JJ and Emily

Canasta

2012-01-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

Tim's cousin's husband, Matt, is the lead singer for Chicago-based band Canasta. They are going on a tour to Mongolia and have a great write-up about them at National Geographic Music. So exciting!
http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/article/content.article/canasta_mongolia/en_US

And if you want more info on Canasta, here's their website http://www.canastamusic.com/

Hiatus

2012-01-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

We're still here, enjoying life with two kiddos and a mutt.
Our home computer crashed and hasn't been fixed yet. I haven't been able to upload my hundreds of photos to post here, hence the lack of photos lately.
We had a great holiday season, getting to visit with lots of family and friends, and have enjoyed being home as well.
Emily is now full-on walking (as of Dec 16, 2011) and is talking up a storm now. Every day she says a new word or two. Every day she grows as a person, which is amazing to watch. Literally, her personality is blooming on a daily basis.
JJ is doing great with not being in preschool for now. (He starts back up next week). His latest loves are all things Toy Story, dinosaurs, and puzzles. He is such a big help and such a great kid. He and Emily love to play together and make each other laugh (and take each other's toys).
It's a wonderful life!

Christmas cute

2011-12-07T14:20:00.001-08:00

Emily Stands!!

2011-11-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

Emily can stand! Without any support! For brief moments! Yay!!
We got some photographic evidence of her standing on her own, before Halloween.

She can keep her balance for a few seconds before falling on her bottom. She still says "Ow", which cracks me up. Lately, she's been going from a sit to a stand on her own, without pulling herself up. She gets all fours on the ground then kind of squats, then rises into a stand. I'm not in any rush to have her walking on her own, yet its exciting to see her hitting these milestones.

Dressing up

2011-11-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Emily was a bee for Halloween, a good choice for this busy little one.

We tried to dress her up as a purple dragon, but she did not like the costume. She was much happier being a bee.

JJ got to go trick or treating three different times this year, including around our neighborhood. He scored a ton of candy, which mommy and daddy are still enjoying to this day.
Our little bee and our Mater. JJ wanted to go as Mater again, and since his costume is pretty nifty and comfortable, I was ok with it. I'll make them wear homemade costumes when they are older and can help make them.

JJ filling up on grilled cheese with Owen before starting the neighborhood session.

JJ and friends: Lilly the bunny, JJ as Mater, Owen the green dragon, and Lydia the princess. They all had a great time ringing doorbells together and saying "Trick or Treat!"

Emily didn't ring bells or collect candy this year, but she'll definitely be ready next year.

One of JJ's treats was a pair of vampire teeth,(he called them "bonfire" teeth") which he loved wearing, until they broke.

Even though Halloween is over, dressing up is still fun to do. Emily the firefighter

October Snows

2011-11-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

We had a few big snows before Halloween. The kids loved watching it fall out the window. Yay for snow!

Miscellaneous pictures

2011-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Random pictures that were hiding on the computer from August and September.

Emily loves playing with her dolls and giving sweet shy smiles.

Emily is making a goofy face- she is so expressive! It's great to finally have a camera is fast enough to catch fleeting facial expressions.

Emily loves getting into things in the kitchen.

"What up, sis."

"What up, block."

Babies + socks on hands = laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying mommy laughter

Such a goof!

Speaking of goofs... I dressed JJ in all his safety gear. tee hee!

Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

2011-11-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

JJ got to take mommy, daddy, and Pappa Rose to go see Thomas the Train!! It was an exciting day for JJ! He rode on a train pulled by Thomas, and got to play with wooden trains, and got a James tattoo and listened to stories and saw a (really bad) magician and got so much cool Thomas stuff!

Steamboat Weekend 2011

2011-11-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

We went to Steamboat Springs back in September and had a great family weekend. Too bad JJ got carsick on the drive up.

We stayed in a little cabin, which was fun for JJ, as he loved climbing up and down the bunks and going in and out. It was kind of cold the weekend we went, so Emily and I stayed in the cabin while the boys played outside. Emily is making a goofy face while eating a cheese slice.

We took the bus into town, always a big deal to JJ.

We went out to eat a time or two. JJ loved playing with his new hopping bat toy.

Emily made cute faces and showed us how she "snuggles" with an invisible object.

The weather was cold and wet, not great for strolling, but we still had a great weekend!

What have we been up to lately...

2011-10-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Is it really October 25 and this is the first posting of the month?!?...

This month has flown by. Here's a run down of what we've been doing:
- going to the park and playing in the sixty/seventy/eighty degree October weather, and loving it! Alas, snow is predicted for tonight and tomorrow. I love snow, as long as it doesn't snow on Halloween.
- JJ started a new class- tumbling and moving. He really likes it and is doing great with it. I'm hoping he learns some cool tricks and can improve his balance and coordination a bit.
- Emily is teething like mad. She has 4 front top teeth, 3 front bottom teeth, one molar all the way through, and three more a'coming.
- Both kiddos had their first dentist visit today. Emily is good. JJ has two tiny cavities. Ugh. He'll get them filled next week, and it should be pretty painless. His dentist, who looks a lot like my nephews' dad's family (the Flores), is great and doesn't have huge sausage fingers like my first dentist did.
- Tim and I have been re-staining and re-finishing the kitchen table from my parents' old house. I just put another coat of polyurethane on, hopefully its the last one needed.
- hanging out and getting to know new neighbors, all with kids the same ages as ours. Having kids makes me appreciate my neighborhood in a new way!
- hanging out with good friends, both shorties and adults
- getting ready for Halloween!! We've carved pumpkins, baked lots of cookies, have the kids' costumes ready, and are planning to go trick or treating three times. What a fun holiday!
- visiting with Mimi and Pappa Rose
- Emily has been thinking about walking- she has taken some single steps, and is getting better at balancing and cruising!
- going to the store every other day for milk. Maybe I just turn my backyard into a goat pen and we can all start drinking goat milk...

Photo Boothing

2011-09-21T19:43:00.000-07:00


April 2010

November 2010

September 2011

Here are the three photo booth pictures we've taken in the last two years. I must admit, I love photo booths! You have no clue how good the photos will turn out, yet it is always so fun to do. The last photo from this year is my favorite so far. I wonder what JJ is thinking...

Birthday gift enjoyment

2011-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying Emily's birthday gifts today. Here's her new chair from Mimi and Pappa

Here's Emily with her cool gyro bowl- it's on its side and yet her snacks don't fall out!

JJ is showing her how to use the gyro bowl

Emily's new water bottle- she loves it.

Emily turns 1!

2011-09-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Emily had her first birthday yesterday! Wow! My sweet little baby is one year old! We celebrated her birthday throughout the previous week, starting with a visit from Mimi and Pappa Rose.

Emily and JJ loved playing and hanging out with them while they were here.

Emily got a new pair of kicks from Mimi and Pappa- some darling purple Keens! She loves walking around in them and playing with the strap, and it is so cute to see them on her.

Emily also got this really neat toy house that has all these buttons and doors and phrases and songs. JJ loves playing with it as much as Emily does.

Pappa and Mimi also gave Emily this really neat little handmade chair, with this beautiful mountain scene on the back. She'll have to wait until she's a little steadier with walking and climbing before she can really use it.

Sunday afternoon we had Emily's birthday party at a little park. It was a beautiful day for the kids to play and for Emily to get her first taste of cake (more on that in a bit).

Some of the party peoples (Big thanks to Tia Iracema for the pretty party dress!)

Kids love to celebrate birthdays! Lilly, JJ, and Jacqueline

Tim and I helped Emily blow out her candle- she almost blew it by herself. She also got her fingers in her cake- tee hee. She did eat half a piece, which impressed me (JJ wouldn't even taste his cake at his second birthday).

Emily liking her very first taste of sugary goodness!

Emily loves playing with balls and cups, and sporting her new shoes.

Emily also liked opening her presents, with help from JJ, Lilly, and daddy. She got a new Arial plush doll, two books, a new baby doll, and a fancy new coat.

The party was a lot of fun, and Emily enjoyed being held by many different people. JJ had a good time playing with Lilly and Jacqueline. Lilly got stung by a bee at the end of the party and was such a trooper about it. I'm really glad that Lilly isn't scared of bees now.

Emily's birthday was a cold and wet day, perfect for a really fun playdate with Megan and Lilly, and new friends Julie and two of her boys, Caiden and Solen. All the kids got along really well, and it was great to get some visiting time in with cool moms.

Today we ate the last of Emily's birthday cake and opened her gifts from us and from my sister, Christine. Emily is now the proud owner of a purple Nalgene bottle (just like JJ's green one), and this really cool gyro bowl that is impossible to spill food out of, along with some new clothes and some really cute little books. (I'll post pictures of the cool bowl when the camera battery is recharged) Happy birthday Emily!

Every day, Emily is getting better at pulling herself up and walking while holding hands. It seems like every day a little bit more of Emily's personality is revealed. (Not sure if that's because I'm more rested now and more awake to notice this, or if she's actually coming into her own more). Emily is such a happy and sweet baby. She loves to show you her toy and give it to you. She makes a toy out of anything, meaning she is easily pleased. She loves to look through books and play with JJ's cars. She even pushes the car along while making car noises. Emily loves to dance (bobbing and moving her torso back and forth) and listen to music and play with toys that make music. Any little hole she can stick a finger into, she will attempt. The girl loves drinking water, and gets agitated until she gets her sippy cup of water (usually just one or two ounces). Emily is really balanced on a rocking horse and can climb up stairs. When Emily does get upset, she's starting to cry "mama" and throw a little bit of a fit. She does calm down quickly when soothed (whew!) and loves to snuggle still (yes!) When she bonks herself or gets hurt, she clearly and audibly says "Ow." I laugh every time I hear her say it, and she is starting to say it more as she gets more adventurous. Emily still lights up when she sees JJ and loves to play with whatever he's playing with (which does not always please JJ).

Emily's one year checkup is in two weeks, when we find out her stats, ask the doctor a hundred questions, and deal with the after-effects of shots. I look forward to it and dread it at the same time.

August/September doings

2011-09-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

This summer has flown by. We've been busy the last few weeks, but I don't really remember with what exactly.
Tim and JJ reading on the floor. JJ loves to have books read to him.
Emily loves to look at books, and magazines, and can make quite a mess in the process.
Playing with Mimi and Pappa one weekend.
Snuggle time with Emily. Kind of hard to see but she's making a silly face here.
Naked baby! Emily is so chubby and has some loverly baby fat.
JJ loves playing baseball out in the backyard with Tim, and has gotten really good at hitting Tim's pitches.
JJ now has a kiddie bike with training wheels. He enjoys it but definitely needs coaxing and encouragement to ride it, same as with his balance bike.

