Daddy's Birthday

Blake turned 32 this year and in true fashion for our little family, birthdays aren't a very big to-do. We're pretty big fans of dinner and a rental movie for non-milestone birthdays.

This weekend, however, we had the treat of Blake's mom visiting. So there were gifts a dinner out and pictures. Emerson came out to dinner with us and she was as sweet and patience as usual. Lets hope she keeps that patience. She ate her fair share of spoons and toys while we enjoy our dinners.

Cool paper dad, let me help you with this.

Wow Grandma, this is a pretty cool box. I love her face :)

Waiting (for over an hour) for a lovely birthday dinner.
EJ was cracking us up with how she entertained herself with the leather handle of Grandma's purse. 

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Happy birthday to the best husband and daddy we could ever ask for. You never cease to amaze us with your unconditional leadership, love, support and sense of humor. We love you so much!

Seven Months

The number keeps getting bigger and so does she. I liked when she was still half a year old or less, but now we're on the downhill slide to one and it's a little sad.

Emerson continues to bless our souls and bring joy to our hearts daily. Our big milestones this month were moving to the next rise setting on the diapers, getting very stable at sitting up, being able to roll both ways and the biggest (and most surprising) milestone was the appearance of teeth! She is 19.4 pounds and 27.75 inches long. She's solidly in 9 month clothes and a week ago we had to break out some 12 month outfits.

We have said goodbye to our good sleeper and said hello to the teething phase and all its sleep disturbances. It comes and goes but there are nights when she just needs to cuddle or eat (or both) all night long. She is also a little clingier and keeps her eyes on where I am at all times during the day. Then there were days when I couldn't put her down period. I can't say that I mind the extra cuddles, even if it means missing the occasional shower.

Emerson changes so fast lately. She's on the verge of moving but hasn't quite gotten it down (thank goodness). She does move very proficiently in a circle, and sometimes a figure eight though. She even moves backwards too. Suddenly all her favorite toys are old news and any non-toys are the best (until they're too familiar too). She's a chatter box and loves to play coy with anyone willing to smile and wait for her to turn her head away and back again with a smile. She started putting her hands up to ask to be picked up and loves to play the game of back and fourth by asking to go from one person to another. Its so cute to see her have a little power over her little world (we'll see how cute it is when she's two). Isn't communication fun?! :)

Teeth were a surprise. We came home from being gone for two weeks over the holidays and I figured we'd have a rough week adjusting back to just two adoring parents and only mom most of the day. She was ridiculously clingy as expected, drooled and chewed like usual but it was her acidic poops that made me wonder if we were dealing with the beginning of teething.. even though she is younger than I expected. So I put on the amber teething necklace just in case. After a few days I told myself surely she isn't teething, she's only six months old. So I took the necklace off.. after about 24 hours she was miss crankzilla again so the next day I put it back on to see if anything changed back (it did). That night as she was fussing deep into the night I reached over in desperation and let her suck on my finger. And when I did... I felt it, that little ridge of a tooth. About five days after the first one, the second tooth broke through. She's been chewing pretty vigorously lately so we'll see if more are on their way.

In her winter outfit from Grandma :)

Not sure what this face is about...

You're funny mommy

And now we're sad.

Trying to get a shot of the teeth but... no way mom.

No way.

What teeth..(rubs tongue on teeth making a funny face).. no teeth here.

She can pull out the Pouty Face and a crocodile tear at the drop of a hat.
I said no teeth momma!

Hi mom

Cool toy mom

So big!

Hi mom, will you pick me up?

Not sure why this is happening?

Telling another story.

These teeth feel cool

I enlisted grandma's help and excellent distraction techniques. 

On the beach getting ready to clam dig.

One of her favorite non-toy toys.

A little comparison. 

Merry First Christmas

The First Christmas - wrapped in nostalgia and expectation yet not actually recalled by the one whom it is all about. Funny isn't it?

I wasn't sure how much Emerson would really get into Christmas this year, but we tried to do a few things to make it stand out, for us adults anyway. We made a special ornament, picked out a few gifts and tried to share the excitement of the season. Fortunately, there is some forgiveness while we try to establish our family traditions, since these first few years give us some room for trial and error. 

In the end, it turned out Emerson loved pulling the bows from the gifts. She didn't care too much for unwrapping (why would you when you have that cool bow!?) and she was only occasionally interested in the gift itself ;). 

One of the traditions in my family is decorating the tree with Christmas movies or music and hot cider. Emerson got in on some of this action.

Her special 'First Christmas' ornament for grandma

Checking out the action

Getting a ride on Daddy to check out the Angel

A late night with our tree at home.

Christmas catch-lights 

(our tree at home)

I have no idea how or why this picture is snowing. Seriously. No idea.

With her special ornament

Her hand print First Christmas ornament 

In her Christmas dress for a practice photoshoot.

We have quite a bit of holiday festivities between our two families, starting with Christmas Eve service. I love starting the holiday off with sweet reminder of what the season is about. My favorite part is listening to the Christmas story from Luke and finishing up with Silent Night by candlelight. I wanted to get a sweet picture of her looking at all the candles, but she saw her daddy's and wanted it. No time for decent pictures!

After the service we went to Blake's family's Christmas eve party for carols and a visit from Santa (aka Uncle David). We might not always make it to this event, but this year we had a special present to pick up. Her hand knit stocking from Great Grandma D, which matches the rest of Blake's family's. Very special since Grandma D said that she was done two stockings ago! 

She liked it at first. 

Her first Christmas present... she's intrigued. 

Checking out the stocking

And she's done.

Checking out her second cousin Finn. Still holding her wrapping paper scrap. 

Aaaand Finn is done. He can crawl now soooooo. Peace.

Next up, Christmas morning. This year we were at Blake's family's for the morning. It was a wonderful morning and a little bit of a blur with a squirming little one on my lap!

Cousins

Oh look, a bow.

With her special stocking. 

Hmm.. ya, I'll eat it.. with or without the paper.

The first present that she really took interest in,
she practically leaped out of my lap to get her mouth on this when I opened it. 

 We also went to Blake's grandparent's house to see his mom's family and opened a few presents. I only took one picture there though!

In the evening we made our way to my parents' house and had dinner with my grandparents.  After dinner... presents! We scaled down this year and just did stocking stuffer type presents for everyone.

Visiting with G. Grandma S

Passing out the stockings. 

L-R: My brother Jordan, my sister-in-law Theresa (and the bun in her oven), my brother Jared and Blake. 

Trying on her cousin-to-be's hat with daddy-to-be Uncle Jared

Opening presents with Uncle Jordan

The day after Christmas with some of her new toys.

Playing with Grandma

In her sweater from daddy

Checking out Great Grandpa's buttons. 

It was a wonderful first Christmas. Emerson was spoiled, but not too spoiled. She was interested in the festivities, but not too interested (and not mobile, so that helped). We all enjoyed the fun of watching her checking out the new things of the season. Can't wait until next year!