First came love, then marriage, and now we're strolling around with our very own baby carriage. Follow us as we begin our journey through parenthood, while sharing all the ups, downs and bumps along the way...
Happy 40th, Em!!! This week has been a busy one for you!
On Friday, you attended a baby music class for the first time! It was entertaining to watch you listen to the music and look at all the other babies. There is one song where the music instructor incorporates all of the babies' names into a song, and each of the babies faces lit up when they heard their names being sung. You looked a little confused as to how this stranger knew your name. You were crawling all over the place, playing with all the different musical instruments and tried to take the teacher’s bag and papers! You did have fun singing and dancing though. :)
On Saturday you took what might have been your first standing step!! You were on your play mat and Daddy was sitting on the couch. He said you might have took a step to get closer to him, but I only saw you out of the corner of my eye so I can’t say for sure. ;) On Sunday you turned 9 months old! To celebrate the momentous occasion, you tried stage 3 purees for the first time -- chicken with stars! It didn't seem like you loved the little chunks, but you tolerated them and ate it up! On Monday, you finally cut your first top tooth! We've been waiting for that bugger to come out for a while. You also possibly took 3 steps towards me -- or maybe just fell/fumbled, I couldn't tell -- while I was sitting on the floor in the living playing with you!! You took a 1 hour & 2 minute nap in your crib on Monday morning!!! {Mommy & Daddy were both shocked!} Also on Monday, youtried pasta (plain rotini) for the first time! You put it into your mouth and chewed it, but didn't really seem too impressed. Monday marked 39 weeks & 4 days since you're birth, so you've officially been out in the world longer than you were cooking in Mommy's tummy!
You tried pureed beef for the first time on Wednesday, and also tried a stage 3 chicken casserole puree on Tuesday! You didn't love the beef, but I was able to water it down with some winter squash for you. The chicken casserole was a no-go....you don't want the thicker/textured purees yet, and that's okay -- at least you tried it! :)
You've been making a lot of "ma" sounds this week.
You played with your stuffed monkey instead of crying when you woke up on Thursday morning!
39 weeks and 4 days. As of yesterday, I've officially carried Emily in my arms as long as I did in my belly!
The past 18 months have been one wild ride. I've laughed a lot, cried some, smiled until my face hurt, grew as a person {literally and figuratively!}, worried a bunch, enjoyed countless snuggles, gave up on ever sleeping soundly again, mastered new skills I never even knew existed, and I've learned more about life's meaning, love and my own strength than I ever thought imaginable. One of the greatest honors in my life has been the chance to add the role of "mother" to my repertoire.
I wouldn't trade the time I've had with Emily & Shep as we grew into our own little family of three for anything in the universe. If I died tomorrow, I could honestly say I've lived a blessed life.
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."
Dearest Emily, I carried you in my belly for 9 months but will carry you in my heart forever. You have brought so much love and joy into my heart. For as long as I live, I will spend every hour of every day sharing my love with you. Love, Mommy
Your boundless energy, curiosity, and beautiful laughter make each and every day brighter! Despite your refusal to take long naps and dislike of having your diaper changed, we are so blessed to call you our baby. You love crawling super fast, standing up by yourself, and being tickled. You won't sit still for photos anymore, and constantly try to get into the washing machine, dishwasher, recycling bin, and pantry. You certainly keep us on our toes, and we wouldn't have it any other way!
Happy 9 Month Birthday to our precious little girl! We can't remember what our lives were like without you, and we thank God for you every day!
Can't believe this little sweetie pie has been outside in the real world almost as long as she was inside my belly!
Shep pointed out an interesting excerpt from our 38 week pregnancy update that I linked to last week, which I wanted to share here:
Shockingly, baby is still very active and moving around a lot, despite the fact that it must be cramped quarters in there! I'm glad this little one is still having a jolly good time in my belly; I just hope s/he keeps its head down! I'm really curious to see how squirmy and squigly this baby is outside of the womb, and whether the "real world" activity level will be the same or totally different than in utero!
I think we ALL know the answer to that one! ;)
Thinking back on those last weeks of my pregnancy is surreal. It seems like it was just yesterday, yet at the same time it is so hard to imagine life before I got to hold my dear sweet Emily in my arms every day. In those last couple weeks I was scared.... terrified even!.... of labor and delivery and even moreso for being responsible for keeping another fragile and helpless human alive. It seems so silly to me now that I worried over such things. I also remember the anticipation. Wondering whether we'd be blessed with a little bundle of pink or blue, what name we'd settle on, and how it would feel to hold MY newborn baby and walk back into our home as a family of three after leaving for the hospital as a couple. There were just so many emotions floating around in those days, and I wish I could have bottled them all up and stored them in my memory box. It's wacky to me to think I'll never again know what it will be like to have my first baby. To become an actual mother for the first time, instead of just mentally preparing for it. I recently came across a post on Scary Mommy that struck a couple familiar chords in my nostalgic heart and accurately summed up a lot of the feelings I experienced during the end of my own pregnancy:
http://www.scarymommy.com/the-end-of-pregnancy/
I will focus less on the aches and pains, the fear of the impending labor and delivery, and the worry that that crippling sensation might actually be you trying to punch your way out of me. Instead, I will close my eyes and feel you — really FEEL you — living a whole little life inside of me. I will imagine what you look like, wonder what you are dreaming about in there and whether you know it’s my hand meeting yours on the other end of those countless tiny blows. No one else on this Earth has felt you the way I have, and this otherworldly connection between us will come to an abrupt end before we know it. Though one day soon I’ll no longer be able to feel your kicks, I know the days will come when I will instead feel you wrap your arms around my neck and nuzzle your head into my shoulder, feel you slip your warm hand into mine to know you are safe, feel you twirl my hair in your tiny fingers as you drift off to sleep in my arms.