Emily and JJ playing together.

JJ is such a goofball! This is how he came down the stairs one night before getting ready for bed (I think he had help from Tim on getting his underpants on his head)
And Emily is such a happy kiddo!
Cute profile shot.

I love babies in outfits like this, that accentuate the big head and the big diaper booty.
Busted! Caught her red-handed
"Who? Me?"
JJ the firefighter. He has a firefighter helmet, a firefighter oxygen tank, a firetruck steering wheel, and a firefighter dalmatian (stuffed cow toy).
Such a great firefighter!
Poor JJ and Emily, stuck on top of the freezer while I do some laundry...
Daddy's little girl. Now that Tim is teaching (which he loves and is thrilled to be doing), he is getting to spend a lot more time with Emily and she loves it!
Good morning JJ!
Fussy Emily!
Silly Emily!
Cute Emily!
JJ relaxing in his bed. He likes to play with his wall decorations.
Emily rooting through all of JJ's toys while he is at school. Something tells me this won't be the only time this happens...
Emily in a box- how fun!
tee hee hee!
It's a popsicle kind of morning
My kiddos,
I love them to pieces.
JJ is now 3 and a half years old, and acts like it. The 3 year old stage is tougher for me as a mom in some ways than the 2 year old stage was. It seems like JJ is learning so much, and growing so fast, and pushing his limits in new ways. His latest stunt is to keep getting out of bed once we put him down. Sounds horrible and mean but his consequence for getting out bed is getting all his bed things, including his pillow, taken away for a few minutes. (We've tried other techniques to get him to stay in bed, including rewards and consequences, and this 'taking things away' is the most effective.) He'll cry and be upset but will stay in bed once we return his things, usually after 3 or 4 minutes. His bedtime is supposed to be between 7:30 and 8, but with all the shenanigans, its closer to 8:45 or 9:00 before he falls asleep. He is still taking a nap in the afternoons, which may make it harder for him to fall asleep at his bedtime. Since he is such a great napper, I'm hesitant for him to give it up. I've talked to other parents of 3 year olds, and they are all going through the same "bedtime battle" that we are. JJ's bedtime routine isn't really that bad, but it does mean he's getting to sleep later at night, and still waking up at 6:30 am or so. We've ordered a clock for him that lights up when its ok for him to get out of bed. I'm hoping this new clock will help him learn to stay in bed longer in the mornings, and let me get a few extra minutes of sleep.

JJ has also been having bad dreams lately. This is a new development. He'll wake up crying and either come into our room or wait for one of us to go to him. Poor kid- he's pretty upset after he does have a bad dream. The other day he said there was a blinking alien who kept blowing on his back. The blinking alien part is from his bike helmet but I have no clue where he got the part about it blowing on his back. Kind of freaks me out that something would be blowing on his back. Eek.

JJ is also taking some classes through the city. He is in a preschool class, two days a week, and starts a swim class this week. He is doing great in the classes, and I appreciate the alone time with Emily.

Since Tim is now teaching, he and I are working opposite schedules so that we don't have to pay for childcare on a regular basis. The new schedule is working out well for all of us. Tim works a shorter day and has more time with the kids, which he loves. I work the same amount and still get plenty of time to do fun things with the kids. Both JJ and Emily are napping at home and doing well with that.

Emily turns one on Wednesday, and I'll post about that later this week. She is teething and has been waking up more at night. I was going in to nurse her during the worst of it, but am now letting her "cry it out" to get her to sleep through the night again. I strongly dislike the "cry it out" method, because it is hard on her and hard on me, but it is also the most effective way to get her to fall back asleep on her own. Good thing I have hobbies, like writing this blog post, to keep me otherwise occupied while she quiets back down.

Emily is crawling on all fours now, for the most part. She still army-crawls when she gets really excited. She can also pull herself up to a standing position. She's getting stronger and more mobile every day.

Tim and I have enjoyed lots of date nights lately, thanks to great family members who love to baby-sit. It's been really nice to be able to go out, and get a break from the usual evening routine.

Bob and Carol's trip to Honduras

2011-08-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

Bob and Carol just returned from a trip to Honduras. They have posted pictures and wrote a bit about their trip and working with the orphanage on their blog at http://adventurerose.wordpress.com/

You can also see pictures of their work with Trees, Water, and People at their blog http://treeswaterpeople.wordpress.com/

How great to have such adventurous and generous in-laws!

Emily is 11 months old! (Or, Emily's Latest and Greatest News)

2011-08-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

Emily turned 11 months old today! Wow has the past almost-year flown by. I feel like I'm starting to really get to know Emily, as her personality emerges and forms.

Her latest achievements:
- she is still army crawling, but will occasionally hang out in the table position
- she can now go from crawling to sitting, by pushing her self backwards and onto her bottom
- Emily points at things she sees and wants, and babbles about it
- she says dada, JJ (she'll yell "JJ" at times, when she sees or hears JJ), mama, nana, ese, dis
- she does this "gully-olly" yodel thing with her tongue which cracks me up. Her voice gets really deep when she does it
- she can make her voice high and squeaky or low and deep, depending on what she's saying
- she still likes to snuggle, for a quick minute, then she reaches for something and wants down
- she's not cruising yet, but does like to stand

Emily likes to point at objects that she wants. Ever her fingers are chubby- hee hee.
Emily loves to drink water, out of a sippy cup, glass, or water bottle. She gets upset when she sees a sippy cup and she doesn't get it. One new personality trait is to be upset when she doesn't get what she wants. When she's really upset, Emily will throw her head back and arch her back.
Emily's scrunchy face- she'll huff in and out of her nose while making this face.
Emily loves to play peekaboo, with lids, with tables, with doors, anything available...
even her pants.
Hello baby Emily!
Emily likes to play with my phone.
This is how Emily "talks" on the phone.
Emily pointing at something and telling me about it.
Tim hijacked my photo op. They were looking at my camera before Tim intervened.
Hello again Emily!
Sweetie Emily.
Emily loves her activity table, and is showing her "surprised" face when JJ plays too.
Emily has a hat...
what do you think about that?
Emily crawls through her exersaucer. JJ did the same thing.
Happy 11 months, Emily!
She has some cups.
And she likes to share her cups.

Look at the cute chubbs!
Playing with cups again.
Serious moment.

JJ's Latest and Greatest News

2011-08-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

JJ is 3 years and 5 months old. He was going through a "troublesome three year old" phase but seems to be finishing with that (I really hope so). He is getting so big and fun and smart and old. He makes up words and phrases and songs, has goofy walks and silly moments, loves to climb high and jump far, and is so full of three year old life-ness. I cannot imagine my life without him.
JJ loves putting on his Lightning McQueen shoes.
My little helper.
Lately JJ has taken to wearing his slippers everywhere, even to bed, in this summer heat.
Goofy JJ, putting my socks on and thinking it is so funny!
Maxin' relaxin' JJ.
While in Denver a few weekends ago, we saw some very friendly motorcycle policeman, and boy, was JJ excited. He got to talk to this officer about his bike...
and see the flashing lights...
and even sit on it! JJ was awed by the whole experience. And it was great to meet the friendly policemen who were so in tune with a 3 year old boy.

Tim's Latest and Greatest News

2011-08-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

This post is all about Tim.

1. Tim no longer drinks coffee. This is a good thing for him. He started drinking it once Emily came along and he started teaching last year part-time (less sleep with more to do meant more coffee consumption.)

2. Tim got a new motorcycle in June, a BMW 1100R. He loves it, and couldn't wait to take it all apart. It runs great. He just completed a three hour trip to the mountains and back. Here are my guys working on the bike.
3. Tim is now teaching full-time at the community college! He was offered the automotive teacher position two weeks ago, and accepted. He worked his last two weeks at his shop, and is now doing orientations and meetings and getting ready to start the fall semester. Tim is very excited to be teaching full-time, and we're very happy for him!

Camping!

2011-08-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

We went camping while Chelsea was here. Tim, Matt, and Chelsea went for two nights, while Paige and the kids and I went for one night.
The gang and the campsite.
There was a great place to climb rocks near the campsite. JJ did a great job of climbing and crawling and listening.
Even the little dogs went hiking, with some help from Matt.Back to the campsite
Peekaboo, JJ!

Chelsea cutting veggies for dinner- yum!

Campfire coziness.
This camping trip went really smoothly- not too cold at night, few bugs, and healthy kids. It redeemed camping for me with two kids- yay!

Visitors!

2011-08-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

We've had a great summer, full of fun visitors.
This guy was flying around our backporch. This picture doesn't really do justice to his size- he was a good 4 inches long, the biggest dragonfly I've ever seen! It was neat to see him flying around.
My dad and Uncle Dick came out in July for a week. It was so fun to have them here. We really didn't do much, since I was fighting a cold and had to work, but it was really nice stay home and visit and play. Emily and JJ loved playing with Papa Smith and Uncle Dick and Uncle Jerry. I love this picture- JJ making a face while Papa and the great uncles watch him. Couch time
My dad is great at reading bedtime stories

Uncle Dick and Emily playing together. Emily loved it.
A few hours later, a lot of toys later, and Emily is still playing. I think my dad had just as much fun as Emily did.
Paige and Matt visited a few times too. It's great to have them living in town. Paige fits right in with the Roses with that funny expression.
Chelsea also came out to visit for a few nights. It was great to see her, and the kids got lots of quality visiting time.
Emily, Paige, and Chelsea hanging out on the floor while waiting to skype with Bob and Carol, who are in Honduras.
Chelsea and Matt
While Chelsea was here, we had a cookout and invited Matt and Paige and Paige's sister's family over. I love that everyone gets along so well, especially the kids.

Kids' table- JJ, Kellin, and JaquelineEmily loves the activity table, and was showing it to Aunt Chelsea.

Last weekend, my sister Christine and her boyfriend Bob passed through Denver on their way home. We met up for a quick dinner and a great visit.Emily loved talking to Bob.
And Emily also loved her Aunt Christine.
A few nights ago, Jeff, Tim's old friend, stayed with us for a night. Tim always loves having someone hang out with him while he works on cars.
There's still a few weeks left in the summer if anyone else wants to visit... the door is open!

