday Em, my mom, and I went shopping ALL day! I was so nice to have someone to shop with so we could
"tag-team". Emma got SO spoiled as she had three HUGE piles of clothes tot ake back home with ehr. Of course everything was on EXTREME sale as that is really the only way to shop for little girls who make big messes feeding themselves. Em has l;earned that she can push her stroller holding onto the "shelf" below the seat, and stands there and pushes under me as I push (she made quite a site and turned many heads in the SEattle airport!). Emma ALMOST got to sleep at Caribou Coffe about 3pm, but to no avail. So we walked a bit more, and she just fought sleep for all she was worth. About 4 stores later we were in Old Navy and Em was looking at her 1/2 full bottle and then looking back at me. I gave it to her and covered her stroller with a blanket a bit, and about 5 minutes later she was OUT. So we had a very succesful trip to the Mall. Friday evening Aunt Becca and Uncle Chris came over to see Em. Saturday we went to Becca's wedding shower and Em seemed to be the hit of the party and the entertainment of the day. She is walking EVERYWHERE and is now staning up on her own. No more crawling for her! Saturday evening I left Em in the care of Grandma and Grandpa while I ran to pick up dinner. They fed her and took good care of her! They had been looking forward to a little alone time with her. Sunday morning we left Em in the care of Grandpa! They did well together, walking up and down the sairs when we came home. Hmm.... what else? Em tried many different foods - sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, she loved cheesy hasbrowns from Timberlodge steakhjouse! Monday Mom and Em and I went bargain shopping YET AGAIN. needless to say I had to pay extra because my bag was too heavy:) The flight home, well, that was a long one. Emma didn't cry, but she didn't sleep either. That means she was awake from 1:15 - 9:15pm Minnesota time!!!!! That is unheard of for her. She was flirt onthe plane, playing hide and seek with the teenage boy behind me, and she reached over and then went to the lady kiddie corner behind us (althoug she did cry as soon as she realized what she had really done!), she was SQUIRMY the WHOLE time. And I don't mean just a little, I mean I had a hard time keeping her in my lap sometimes becasue she wanted to flip over backwards and was coninuously watching people upside down. she is so goofy. ANYWAY, after many compliments onhow she traveled (I kept telling everyone they didn't have to hold her the whole 3 1/2 hours:)) we made it home safe and sound. She was asleep in the truck before we ever left the airport!

Love to all...

Gravity

Emma has realized that when she drop her food on the floor it either makes a sound, or a design. She has also noticed that Roscoe will ome over to her if she holds her food out for him. Ah, the joys of motherhood and cleaning:) They seem to go hand in hand -ha!

You'll notice the black beans and avocado bits on the floor. The other picture is Elliott picking on Emma a bit. Well, she enjoyed it so maybe it isn't exactly picking per say. She enjoyed being pushed around in the mixing bowl, one of her faovite things to play with these days, only with shiny silver spoons.

We are off to MN tomorrow, and I am not lookign forward to the plave ride wish me luck. love to all

Eating Adventures Too!

WE are exploring new foods with Emma too! She seems to really be into feeding herself, and it is more of a struggle when I try and feed her recently. SO... So far she likes yams, black beans, toast, crackers, carrots, cheerios, potatoes, nectarines - a lot! We are going to try kiwiw and avocado this week too. You will notice the food bits in her hair in the later picture:)

She continues to explore walking, but has not really gotten up to standing and taken off on her own yet. I afraid that is only a few days away!

Love to all...

Little Adventurer

She has no fear and is ready to go where ever we will let her! Yesterday she figured out how to crawl THROUGH the cat hole in our child/dog gate. Then she wanted to get under the other dog gate! It is only a matter of time until she figures that one out. On another exciting note - EMMA WALKED! She has been going like crazy wtih her walker and anything that will substitute for it, for a long itme now. yesterday though she really took to walking around just holding my one finger. Then last night she wanted to get to the dogs' food bowls. I had her let go of my hand and off she went! Then El came into the room and we repeated it over and over again for the video camera. She walked the entire length of the kitchen like it was nothin'. She won't stand up and do it onher own yet, she is still abit wobbly. But once she gets going she is speedy. SO, soon I am sure she will be running us ragged:) Love to all...

Juice

Em got a new sippy cup that doesn't have handles! It is for her juice. Elliott was excited for her to try juice so I got some organic no sugar added apple juice. She really seems to like it, of course!

This morning I went and took dance class (AMAZING!!!) while El took Emma to the YMCA while her played racquet ball. All in all good times for all of us:)

This afternoon Emma will NOT have anything to do with taking a nap! I think she is so excited to be walking around holding just one hand that she doesn't want to stop!

I also noticed that her top rigth tooth just popped through her gums, so that must be bugging her too. Otherwise, she is just being Emma:)

Love to all...

Strong Girl

Holy Crap! Emma is SO strong. I pray to God she doesn't play football or want to wrestle:) We'll support her no matter what - ha ha! But take a look at the picture of her and the dining room chair - she is pushing it around like a "walker"!!!!! It is a heavy chair and she just steered it all around the kitchen like it was nothing. Oh man she is so funny and just a world full of wonder.

The other pic is of her taking a little ride on Roscoe. She is infatuated with him lately.

Today I had a metting at the Attic all day and Em stayed with her dad! I guess it was A LOT to handle, but she did take two naps for him, so that was helpful. Tomorrow I think we will go to the mommy and me music class that Jessica leads (assuming Em isn't already napping).

What else can I say? She is tending to get more vocal, and today she mimicked Elliott when he did the "ta-da!" and raised her arms and made the same intonation. And then yesterday when we were looking at her farem animals book I said "moo" for the cow and she went "mmmmm". SO FUN!

That's about it for now. Love to all...

She Found Em'

She finally found the clothes in my drawer! I often set her there if I am getting ready in the bedroom , as she likes to play with the metal pulls. But the other day she had a HEY DAY pulling everything out of the drawer! I guess when I was little it was one of my favorite things to do.

Not a whole lot new here. em was with her Dad last night and I guess she was SO tired she fell asleep by 5:45, and only woke up once last night! Yippie!!!! So she is already awake this morning, but very happy and smiley afer her good night's sleep.

love to all...

Lil' Dancer

Emma and her dad taking a little break. She is enjoying chewing on his keys. The other picture is our friend Fawn (who is pregnant herself!) helping Emma walk. As a matter of fact she said she wasn't really doing anything, Emma just took off all on her own (while holding on to the spoons). So she is REAL CLOSE to walking!!!!!!!!!!! Help! It is so fun though, to se eher want to get to something and test if she can take a step there. She is quite brave.

How cute that she has her little ballerina shirt on? Dad put it on her so I would see it when I got home form my audition! Which went pretty well by the way. I don't suck - yay! We find out tonight who go thte part.

Speaking of the brae little girl (and a bad mom!).... I heard her playing with the gate yesterday, so I knew she was just around the corner. Then I realized I didn't hear her anymore. I RAN and found her almost to the top of our first flight of stairs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD...

Anyway:) Off to Jason and Holly's to watch the Super Bowl today. Love to all...

Spoons

Here are Em and Roscoe looking over the baby gate. She has been so taken with him lately. The other pic is her playing with spoons last night. She was thoroughly entertained for a good 1/2 hour with them, then she moved on to her diaper bag. She explored everything in there testing what would be good to chew on, what would rattle or make noise when she shook it. She is so good at just entertaining herself sometimes. As we speak she is perfectly content sitting in her dad's lap chewing on keys. I know it is probably gross, but she is happy and smiling SO big! And really, she chews on everything so I give up trying unless it is something really terrible.

That's about it for now. Love to all...