The seasons are changing in our hearts and home as we prepare for your arrival, Baby. With the pressure of so much still to do before you get here, it’s been easy to forget how fleeting and extraordinary our pregnancy together has been. .... It’s been a privilege to carry you, and I can’t wait to look into your eyes and tell you how much I already love you.
***
Just as pregnancy flew by, 39 weeks of Emily's life have passed by in the blink of an eye.
This week Emily tried for the first time pureed broccoli {separately mixed first with apples and then with carrots} and pureed chicken risotto with portabella mushrooms {she's so fancy!}, and loved them both! A girl after my own tummy. ;) She's a rockstar with her morning oatmeal and purees -- fruits, veggies and proteins -- but doesn't really seem to love any "table food" solids yet. She can adeptly feed herself puffs, and they are growing on her. She wasn't a fan of them at first, and would make a face that looked like I was making her chew rubber, but this week at daycare she ate a bunch of them and had some after dinner a couple nights too. It is soooooo cute to see her pick the little puffs up with her adorably chubby fingers and navigate them into her mouth. Her little jaw/tooth chewing action is equally entertaining to watch. I could just eat this little munchkin up.... I adore her every move and am so proud of everything she can do, despite the fact that I feel like she's growing up waaaaaay too quickly!
Speaking of food, guess who ate in a big girl high chair for the first time at the mall with Mommy & Daddy!
I can't take those dangling tootsies!!!
Emily also celebrated her very first Valentine's Day! It's safe to say that she had several valentines pining after her affection, which I'm sure is not going to change any time soon!!
We had a little pre-V-day photo shoot last week so that Emily could send some love notes out to her favorite kiddies, which resulted in a bunch of great bloopers. Warning for those of you sensitive to sugar -- sweetness overload ahead!!!
Emily is getting into all kinds of fun! Last Sunday she grabbed the remote control off the couch and started laughing maniacally like a super villain about it! Good thing the camera was nearby, because this is too funny to miss:
I tell you, this kiddo is a constant source of entertainment! I'm pretty sure she gets her sense of fun and humor from me, of course! ;) I feel so blessed to be her one and only Mommy, and love every memory I am making with Emily and her sweet Daddy.
I remember being 38 weeks pregnant like it was yesterday. Of course there was my biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig belly. We were nervous, but soooooooo excited to meet our little one.
Of course it wasn't yesterday, it was months ago! And now at 38 weeks young, Emily is such a cuddly cutie pie!!
Where the heck does the time go????
Emily had a rough week leading up to her 38 week birthday..... sick again. :( The official diagnosis was bronchiolitis which is basically a really bad chest cold. She also had a DOUBLE ear infection!! My poor sweet baby....
Luckily, she's feeling all better now! I hate to jinx myself, but I reallllllly hope she stays that way for at least a little while longer this time!
Despite feeling under the weather, her sparkly personality never wavered. Even with a stuffy, runny nose and sore ears, this kid was still her happy self for the most part. She's a real pip, and doesn't let a little cold get in the way of her playtime, or standing time! Or "helping" Mommy with the laundry {by taking each item out of her hamper one by one and dropping it on the floor}...
Emily tried pureed rutabaga for the first time, and wasn't a big fan. Though I have to say, she hasn't really been interested in solids much at all while she's been feeling sick, so we can't rule it out yet. ;)
Emily took one of her longest naps ever -- 1 hour and 40 minutes -- in her Daddy's lap last weekend. Such a cozy lap that she didn't want to wake up! I am sure she needed the rest though to help her get better, so am thankful that her Daddy cuddled her for so long. :) Those two are so adorable together, I swear it melts my heart.
It's crazy to me to think that at this point Emily's almost been "out in the world" longer than she was in the womb! That day is coming up so fast, it's scary! It's nearly impossible to remember life B.E. Before Emily was not as fun {or exhausting!} as with Emily. ;)
.... And curious about everything!!! Here's Emily checking out Princess Kate's wardrobe:
This past week Emily tried pureed green beans {which she was pretty neutral about} and raspberries {which she liked} as well as tiny little bits of "real" avocado and banana {neither of which she was a fan of} for the first time.
Green Beans
She also experienced her first Super Bowl, and started "clicking" her tongue a bunch. This kid looooooves standing and does it every chance she gets!
She also got another cold at daycare, so got some extra cuddle snuggle time in with Mommy & Daddy on her days home.
Gosh, I remember being 36 weeks pregnant like it was just yesterday. Me, with a big 'ole belly:
Well, this is what 36 weeks out of the womb looks like!
Much more photogenic. ;)
Emily is 36 weeks young and loving life! She celebrated her day by smiling {i.e. not crying} at both drop-off AND pick-up at daycare! Yay!!! That made for one relieved Mommy. :)
Emily celebrated her 250 day birthday on 1/27/15! WOW, what a milestone! This was the day she stood independently for several seconds for the first time. We also had our first "snow day". The forecast called for a blizzard, so Mommy & Daddy's offices both closed. We didn't go outside to play because it was realllllly cold, but we had our own fun shenanigans inside. :)
On top of all that excitement, Emily tried lentil puree for the first time and LOVED it! It was the first time she's finished an entire 4 oz jar at one sitting, and she practically licked the bowl clean. ;) Emily finished the day off on a high note when she woke up at 11pm in her crib, sat up and moaned for 1-2 minutes and then LAID DOWN AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP ON HER OWN!!! All in all, it was a day for the memory books for sure. ;)
Emily also had a play date with her 4 month old friend Sloane! :)