Tidbits

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some newsy tidbits:
- JJ likes to make up words, like "bagock gock", which he says means "good"
- Emily now has 5 teeth- it must have popped through yesterday. (those teeth can be so sneaky!) It's her upper right tooth, next to her front tooth. Not sure what the technical term is.
- JJ is now wearing underwear at night! This is very exciting in potty training news. He gets up at least once a night to pee, but since he's not waking us up when he does it, that's fine by me. So far, (knock on wood), he hasn't had any nighttime accidents and is very happy to be wearing underwear at night.
- When I pick Emily up from a nap, I always hold her close and cuddle and pat her back. She likes to pat my shoulder in return, letting me know I'm doing a good job.
- JJ is now the very proud owner of light-up shoes. Specifically, the shoes have Lightning McQueen and Mater on them, and have red lights. JJ loves to wear them and make the lights go on. (Tim thinks they are the ugliest shoes ever).
- Emily loves to drink water out of a sippy cup. She gets so excited when I hand her the cup, and loves to play with it.

Emily is 10 months old!

2011-07-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

Emily turned 10 months old today!! She is now sleeping through the night, as of 3 weeks ago (yay!), eating solids and tiny bits of table food, and army-crawling all over the place! She jabbers alot, especially in the car, and loves to be a part of the action. She lights up whenever she sees JJ or daddy. She and JJ are starting to be interested in each other's toys (the grass is always greener...), which has produced a few tears. She loves playing with books and toys and gets upset if you take something away from her. She doesn't always like to have her diaper changed, but since I'm bigger than her, I win that struggle.

She has gotten much more flexible and can chew on her toes now. She's also stretching and thinning out a bit, but she still has the wonderful baby chubs.
Look at those cheeks- yum yum
Emily has a good stock of funny expressions. Here she's blowing a raspberry....
and smiling big for mommy...
and doing a funny smirk...
and smiling a crooked grin...
and blowing out.
Seeing what the floor looks like close up...
and thinking about what she can get into next, probably the dog bowl.
And blowing more raspberries.
Emily in her new car seat. The seat is a bit big, but she likes it for the most part, other than having to strain around the head blinders to see JJ.
Emily's first lemon- she loved it. No sour face at all.
Babies and buckets- enough said. She loves sitting in here with some toys.
hmmmmm.....
JJ and Lilly and Emily, all working on the lawnmower together.
Emily likes to look under the couch- she'll stick her baby booty up in the air to get better leverage. Cracks me up to watch her.
And she's going for the ball. Nice grab Emily!
Yum, she loves food! She eats fruits, veggies, meat, grains, yogurt, and cheese. The only foods I haven't given her yet are eggs and mangoes. I'm starting her on egg yolks this weekend, and will hold off on the mangoes. JJ still hasn't eaten mangoes because I'm afraid he might be allergic to them like I am, and don't want to put him through the allergy attack until he's older.
Another cheek shot. Her birthmark on her left cheek is slowly fading and growing out, but her strawberries and stork bites on her neck/head are still very much there.
Hello Miss Four Tooths!
Sweet smiley Emily!
Hanging out with Moose. She loves Moose, but Moose is a bit indifferent to her, mainly because she suffers through tail pulling and eye gouging. Poor patient Moose. She is such a great dog around babies.
Emily's schedule looks a bit like this:
5:30 am- wake up and gets to hang out in her crib until I get her up at 6am.
6 am- nurse and eat solids and hang out while the rest of us eat breakfast and get the day going.
8:15- first nap, usually an hour long
9:30- 4 ounces of formula in a bottle (since I'm at work, this is done by her sitter)
11:30- lunch of solid foods
12:30- I pick her up from the sitter's and comfort-nurse her, then lay her down for her second nap. She usually sleeps for an hour to an hour and a half
2:00- wake up and nurse
3:30- snack of solids
6- nurse and dinner of solids and then bedtime
Emily usually sleeps about 11 hours at night, about 13 to 14 total hours of sleep a day. The doctor said she is doing ok with the amount she is getting but my goal is to lengthen her naps and her total nighttime sleep.

Emily sleeps with only a pacifier in her crib, and sometimes, when she's just woken up, she'll bang her pacifier against her crib bars, like an inmate with a tin cup. It's so funny to hear it through the monitor.

Emily had her 9 month checkup last week (a few weeks late due to scheduling). She didn't have to get shots this time, which was a relief. She is going great, hitting all the developmental markers (waving, army-crawling, holds herself in a standing position, using her pointer finger, babbling, knows her name...) Her stats are: weight 20.3 lbs (63%), length 29 in (80%), and head circumference 17.8 in (71%). She's not as heavy as she used to be, but I think her increased mobility has something to do with that.

Every day Emily is brightening our lives. These last few months have flown by, and I'm trying to treasure every moment I have with her.

Summer times

2011-07-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

What a fun summer we are having! I started back to work a few weeks ago for half-days, and the kids have done a great job adjusting to the change in routine. JJ really likes going to school and seeing his friends and teachers, and Emily is doing great at her daycare. We've been going to the pool as often as possible, even if we only get 10 minutes in the water before afternoon storms chase us out. We've done lots of playing and hanging out and laughing.

JJ and Emily at a public garden. JJ is 'smiling' at the camera and Emily is after his shoes
Such happy kids!
JJ holding Emily's hand
Both looking at something together- awwww.
JJ checking out the koi. He loved to watch them swim around and under the bridge.
Emily crawling through the tunnel to JJ.
JJ and Emily playing on the floor together.
JJ giving Emily a kiss,
and Emily giving JJ a kiss! How sweet these two are!
Going for a wagon ride

Moe and Sheryl

2011-06-15T12:48:00.001-07:00

When we were in Illinois, we had a great time at Moe and Sheryl's house, and we were happy they stayed with us when they were out here for a wedding. It was fun to see them twice in a few weeks, and get some more great visiting in. JJ loved playing with them and still talks about their visit (and the cool toys they brought).
Hanging out on the back porch during a crazy nighttime hail storm.
Picture of the hail and rain coming down. Since I hadn't planted my garden yet, I didn't have much to lose. However, since its now mid June and I have yet to plant anything in the garden, I am going to skip the garden this year and do it next year.

Emily is 9 months old!

2011-06-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Emily is nine months old, as of yesterday. She is getting so big and learning new things all the time.
Emily loves to swing.
Emily loves to play with toys and tools and everyday objects.
She has alot of different facial expressions (which are not always easy to photograph)
Emily loves her bouncy contraption now, and she and JJ often jump together
Emily loves to watch JJ and imitate him. Here she is sticking her tongue out, just like her brother
Emily making her happy scrunchy face as she and JJ jump.Such a happy baby!
Emily loves the beach ball and gets really excited when she sees it.
She's gradually getting more flexible as she is growing and lengthening, and losing some of her middle chubbs.

Emily loves to chew on spoons and will do so for a long time.
She'll chew on other things as well, but not for as long as she chews spoons.
Emily loves to be outside
She loves to use her index fingers to find holes. She finds holes everywhere- toys, books, tubs...She looks different here- I think its her sunblock-matted hair and dark eyebrows.
Double chin!
Such a cute profile!
Happy grin- Emily has 4 teeth, two up and two down. And yes, she will bite if you put your finger in her mouth.
Apple cheeks
Happy teeth!
She loves reaching out for things and has quite a strong grip once she gets a hold of it.
My pink baby, after bathtime.
Mwah!
Emily is such a sweetheart! She's pretty chill like JJ, and most people who hold her comment on her mellowness. She will sing or talk to you, or let you know when she's mad that you took something away from her. Emily knows object permanence and recognizes people she knows. She gets fussy when she's tired or hungry (just like me!). She is scooting and rolling all around and doing the army crawl. She will stand on her legs if pulled up and supported or held up by her hands. Emily's vocab includes da da, ma ma (not necessarily for the right people), ba ba, bbbbooooo, eh heh, agoo. Emily likes the pool, Moose, JJ, toys, books, solids, giving kisses or trying to eat your face, moving and twirling her feet, and cuddling. Emily dislikes bottles, having her nose wiped, and taking infants ibuprofen.
Her daily schedule looks a bit like this:
6:30 am- wake up, nurse, eat solids, and hang out
8:30- first nap
10- wake up, get a bottle (I start work tomorrow and she'll be taking a bottle for this feeding)
11:30- eat solids for lunch
noon- second nap
1:30- wake up, nurse
Some days I will lay her down for a third nap, around 4, if she seems really tired or started her day really early.
6- eat solids, nurse, and get ready for bed
7- bedtime
1 am- nighttime nurse
Emily still cries, for the most part, when being laid down, but usually for just a minute or two, then she's out. It's nice that she is (finally) sleeping longer than 45 minutes at nap, and that she is down to two naps for most days. This makes it easier for us to get out and about and do fun things in the afternoons. We have had a very busy last few weeks and both JJ and Emily have had very late bedtimes and late naptimes, so its a relief to me to see both kids back on schedules without too much fuss.

I am so so grateful that Emily is a happy healthy baby and is a part of our family. I love to watch her learning and growing and just being a happy baby!

Happy Birthday Tim!

2011-06-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tim's birthday was Monday. JJ and I made him a little chocolate cake and delivered it to him at work. Later we went out as a family for dinner for some tasty Mexican, and then played and had fun until bedtime. Happy Birthday Tim!

Professional Photos of Matt and Paige's Wedding

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

The photographers for Matt and Paige's wedding are posting some of the pictures up on another blogsite. If you'd like to see, click http://www.anginetweddings.com/blog/?p=2677

All these photos are fantastic, and I have a few favorites, including the shots of JJ and Emily, and Tim doing double dutch.
Yay for fun weddings!

Summer funs

2011-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Turns out Emily and JJ both loving sitting in the laundry basket! They are so fun to watch in there. Especially when JJ shares his toys with Emily so nicely.
JJ and Tim going for a bike ride.
Still sleepy after nap time
Emily's first time at the pool! She did great- she loved being in the wading pool and kicking her legs around.
Tim holding Emily while Lilly and JJ play. They all had fun.
This past weekend was also Emily's first camping trip. We did one night up near Vedauwoo, Wy. The weather was calm and clear and not too cold. Emily did better than I expected- she slept for about 5 hours at a time before waking up. Since I wasn't sure if she was warm enough in her 6 pairs of pajamas in her pack n play, I slept with her in my sleeping bag. It was really sweet to have her warm little body snuggled up against my shoulder. JJ slept for a few hours then woke at 2 am and had trouble going back to sleep. Oh well. You don't really go camping to get great sleep.
Emily just chilling in her carseat
Emily wearing Tim's hat- she's so gangsta.
We went with Paul and Owen. JJ and Owen had a blast running around and playing with sticks and jumping and doing all sorts of exploring. It was a fun time for them.
We headed home after attempted naps on Saturday, and arrived just in time for Lilly's baptism party. Congratulations to her! JJ was a little tired out from camping and didn't really play much with all the kids that were there. Emily tried watermelon for the first time- she didn't take to it and kept spitting it out.

Tomorrow I am taking JJ to see Thomas the Tank Engine Live. He's so so excited to go. It'll be great to share the experience with him. I also go into work tomorrow for a few hours for a department meeting and to discuss setting a schedule for my return to work. Wednesday night, our friends Moe and Sheryl will stay with us a night, and allow us to return the hosting favor. I'm excited to have them here! Then, this weekend we head to Bob and Carol's new house in Golden- oo la la. Friday night is the Michael Jackson tribute concert at Red Rocks- that'll be a fun time.

Matt and Paige's Wedding Weekend!

2011-06-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend (Memorial Day Weekend), Tim's brother Matt and his fiance Paige got married up in Estes Park!! It was a beautiful wedding, a really fun reception, and tons of great family/friends time! Tim was the best man, I was a bridesmaid, JJ was (supposed to be) the ring bearer, and Emily was a baby in a wagon.

Here's JJ and Emily sitting in the wagon, doing a test run at home. The big kids, Kellin, Jacqueline, and JJ, were to pull Emily in the wagon. Tim decorated the wagon with a sheet and some ribbon- it looked really good.
Thursday night, the Leezer family came to Fort Collins for a visit. The Leezers are good friends of Bob and Carol and all have kids the same ages. Here is Emily and Rory, born two weeks apart. It was so cute to see them together.
More of the Leezer family- Courtney, Nolan, Dave, Adam, Gretchen, and Scotty. It was a really fun visit, and I was happy to see JJ and Emily having so much fun with Nolan and Rory.
JJ and Nolan- good friends with good times.
Emily in a laundry basket- enough said.
Friday morning, (the morning of the dress rehearsal), Kendall (Paige's sister and the maid of honor) and her husband Rich hosted a breakfast at their house for all the family people in town. There were a lot of people there: Roses, Sorensens, Wilsons, and Priests, to name a few. It was great to get both sides of the families together for a pre-wedding event.
JJ playing in the sandbox
Some of the breakfasting people. Paige's dad brought this amazing sausage from California- yum yum!
Having some good conversations with some good food.
Miles (Paige's dad), Paige, Matt, and Bob
Friday afternoon we headed up to Estes for the dress rehearsal and dinner, and to get the weekend started. The rehearsal went smoothly, and the kids (a combo of Matt and Paige's nieces and nephews) had fun with the wagon and entertaining each other.
Mimi, Aunt Chelsea, and Emily. Emily loves her Mimi.
Rich (Paige's sister's husband) and Nels (Paige's brother)- the other two groomsmen.
The kiddos and a wagon
Waiting to go in for the rehearsal dinner- Chelsea, Carol, Paige, and Matt
A night without my kiddosListening to Bob's toast- nicely done, Bob!
Jacqueline, Rich, Kendall, and her new kitchen tongs!
Since both Tim and I were in the wedding on Saturday, neither one of us got any pictures of the ceremony and very few of the reception. Paige looked absolutely beautiful and Matt was very handsome. I can't wait to see the professional photos of the whole affair.
Here's the best of what we do have.
The wedding couple- Paige and Matt, and Matt's cousin Dave with his kiddo Sean
Tim giving his best man speech- he did a really great job!
As predicted, there were packs of kids running around and having a great time. Here is Kellin, JJ, Owen, Nolan, Jacqueline, and some kid I don't know. JJ was in playtime overdrive with all his friends and cousins in one place at one time!
Emily with Tim's cousin Karen, and Karen's daughter Ava in the background
Tim and some of the friends- Dan, Kiel, Trace, and Ed. It was great to see all our friends and both sides of Tim's family in one place.
Tim's cousin Brenna, her son Billy, and Tim
Some of Bob's siblings and their spouses- Aunt Mimi, Uncle Al, Carol, Aunt Mary, Aunt Susan, and Uncle Greg.
The kids had fun playing in the hallway too. Here's Paul with the shorty crew- Jacqueline, JJ, Lilly, Owen, and Nolan
Sunday morning, Bob and Carol hosted brunch at their cabin in Estes and invited everyone that was at the wedding. It was another great chance to visit with everyone.
JJ's cousins Ava, Drew, and Madison
Jillian and Owen, friends from home
Aunt Chelsea and Emily
Hanging out on the porch- some Sorensen's, some Roses, some Malones, some Gonzalez's, and a Leezer
Some Malones and PriestsAunt Kay and Uncle Arnie
After the brunch, JJ sacked out hard. Both kids were a bit short on sleep all weekend but had great smiles and lots of fun in spite of it.
On Sunday evening, there was a bonfire at the YMCA. (Matt and Paige got married at the YMCA of the Rockies- what a great place!! Beautiful scenery everywhere you looked, tons of cabins and hotels, cute chapels, good cafeterias, and tons of things for kids to do. I definitely want to vacation there again sometime, maybe for a family reunion or something... hint hint)
Karen and Chelsea and kiddos
Biz, Kay, Karen, Danielle, JJ, and Rowan- making smores
Aunt Janet, Billy, Brenna, and Emily. Emily was a bit cranky for the bonfire but a short nap in the stroller fixed her right up.
Bonfire people
Barb, Jen, Matt, Arnie, Kay, and Dave
Jaqueline, Biz, JJ, Karen, and Danielle. Danielle is so great with kids and JJ and Emily love her (and her mom, Barb)
more bonfire people
JJ- too cool for the other kids
Ok, he's not too cool
All these kids are cousins on the Waffle side (Tim's mom's side). Since it was impossible to get all the kids to look the same way at the same time, I picked the best of all of them. This is JJ, Madison, Drew, Emily, Ava, and Sean.
Chelsea and Kendall, the other bridesmaids and Paige's new sister-in-law and sister. It's really great how well all the siblings/in-laws/out-laws all get along. Rose siblings
Rose siblings, goofy-fied
JJ and his little redheaded girlfriend. JJ noticed her come up and immediately asked her name and started talking to her. My boy is quite the mack daddy!
The (immediate) Rose family- Tim, me, JJ, Carol, Matt, Paige, Bob, and Chelsea (and Emily sleeping in the stroller off to the right)
Emily and daddy, getting ready for bed after the bonfire.
JJ was so silly after the bonfire- his legs were cold so he pulled his shirt over them and then tried to move around the room this way. Monday morning, some of us met for breakfast at the cafeteria before departing Estes. Here is Paige, Matt, JJ, and Tim. It was nice to say goodbye to some of Paige's family.
After breakfast, we headed to the cabin to hang out one last time with Chelsea, Janet (Bob's sister), Brenna, and her son Billy. It was really nice to get one on one time with them.
We left Estes for home. Dave and Biz and Drew and Sean followed us home and stayed with us for a night, and we had a blast! The boys all played really well together, and we got some great visiting time. We even had time for a game of Settlers, which I didn't win (dang it).
Tim and Dave- there's some family resemblance between them
We hung out at the house for a bit then went downtown to walk around. JJ and Drew did a good job of being little boys and playing "monkey see, monkey do"
JJ and Sean, checking out a drain cover.
Playing in the basement. It was really fun to watch JJ and Drew playing.
Since it was an absolutely beautiful day, and Dave and Biz were heading home that night, we took the boys and a picnic lunch to the park. The boys ran everywhere and did everything. Emily hung out with me and the stroller.
Dave and Biz had a pull up contest. According to their parameters, they were pretty evenly matched. Nice!
JJ's face while attempting a pull up- tee heeSean taking a little snooze on his dada.
Emily the happy baby
JJ, Emily, and Drew converging on Tim
JJ and Drew- such goofs!
And I love how Sean is the only one sitting still, and how serene he looks here. Sean was the hardest to photograph, since he was always on the move.
A nice shot of the boys
What a great wedding and a great weekend! I am so so excited to have Paige in the family- she and Matt are so good together. I love that there was ample opportunity to visit with friends and relatives. I am very proud of both JJ and Emily- they did so well with all that was going on. It was truly a great wedding! Cheers!

Illinois trip and graduations

2011-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Tim and I packed up the kids in the van and headed to Illinois for a week long visit. We wanted to introduce Emily to the remaining family members that hadn't yet met her, and since you only graduate from veterinary medicine school once, we thought we'd come for Katie's graduation from U of I Vet Med. Luckily, my nephew Nick's graduation was the same weekend as Katie's, so we got to celebrate twice! The trip out was good- both kids slept pretty well during the overnight drive, and we arrived in Peoria in decent time (about 16 hours, including stops). It was really great to be back.

Papa Smith and Emily
Nick, the graduate, with Emily and his mom (my sister), Christine. All four of my nephews are in college (gah I feel old!) and Nick is the first one to graduate! Huge congratulations to him!
JJ giving Emily some love
My friend Jill with Emily
Emily with Dr. Aunt Catie (she started spelling her name with a "C" in school to differentiate from the other Katies. Sorry, but you're still Katie to me)
Papa and JJ, playing with some cool dump trucks
Hanging out in the front yard- Dr. Katie, Uncle Dick, my friend Linsy, and Tim
JJ and his cousin Alan. My brother Mark was originally going to fly in for Katie's graduation, but his boys Alan and Kevin and their cousin Julio talked Mark into driving out with the three of them from New York. None of us knew this and all were very surprised and happy to see them!
My brother Mark and JJ
Nick, Kevin, Julio, and Alan- some of JJ and Emily's cousins on my side
Papa, Alan, and Tom- hanging out on the couch after one of the many meals of Avanti's
Nick, Alan, Emily, and Kevin- all of my nephews are quite good with babies
Alan and Emily
Tom, Christine, and Nick at Nick's graduation. Christine isn't that short- rather, Tom and Nick are both over 6 feet tall
Dr. Katie- always professional!
The two graduates together- congratulations!
Emily with my friends Sarah and Jill
I love this picture- my oldest nephew Tom and JJ.
Katie's graduation party was a lot of fun! Neighbors from the old neighborhood, good friends, and family all came to celebrate. Here I am with Emily, my second cousin Gina, Katie, and Christine.
Another photo favorite- all the grandkids on my dad's side: Nick, Julio (an honorary grandkid for sure), Alan, JJ, Tom, Emily, and Kevin. Emily is the first and only grand-daughter for my dad. She and JJ are the youngest of this generation by about 18 years.
Me and Emily, all dolled up.
Dad and his twins
The Roses
My close friends from the old neighborhood\grade school\high school: Katie, Linsy, Jill, Beth, Sarah, and me
Some of the Smith clan cousins, from Peoria and Springfield and Decatur areas
Beth's daugher Lilliana and JJ- they had a great time playing together.
Mark and Emily
Dad and 4 of his kids- wish you were here, Thom and Kwan!
JJ and Tim playing at Bradley Park, the park I grew up playing in
Emily and Christine and her boyfriend Bob
Us girls
Katie and her diploma- it holds the vet med oath, which she recited at her graduation and was really neat to hear. Since I forgot my camera battery at home when I went to her ceremony, I don't have any pictures of her graduating, so this is as good as it gets.
Papa and Emily
Aunt Katie and JJ saying goodbye before we headed up to Chicago.
We stayed one night at Beth's house and had a blast. Her husband Carlos cooked us this amazing meal and we got to visit with my other friend Sarah and her husband Sam, while the kids (JJ, Emily, and Lilliana) all played together. Thanks Beth for the great visit! We had a great time and can't wait to have you all out here (hint hint).
Lily, Beth, and Carlos
Sarah and Emily- it was so great to see Sarah and I only wish I had had more time with her (and Jill and Linsy). Oh well- next time, chicas!
JJ and Lily watching out the window- they really had fun watching the kids walk home from school
The three munchkins
After Beth's, we stayed one night at Tim's friend Moe and Sheryl's house. They too fed us an amazing meal, and we got to catch up with them and one of Tim's college roommates, Marc. JJ had a blast running around their big old house and yard. I am kicking myself that I didn't take any pictures while there, but thank you Moe and Sheryl! We had a great time and we can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

We left Moe's house and started the drive back west. On the way, we stopped in Iowa City to see Tim's friend Jeff for a bit. The kids were happy to see him and show him some love.

We also stopped in Des Moines to meet up with my aunts Connie, Katie, Aggie, and Mary Ellen. It was so, so great to see them all and I wish I had planned our trip better so that we could have had a longer visit. Next time! JJ and Emily were a bit cranky at this point in the trip and weren't showing the aunties much love. I apologize for that and hope we can meet up again soon so that they get a better visit with JJ and Emily.
Me with 4 of my mom's sisters- Katie, Aggie, Connie, and Mary Ellen.
It's always hard going home to Peoria and to my dad's house, knowing that my mom is gone and I won't see her anymore. It's also hard knowing that she never got to see Katie succeed and graduate vet med, or see any of her grandkids become adults, or meet JJ and Emily. I really missed her this last week.
But, it's also always great to be back in my hometown, to see friends and family and the places I grew up. And most of all, it's great to come home. Dad, thank you so much for hosting us all and making a great week possible! I love you.

After a long trip home (about 23 hours in the car total), we were all very happy to be home. We're recovered from our trip and are getting ready for Matt and Paige's wedding this weekend! It's amazing to get to see so much family this spring!

Teeths

2011-05-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Emily now has 4 teeth- three more have broken through since yesterday. She won't let me get a picture of them but I will keep trying.

April odds and ends

2011-05-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

So April is over and done with. Here's what we did:

Emily hit her cheek on a block and bruised it, poor baby. She was so tough, she only cried for a minute. It did give her a small black eye, which you can look for in the other pictures in this post.
I went to Paige's wedding shower. The evite said "festive rollerskating wear". What's more festive than a mustache?
We went to Denver for a weekend to hang out with Mimi and Pappa. JJ really loved playing Cooties with them. We also got to check out the outside of their new house- very exciting that they will have a permanent residence.
JJ carefully tucked in all these stuffed animals at bedtime one night
Emily in daddy's hat, with a black eye
JJ and Tim, just hanging out
Emily's slowly fading black eye. I still feel really bad about it, but good thing she's tough, just like JJ.
Moose and Emily. I like the similarity of poses here.
May is turning out to be a busy month. We are driving back to Peoria next week for Katie's and Nick's (my nephew) graduations. Then after we get back from Illinois, we have about a week before Matt and Paige's wedding in Estes, which is going to be a blast! Then we'll have some of Tim's family staying with us for a few days, then May is over. Whew- it's going to be a fun month!

Emily's First Tooth

2011-04-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Emily has her first tooth! It broke through last Thursday and has been slowly getting bigger. The tooth is on the bottom left. She doesn't flash it very often but it's pretty cute to see.
As a result of her teething, her naps have not so good. I broke down and finally gave her some pain reliever today and she had a great nap. I hate using meds on her but she is also fighting a cold at the moment and needs some good sleep.

Emily is 7 months old!

2011-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Emily turned 7 months old this weekend! She is doing so well. She loves to babble and play and watch JJ. She sits unsupported on her own, and loves reaching out for anything and everything (toys, cups, spoons, phones, noses). She passes objects from hand to hand and can hold a toy in each hand. Emily is really good at rolling over, both ways, and is starting to do the push-up position. Her first tooth is emerging, bottom front left. She has been waking more in the night due to her teething and her cold, but still only eating once in the middle of the night, usually around 3 or 4 am.
Such a solemn pose

Oops- gravity takes over once again.
Emily and JJ had their first bath together last night- wooo. They both loved it. It was really cute to see them together.

A new hat

2011-04-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

My brother Mark and his wife Iracema sent us an Easter box, which had some great scrapbook work decorations, a few really adorable outfits for the kids (pictures coming soon), and a new hat for JJ. We couldn't get JJ to wear it at first, so Emily was kind enough to model it for us.
Who knew dreads could look so wrong on a baby?
They look much better on a bigger kid. I was laughing so hard when JJ was wearing it.

JJ wore the hat around while playing and had a good time with it. Thanks Mark and Iracema for the chuckles and memories!

March pictures and doings

2011-04-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't blogged in almost a month, and I don't have much free time today, I just threw up all the best pictures in one entry. So, you are in for quite a long post.

Emily eating her oatmeal. She's a messier eater than JJ, but a good eater, and that's all the matters. She now eats rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, and green beans. I am making baby food for her, like I did with JJ. (Steam the heck out of organic veggies, puree the heck out them and use the water from steaming to get the right consistency, then freeze them in ice cube trays and store in freezer-safe baggies. The cubes are about 1 oz each, which makes for very convenient measuring)
What a funny face
Serious eating face
I am amazed at how Emily rubs her eyes, especially when she is tired. She rubs just her eye, not her whole eye area like JJ used.
"Help."
Emily loves playing with daddy's face
She looks so little in the high chair
Nothing says fun like a party hat, let alone four of them.
JJ's usual smile. Tim is working with JJ on smiling nicely.
JJ's improved smile.
Mimi and Emily
Pappa's silly face. This is a classic, one I've seen Tim, Chelsea, and JJ do.
Magnet fun
Tim and JJ playing with playdoh
Augh! It's a playdoh hand!
Some naked baby shots. Looks like the start of a pout.
Oop- Emily sucked the pout in
Serious Emily. She loves the plastic links, just like her big brother.
Interacting Emily
Baby booty!
"Ho hum."
Emily sucks her lip in when she gets excited.
JJ after a nap. The longer his hair, the more interesting his bed head gets.
Free range crib baby
Note the fauhawk and the baby booty
Close up- what a cutie!
Such patient eyes
I love Emily's little smirk.
My loves. JJ is holding Emily all on his own here. Note how she doesn't seem that much smaller than JJ, for being 2 and 1/2 years younger.
Rose siblings- the next generation
And gravity takes over
Happy eater!
Oh, look at those chubbs!
Emily is a such a happy, bouncy, roly-poly baby.
Family outing to throw rocks off the bridge.
My little froggy. JJ loves this frog towel (thanks Aunt Iracema!) and after every bath has to show everyone, including Moose, how he is a froggy.
Brother and sister, take one
Take two- note how much JJ loves his sister and how her cheeks handle it
Smiley Emily
Smirky Emily
Looking up and being silly Emily
Emily playing with her spoon
This past month has flown, as all the months do. We had a round of colds, which took a while to get over. Emily is now taking a bottle again, thank goodness, which will give me more freedom and come in very handy for our upcoming events. (We are all going back to Illinois in mid-May for Katie's graduation from vet school and my nephew Nick's graduation from Western, then celebrating Matt and Paige's wedding over Memorial Day Weekend.) JJ is such a sweet big brother to Emily, and Emily lights up when JJ comes into the room. Emily is rolling all over the place now, and is still a ninja roller, meaning she's stealthy about it. JJ is warming up to his balance bike and playing outside alot these warm spring days. Happy Spring!

Emily's 6 month checkup

2011-03-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Emily had her 6 month checkup yesterday too- it was very convenient to get back-to-back appointments for the kids. She did great. She met or exceeded all her developmental markers, like babbling and passing toys from one hand to the other. She's not really rolling over completely but she's close, and has been close for the past few weeks. Her stats are: weight 18.3 lbs (89%), length 27 in (90%), and head circumference 17 in (72%). Emily is still a big baby but she's in smaller percentiles now and is more proportionate. The doctor said she's healthy and perfect. (In hindsight, I didn't realize that bigger babies are what doctors love to see. JJ was always on the smaller side.)
Here are some of Emily's latest accomplishments:
- says ar-goo, bwraaa, da-teee, and some growling noises. I keep trying to get her to say "mama" but no go.
- smiles really big at Tim or other adults, then hides her head, like she's bashful or something
- really good at reaching out and grabbing objects
- has a stronger grip on objects
- sits up on own for more than a milli-second, before toppling over. She can sit on her own for over a minute now.
-smiles and squeals when she sees JJ or Moose
-is a pretty content baby, wherever she is: on the floor, in my arms, in the exersaucer.

Emily usually takes about 3 naps a day, and wakes up usually once a night to eat, meaning she sleeps 5 to 6 hours at a stretch. Since she got her shots yesterday, she's been running a slight fever and is off-schedule. Also, I finally stopped swaddling her (yes, I swaddled her until yesterday. *sheepish grin*) and she is adjusting to being a free-range crib baby, and is not sleeping for very long at all. I hope she gets back to her normal schedule soon. The last two days she's been eating every three or four hours, around the clock, and that's a little hard on me.

Emily will only take a pacifier for a few minutes before launching it. I haven't attempted to bottle feed her in weeks, but I'm pretty sure she won't take one easily. I need to get her used to bottles before I return to work.

Emily is a happy baby, easy to please and make smile and laugh. She loves to eat my face and babble at me. Her favorite toy right now is probably the plastic links, followed by a blue bunny rattle. She also likes her doll and chewing on blankets. I thought she might be teething, because her drooliness has increased and she's gnawing on anything she can get her hands on, but no tooth eruption yet.

Emily eating my face

Today I gave her solid food (rice cereal) for the first time. She took three small tastes but was not impressed by it. I didn't get any good pictures of her facial reaction but it was a pretty funny grimace. It is weird to me to see her in a high chair, like she's not old enough to be in one yet.

Getting used to the high chair
Checking out the spoon and bowl action

Eyeballing her first taste
Thinking over this whole cereal business
Eyeballing the spoon again. I half expected Emily to refuse the rice cereal. Although she is interested in what Tim and I are eating and drinking, she still has a bit of the thrusting reflex going on so I wasn't sure how successful she'd be at eating solids. Today went better then expected. It's exciting to be starting a new routine with Emily.

JJ's Three Year Checkup

2011-03-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

JJ had his three year checkup yesterday and did great! He met or exceeded all the developmental markers for his age. His stats are: weight 32 lbs (53%), height 38 ins (62%). He had to get a shot, so I distracted him with fruit snacks as the nurse was getting ready to deliver it. As soon as he felt the shot, he looked at me with tears welling in his eyes and said in an adult voice, "I did not like that!" But he didn't cry and was so brave about the shot. As to be expected, he started running a fever last night and is still running one today, but is pretty cheerful otherwise.
JJ is such a great little kid to be around. He has three year old moments and then he has 13- and 23- and 33-year old moments. I sometimes forget he's still just a toddler. He runs and jumps and plays and has a great imagination and loves to meet new people and talk and read books and chase Moose around. He is articulate and usually pretty easy to understand, except when he has a mouth full of food. He likes to understand how things work and is starting to show concern about others. He really adores Emily and loves to show her new things, especially anything related to trains.

JJ is still taking a nap when he's home- he doesn't usually nap at school. He sleeps about 11 hours a night (7:30 pm to 6:30 am). He does not eat as much as he used to, and will sometimes only eat three or four bites before saying he's done. I have a hard time not forcing more food on him, and am learning to let him be done when he says he's done.

JJ loves to have stories read to him and pretends to read from memory. JJ recognizes all the letters and can count past thirty. He likes to draw pictures but doesn't really have the patience to practice his letters. He drew these pictures last week when I was vacuuming. I was blown away by how good he's gotten at drawing- objects are recognizable now.

Hard to believe that my baby is not a baby anymore. *sniff sniff*

JJ turned 3!

2011-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

JJ turned 3 on Saturday!! We went for donuts for breakfast, then came home and opened a few gifts and played with them, until it was party time.

JJ loves all his new Thomas and Lightning toys.
JJ loves his new radio- thanks Uncle Dick!
Emily wearing a festive bow for the occasion
The cake- yum!
Party peoples

JJ, Kellin, and Owen playing Ants in the Pants
Tula joining in the ants action
train time
Emily shows off her sitting skills to Aunt Paige
Emily listens to conversations now

Cake time

JJ had a great birthday with his friends and family!

JJ, you have grown so much this year! You love playing and imagining and drawing and reading and jumping and making funny noises and singing and goofing off and learning new things and sharing with others. You run really fast and really far. You have unique expressions that you like to say, such as "oh cool!" and "of course!", and love to talk on the phone and with others. You are so much fun to be around and keep us all entertained. We are so proud of you and love you so much! Love, mommy and daddy.

On being a mom to JJ and Emily

2011-02-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been posting lots of pictures of my kiddos and not really talking about what life is like on a daily basis. Usually I'm pressed for time and figure pictures are faster and easier to post than me having to think about what I want to say.

Being a mom to two kids is great, and difficult. There are so many cliches out there about being a parent that are so so true. Some that come to mind- most difficult and most rewarding job I'll ever have, they grow up in a blink (JJ turns 3 in two weeks?!?!), and they make me a better person (not so funny to hear JJ say "damn it"- made me conscious of my swearing).

I've become a big reader and researcher about parenting. I'm sort of anal about certain things when it comes to parenting, such as their protecting their sleep schedules, but I feel like my research and anal-dragon-mom tendencies have paid off somewhat. I've seen a lot of different parenting approaches and I've realized that some styles suit us (me and Tim) better than others, but also that Emily and JJ are flexible enough and sturdy enough to survive my trial-and-error attempts. Parenting is an evolving, changing discipline, and what worked yesterday may not work today. Very interesting concept.

Daily I find issues in myself that I struggle to improve. I have a quick temper and get easily frustrated, and when I'm short on sleep, my temper is even quicker. It's usually a daily struggle not to get pissed over small things, like my inherent clumsiness that results in hurting myself, or why JJ has to go to the potty every single time I'm in the middle of feeding Emily, or why Moose always seems to be right where I'm stepping. Being mad is a huge waste of energy, and energy is in short supply. Plus, I don't want JJ and Emily to have to deal with or grow up learning my bad habits. I always regret losing my temper and promise to do better the next time. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. That's the nice thing about parenting- I get many, many chances to try again.

I'm still home on maternity leave, probably until May (I work for such an amazing company and such a great boss!). JJ goes to school all day on Tuesdays, and is home with me the rest of the time. I love that he loves going to school and that we can afford to send him on a part-time basis. He truly benefits from going- playing with different kids, learning new things, interacting with different adults, learning independence from me. The rest of the time he is home with me and Miss Em. We stay home a lot these days since Emily naps three times a day and I'm pretty anal about her getting good naps. Throughout the day, we'll play, do crafts, watch some Thomas the Tank Engine, have a few spells of tears and time-outs, and lots of hugging and kissing. If the weather is nice enough, we'll go for a walk or play in the dog-poo filled backyard. (I try to keep up with it, but it's a priority that falls down the list. JJ seems amazingly good at avoiding the piles, and luckily Moose leaves little piles.) Some days are golden, some days are grueling. Tim has been teaching after work for 2 week blocks. The first few classes he did were challenging for me since I'm on my own from 7:30 a.m to 10:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. But things are easier now that Emily is older and I'm used to being home alone with the kids for longer stretches. It sure has made me appreciate and give huge props to single parents!

JJ and Emily are very similar yet different. They are both relatively calm kids and easy to make laugh and smile.
JJ has lately been in a phase where he's not listening to me very well and butting heads with me about small things. He really didn't have a "terrible two" phase, and I think he's going through a "troublesome three" phase, but its not even bad at all, just a change from his normal behavior. I do notice that the busier I am with housework and cooking and other chores, the more deviant he becomes. One of the daily struggles I have is balancing JJ's need for my attention with my need to get things done, like making dinner and attending to Emily. JJ can be really great about playing independently at times, and makes me tear up to see him looking at books or playing with his Little People. I feel like he's growing so quickly, so I have to treasure his two-year old moments while I can. Other times, JJ wants me to hold him and play with him, and I'm trying to do that more often, and let the other tasks wait a bit.

JJ has so much personality. He likes to say "Oh cool!" emphatically about something that impresses him, or "Okay" in such a sweet voice when I ask him to do something. He has goofy walks and makes faces, and has some of the most expressive, mobile eyebrows. He likes to make up songs about anything and everything and likes to "read" books he knows by heart. He is a fast runner and seems to have inherited my clumsiness.

Emily is great. She is content to lay on the floor with a toy or two, or playing with her hands. She sings/babbles to herself to sleep- when she doesn't cry herself to sleep, that is. She makes deep noises and high-pitched noises and can be a little loud mouth at times. She is a big-time drooler compared to JJ, but no sign of teeth. She loves to be held and snuggle but doesn't object to being put in the exersaucer (one of the best inventions ever). She is reaching out and grabbing things really well, and I'm working on her sitting-up skills. Since she's in cloth diapers while at home, she has extra bulk around her middle that can make sitting up seem painful, like she's being cut in half by too-tight pants or something. Emily is only now starting to take a pacifier. JJ used a pacifier from 4 weeks old until about 6 months. Emily will keep one in for about 30 seconds before launching it, but at least she takes it for that long. It's proven to be useful when trying to get her to sleep in public places.

Emily turned 5 months old last Monday, and is on a pretty good schedule. A day might look like this: eat at 7 am, sleep from 8:15 to 10, eat at 10, sleep from 11:30 to 1, eat at 1, sleep from 2:30 to 3:30, then awake until 5:30 or 6. I'll feed her at 6 then put her down to sleep for the night. She may wake once or twice during the night to eat, but then sleep til about 7. I'm working on not feeding her twice during the night but it is very difficult to not go into her. I know she can sleep longer than 5 hours at a time, I just have to be strong enough to let her go back to sleep on her own and not be scared that she'll wake JJ up. (If JJ wakes up in the middle of the night, he'll either cry and scream for a half hour, or just go back to sleep. It sounds cruel to not answer my crying child, but usually it is for the best. If I go in once for JJ, he'll demand something else five minutes later, and then something else, and prolong his crying and screaming spell.) Every night is a little different. When I can get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I feel so great in the morning. But that doesn't usually happen. I usually get 5 hours at a time, which is still pretty good.

Looking back, its hard to remember the first six weeks of Emily's life, due to the sleep deprivation and the adjustment to having a new baby and a 2 1/2 year old. These last 5 months have literally flown by. An hour seems like three minutes long anymore. Being a mom is one of the best things I've ever done. I have my bad moments, but I have so many more good moments. And the good ones are the ones worth remembering.

One last observation before ending this really long post- is there anything that Nutella doesn't taste great on?

Emily's First Roll!

2011-02-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

Emily made her first full roll today, going from her belly to her back! Very exciting- I'm such the proud mama. Too bad I didn't have the camera, and I can't get her to do it again, but it still made my day.

Denver weekend

2011-02-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago, the kids and I spent a nice long weekend in Denver. We did lots of fun stuff, like ride a train around an indoor mall, play at a little park, walk around downtown, and go to the Children's Museum. JJ could have spent all day there.

We met Tom and Suzanne for breakfast at IHOP and had a great visit. Here's Suzanne snuggling with Emily.
JJ's "smile"

JJ loved all the attention and playtime with Mimi and Pappa

Tim came Saturday night and we went to see Devotchka. It was great to have a night out and to see one of my favorite bands. Weekends in Denver are always great.

Emily's playtime

2011-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of Emily's playtime

I sat her on the couch and let her play with a red block and she loved it. (Don't mind the mismatching clothes- it was laundry day that day)

It is so easy and so much fun to make her smile and laugh, and it melts my heart every time she does. She likes to try and eat my face. She also will make noises and faces to get me to look at her. I am loving this stage- roly poly baby who loves to interact and play.

Visit with Aunt Kay and Uncle Arnie

2011-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Carol's sister Kay and her husband Arnie came out for a suprise visit for Carol's birthday. It was great to see them. And they were kind enough to help babysit JJ and Emily while Tim and I went to Cirque du Soleil (awesome awesome show!!).

Emily and Mimi getting some face time in
JJ loved playing trains with Aunt Kay and wouldn't let anyone else play with Kay, or talk to her, or be in the same room with her... he got a lot of good one-on-one time with Kay.

Uncle Arnie relaxing after our big dinner out
It was a great visit with them- I just wish we had had more time with them.

picture pages

2011-02-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

So I've been a bit slack in posting new pictures. Here's a whole bunch of new ones.

Moose is such a good dog around JJ and Emily. They both love watching Moose and interacting with her.
Mimi and Emily

JJ makes this face quite often now, and means it as a big smile, not an evil smirk.

Notice Emily's little curl

Emily is learning to roll over from her back to her front.

Funny face
JJ loves holding Emily
These are the faces of Emily- sucking her lip, sticking out her tongue, blowing raspberries, or just smiling nicely, and being quite cute about it all.

JJ loves to play with Emily while she's in her bouncy.

Such a sweet kiss from big brother JJ

virals

2011-01-27T16:33:00.001-08:00

So we've been hit with a slew of viruses in the past two weeks. First our computer became infected with viruses and had to be fixed before we could do anything with it (and a huge thanks to Ed for fixing it!!) Then JJ caught the stomach flu and spent a few hours over the toilet and battling a fever. He'd barely recovered from that when Tim, JJ, and I all had strep throat and its accompanying fevers and aches and pains. We're all on antibiotics now and on the mend. Luckily Emily never caught it, but then, for some reason, babies don't really get strep throat.
I hope the next few weeks are much healthier for us...

Emily's 4 month checkup

2011-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Emily turned 4 months old today! She is getting so big and learning something new every day. She loves to look at her hands and play with them. When JJ comes into the room, Emily watches his every move. She isn't rolling over yet, but likes to roll to her side and get stuck. Then she hollers for help. She is sleeping between 5 and 6 hours at night, with an occasional 10 hour stretch
At her checkup yesterday, we found out her latest numbers:
- Weight: 16 lbs, 11 oz (97%)
- Length: 25.2 ins (86%)
- Head Circumference: 16.8 in (88%)
The doctor was impressed by Emily's size and said she is a healthy and happy baby, and is on track with her developmental milestones. Emily got her vaccinations yesterday. Last night, she woke up more often than usual and had a fever of 101.3. We gave her ibuprofen which brought her temperature down. She seems better today, although she still has a temperature of 99. Although this is Emily's first fever, she is still a pretty content baby.
Naked time- love those chubs.
My sweet kiddos.

Boards

2011-01-13T17:32:00.001-08:00

Huge congratulations to Katie for passing her veterinary medicine boards!!! Woo hoo!!

JJ's response

2011-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

When JJ got home from school yesterday, I asked him how his day was. JJ's response was "Painful." He said it in such a matter of fact voice that Tim and I both had to laugh.
Apparently he and another boy collided heads, and JJ is now sporting a blue goose egg between his eyes. You can sort of see it here in this picture. Poor kid- bumping heads and getting hurt is an occupational hazard of being a toddler.

Hanging out around the house

2011-01-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest round of hanging out at home shots.
Emily in the bumbo seat

Nap time for JJ and Pappa.
Wonder where JJ gets his silly face making skills from...
JJ the silly
Alert Emily

Emily's silly face

Emily loves reaching out for toys and faces and books.
Emily is sporting her new shirt from Uncle Thom and Aunt Kwan. It's super cute.
Emily was recently introduced to the exersaucer and enjoys it, for about 5 minutes. Hopefully she'll enjoy it as much as JJ did when he used to. JJ still enjoys playing with the toys and showing Emily what to do.

Sledding and sad faces

2011-01-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

We got some fresh snow over the weekend which made for good sledding.
Owen and JJ before hitting the hill.
Double rider time.
Way to pull your own sled, JJ!
Emily goes from content baby...
to sad baby, in a matter of seconds.

Such a cute sad face!
And content once more, holding a book. I think Emily will love reading books.

Children's Museum

2011-01-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago we stayed in Denver at Bob and Carol's. One of the highlights was going to the Children's Museum. JJ had a blast and keeps asking to go back. Us adults had a good time too.

JJ the firefighter

JJ loved the train room and didn't want to leave.
The bubble room was great. We spent the most time in there, playing with all the bubble makers and seeing what cool things we could do.

JJ at the market
JJ in the building room, where you can make things out of recycled materials.
JJ the veterinarian

JJ the painter
Since Bob and Carol are renting a place in Denver for 6 months, I know we'll have more fun times as the museum.
Our Denver weekend was great. Tim and I had a date night and went to see a good band one night. Emily and JJ both did great sleeping in a new place, and had fun hanging out with Mimi and Pappa.

The Holidays

2011-01-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

So this post is a bit late...

We had a great holiday! Chelsea flew out from Philadelphia and spent 10 days out here. All the local Roses congregated at the cabin in Estes for 4 days and a had a great time hiking and eating and playing games and eating and visiting and eating. I think I gained a few pounds whilst there.

Aunt Chelsea playing with JJ and Emily. This was the first time Chelsea and Emily met. Emily loved being held by all the various family people, and JJ had no shortage of playmates.
Emily and daddy time.
She's got some cheeks.
Tim was so happy to help out with the dishes. He filled in for me, since I was busy with Emily every time the dishes needed doing.
Emily and Chelsea time
Emily and mommy time. I think this was one of the five minutes I held her the whole weekend.
Matt and Paige and Rusty relaxing on Christmas Eve.
Emily loves her new toy from Chelsea.
JJ definitely got the hang of opening presents this year, and loved tearing into them. He even helped Emily open a few of hers.
Pappa and Mimi and their new calendar.
Moose taking a stretch break while we opened presents.
JJ found a new place to hide his toys- daddy's new slippers.
"Joseph"- Bob and his new floor mats
Thomas and JJ and introducing Percy
Emily reading her new book with Mimi
Emily and Paige time
Emily and Pappa time. Notice Emily's little Yoda ears.
Such a sweet smile for Pappa
Some of the girls- me, Carol, and Paige
Emily's Christmas outfit and her first time sporting a bow in her hair. We only had her dressed up for a while, since the dress was a bit tight in spots and we weren't going anywhere that day.
My Uncle Jerry came up and joined us for Christmas dinner. Bob taught him how to play Bananagrams and Rusty found a new friend.
Emily, me, and Uncle Jerry
Hi JJ!
Family shot in the beautiful sunshine
After the cabin, we all headed back to our house and had a few more fun days together.
Emily giving Pappa a few more smiles.
Playing Settlers. This was Emily's first game.
My sister Christine came out to visit for a bit before heading out to ski. She loved meeting Emily for the first time and seeing JJ again. I loved getting to hang out with her and seeing her interact with my kiddos.
Emily with her Aunt Christine, Aunt Chelsea, and Mimi.
Emily and Christine time
Me with my kiddos. I love JJ's 'do in this picture.
Christine and JJ time.

Double stacked kids.
Our New Year's was fun. Tim and I went to a friend's party and rang in the new year with our friends. Bob and Carol were kind enough to baby-sit the kiddos.

Hard to believe this holiday season is over already. I have thoughts and reflections on the past year and all the changes that we've seen, but my brain is too mushy right now to elaborate. In smmary, this has been a great year for us. I wish everyone a happy new year!

Emily is 3 months old!

2010-12-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

Emily turned 3 months old this past Tuesday (Dec 14). She has really grown and changed in the last few weeks.

Smirky Emily
Look at those girly eyes!
Pointy-haired, focused Emily
Emily is doing great at tummy time and really holding her head up when she's on her tummy. She is also supporting her head when she's upright, and can sit in the bumbo and doesn't have near the floppy head she used to.
Happy Emily. Emily loves to laugh, and it is so fun to discover what will set off her giggles. (She really does have the sweetest giggle).

Emily has discovered she has hands. She likes to watch her hands and arms move, and suck on her fingers.
Emily in the bumbo seat. JJ was giving her pointers on how to do it.

Emily sitting upright (mostly) on her own.
Just look at those cheeks! So kissable.
Emily loves to talk with people and interact. When she hears JJ's voice, she tries to find him with her eyes. Emily likes playing with toys and is starting to reach and hold onto them. She is still a pretty calm baby, and is a treat to be around. Her next checkup isn't until she's 4 months old, so I don't know her numbers, but I do know she's getting big. It seems like I have to loosen the straps in the car seat every other day.
Emily's sleep schedule is also coming together. She'll sleep anywhere from 6 to 8 hours at night, and is taking longer naps during the day. She'll fall asleep on her own, meaning I don't have to rock her until she's out, which is really nice for me. I have no idea how many ounces she's eating throughout the day, but she'll take 3 to 4 ounces from a bottle feeding. Now that she is bigger, she's filling out the cloth diapers better, and wearing them for the most part.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

We stayed home this year for Thanksgiving. My dad and Uncle Dick came out to celebrate with us, and to meet Emily. Since Emily is the first grand-daughter for my dad (he has 5 grandsons), it was very exciting to see them meet and get to know each other.

Dad and Emily- the first meeting. Dad was a pro at holding and loving on Emily.
Emily showing some of her personality to Dad
Dad was also great with JJ and showed him how to use a calculator. For the rest of Dad's visit, JJ loved "pushing number buttons". Does this mean JJ will be an accountant too?
Emily making a silly face
Papa Smith with Emily and JJ

Turkey day. Dad, Uncle Jerry, Tim, and Uncle Dick all relaxing.
Turkey dinner.
JJ enjoying a snack Uncle Dick.
Uncle Dick holding Emily. Dick is Emily's great uncle. (and he is great!)
Dad loved holding Emily.

We had donuts and coffee and had all the Roses and Uncle Jerry over, a quick "hi/bye" before my dad and Uncle Dick left for home. It was really informal, and really fun. I actually got to visit with everyone.
Me, Dad, Tim, Paige, and Matt.
Bob, Dad, and Tim
Matt, Uncle Jerry, and Paige
It was a great time visiting with Dad and Dick, and I wished they could've stayed longer. Tim and I both got sick that week, after our company left, and it took us quite a while to recover. We're now getting ready for Christmas and all the fun that goes along with.

Family shots

2010-12-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

While my dad and Uncle Dick were still in town, we got some different family grouping shots. Notice JJ's expression in most of these- he's either trying to talk or interact with a sleeping Emily.

Emily and JJ with their grandparents: Pappa Rose, Mimi Rose, and Papa Smith
Great Uncle Jerry, Pappa, Emily, Great Uncle Dick, JJ, Papa, and Mimi
JJ, me, Emily, and my dad
Not sure if JJ is trying to wake up Emily or just pointing out her ear.

JJ goes from ignoring Emily to...
giving her a hug and squishing her face to...
picking at her head.

This was one of my favorites.

It was a fast and fun photo shoot, and we got some good shots for posterity.

kid pics

2010-12-06T16:42:00.001-08:00

Here are random photos from the last few weeks.
Emily making a pouty face.
Emily making a "hmm" face
tubby time for my girl
Emily noticing JJ's approach
Emily making a serious burping face
Happy Emily. Bob can get Emily giggling like nothing else- its really cute to see. Emily is generally a happy baby, and is discovering that she has hands. She loves to look at them and suck on them and explore them.
Goofy JJ, playing with daddy.

JJ talking on the phone
JJ the cowboy
JJ the handy-man
JJ the wolf
JJ and his Peruvian sweater (thanks Beth and Carlos!)
boys and their toy cars
JJ drew a stick figure of Emily, all by himself, and was describing it to me. You can see it on the left side of the "magna-noodle"

Emily's 2 month checkup

2010-11-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

Emily had her two month checkup yesterday. According to the doctor (an inter-rim doctor, as our usual pediatrician is still on her maternity leave) said that Emily is "perfect", and of course, I agree with him. Emily weighs 13 lbs, 15 oz. She is 24 inches long, and I didn't catch what her head circumference is. She is doing all the things a 2 month is supposed to be doing- cooing and smiling and noticing sounds and tracking objects. She did get her second round of vaccines, and cried during them. Poor baby. The shots made her drowsy and a little fussy for most of the day yesterday, and I was very happy to hold her all day long and cuddle. Her next checkup will be at 4 months. It's good to hear the doctor confirm what we've known- that we have a healthy, happy child.

Snow day and funny faces

2010-11-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

We had our first snow last week. JJ and Lilly had a great time building a snowman, and painting him with food dye.

Emily after a nap in the swing. Notice how long her fingers are.
Smiley Emily
Funny faces

Random Emily facts

2010-11-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

-Today, Emily is 8 weeks old. 8 weeks!! That's two months! Wow- soon she'll be 6 months, then 6 years, then 16 years... I need time to slow down a little.

- She looks really good in pink- it's very flattering to her skin tone. And I swore that before she was born, she wouldn't wear very much pink. Hah on me.
-Emily laughs in her sleep- this deep, breathy laugh. It's quite funny.

-She is starting to babble and vocalize. She likes to say "arrugh" and "owrr"

- She loves snuggling, more than JJ did.
-Emily weighs 13 lbs, 6.3 oz, with no clothes on.

-She has very long fingers and very long, skinny feet.

- Emily still has little tufts of hair on the tips of her ears. They make her look like a pixie.

-Emily's eyes are such a deep blue shade, they sometimes look purple.
- Emily has been sleeping between 6 and 7 hours at a stretch at night. Yay! And she likes to fuss for a few minutes before dropping off to sleep.
-Emily has enough force inside her little body to expel baby poo straight out onto a wall that is 4 feet away. No joke.

- She has made me re-prioritize what I need to do on a daily basis. Cleaning and chores and errands take a backseat to spending time with my little pixie sweet pea.

Dinner with Uncle Jerry

2010-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

We had Uncle Jerry up for dinner last night. We all had a nice visit, and JJ loved the Halloween candy Jerry brought. (I still remember how much I loved the Halloween candy Jerry and Ada would send me in college.) JJ loves playing with Uncle Jerry, even when he's getting a trick played on him.
Tim looks mad, even though he's not, but this is one picture where all three of them are looking right at the camera. So disregard the expressions. (do you know how hard it is to get Tim to smile nicely for the camera?)

Steamboat Springs

2010-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we had a nice get-away in Steamboat Springs. Matt and Paige came with us. It was great to hang out in the condo, walk around town in the gorgeous weather, and have good laughs with good company.

We did the photo booth again- a little trickier to get 4 people centered in a tiny booth. Poor Emily- all you see is her forehead. And JJ kept getting cut in half.
Paige and JJ doing some yoga stretches.
The Red Riding Hoods, riding the bus into town
Family shot, waiting for the bus. JJ loved riding the bus.
JJ was big enough to sit on the horse by himself this time, and had a good time.
JJ loved this purple pig
On the car ride home

Emily's sleep training update

2010-11-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

Emily is now 7 and 1/2 weeks old. She is doing great! Her two month checkup is in two weeks, so I don't know her stats yet, but she seems to be thriving.

From the time we brought Emily home, she has been such a sweet pea! Her personality is sweet and calm, and she seems so wise beyond her age.

Emily eats around the same times every day, including her cluster feeding in the evenings. Her consistency makes it much easier to plan things. With JJ, it seemed like months before he was on anything resembling a schedule.

We're following the Babywise principles of eat-awake time-sleep with the goal of getting Emily to sleep through the night soon. Sometimes it is difficult to get Emily to be awake after eating- if she's awake for even 3 minutes, I count it as a success. It seems to be working, since Emily slept 7 and 1/2 hours last night- hopefully its not just a random event. I attribute her long sleep stretches at night (typically 4 to 5 hours long) to the fact that she is a big baby and that she happily cluster feeds from 6pm til about 10 or 11 pm, meaning she is going to bed with a very full tank. JJ never cluster fed, wasn't a very big baby, and didn't sleep more than 3 hours at night for a very long time.

We are now putting Emily down in her crib while she's still awake, which means that we are not rocking or nursing or holding her until she is passed out, and makes putting her down a little easier. She is doing a great job of falling asleep on her own, just like JJ did. She still doesn't really like the pacifier and seems to be fine without it. Like JJ, she sleeps much better swaddled- the tighter, the better. Unlike JJ, she actually requires the straight-jacket versions of the swaddle blanket (those with velcro), since she is big enough and strong enough to bust out of a blanket alone.

One thing I've learned about Emily is she usually fusses for a few minutes before falling asleep, daytime or nighttime. I'm learning to leave her alone during that fussy time so that she can fall asleep on her own. It's been hard until I made this realization because she would cry when she was put down, and I didn't know if she needed to burp or was still hungry or what. This resulted in me getting her up and disrupting her "almost-asleep" cycle. The end result was that she wasn't sleeping very much or for very long during the day, was feeding more frequently during the day, and would get really fussy and upset during her evening cluster feedings. Now, when I let her fuss for a few minutes, she falls asleep on her own, will nap longer, and is taking more naps. Her total sleep time is increasing from about 11 hours, to closer to 14 hours, and her nighttime fussy periods are getting much better. She is also nursing less frequently during the day and closer to the every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hour range, rather than every 1 1/2 hour range. I'm a huge believer in the saying "sleep begets sleep". It's also boosting my confidence as a mom to be able to read Emily's cues better and to know how to soothe and comfort her. It took re-reading Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to figure out what actions to take regarding Emily, and some stress on my part, but I'm glad I did it. I definitely recommend those two books to anyone trying to figure out feeding and eating schedules.

One more note- I'm actually able to get both Emily and JJ to nap at the same time, for at least 20 minutes, on some days. This gives me a nice little break in the middle of the day. Yay!

Halloween and other events

2010-11-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

We've had a few special events occur in the past few weeks, aside from Halloween.

1.) Documentation of Emily's first sassy moment. Very momentous.
2.) Proof that JJ is a great big brother: sharing his beloved bulldozer bed with Emily. He loves having her lay next to him in bed.

3.) JJ is really getting into dressing up, whether it is in princess shoes or a firefighter helmet.
4.) Date night! Not bad for some new parents and a soon to be 31-year old mama.
5.) Halloween!! This was the first year that we took JJ trick or treating around the neighborhood. We went with our friends next door and had a really good time. We first had dinner at our house. Here you can see JJ and Lilly watching for trick or treaters out the door. They were so excited to go.
Going from house to house. I'm amazed at how much candy they scored on one and a half blocks. Lilly was a princess and JJ wore his Mater costume again. Emily was all snuggly in her stroller, and looked like a cute little baby gnome. It was really nice weather for Halloween- probably in the 50's, which made for comfortable trick-or-treating conditions. I'm sure JJ and Emily will have their share of Halloween-ing in snow and rain, just like I did. Wonder if they'll trick-or-treat until senior year of high school too...

6.) My 31st birthday. Katie and I turned 31. Even though we couldn't be together, we had a good time talking and texting on the phone through-out the day. It was a good day for me, spending it with JJ and Emily and enjoying the routine. Turning 31 is a bit anti-climatic from 30. I still feel like I'm 18 in some ways, and 40 in others. The cliche about time flying is so so true.

The many faces of Emily

2010-11-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Emily's many faces.
Such kissable cheeks!

Emily looks very blond in this picture, and like JJ at this age.

Tim weighed Emily on our home scale, and found her to be almost 14 pounds! She is definitely growing (that's a 5 lb, 6 oz weight gain in 7 weeks, above her birth weight! I weighed 5 lbs, 6 oz at birth.) She is holding her head up well and taking interest in what goes on around her, especially when JJ is involved.