6 Months - April 22, 2010

Dear Emily,

You are 6 months old now! That’s half a year old!! You weigh 12 lbs, 12 oz and are 24.5” long. You are 50th percentile for your length, but only in the 5th percentile for your weight…just a petite little girl. You are petite all over except for your thick, chunk legs, which I just LOVE! I swear half your body weight is in those chunk legs – haha! You've changed so much in just a short amount of time!

We’ve had to take all the padding out of your car seat and bouncy seat this past month – you just don’t need the extra support anymore!

We are STILL nursing - yay for us! You have only had formula for a few days (when mommy had an eye infection and had to take some medicine). But, even then, it was mixed with breast milk. You have also stayed sick free so far! I’m attributing this to nursing you – it’s just SOOO good for you. You’ve avoided RSV from Abby (after she sneezed in your face) and also a cold from me and daddy. I can’t believe you still haven’t gotten sick! 6 months is a good nursing milestone and a lot of people stop after 6 months. Dr. Joe says 6 months is awesome and anything past 6 months is icing on the cake. So, I’m relieved at reaching the 6 month mark. I would love to nurse you for 1 year and that’s my goal, but girl..you have started biting mama! You don’t have any teeth yet, but gums hurt too. I’m trying to teach you not to do that b/c once a tooth gets me, I think that’ll be the end of our nursing time. =( I yell “No” to you and take you off and you give me the strangest look, like “what in the world did I do?!!” It’s so funny, but won’t be funny when teeth are involved!! Ouch!

You have found your feet this past month and love to try to eat your toes. I’ve been showing them to you for a while – just waiting for you to notice them.

You also sat up all by yourself this past month – although, you haven’t fully mastered sitting up on your own. You will sit up for a few seconds before you topple over to the side. We practice sitting up a lot – I sit you up every time I wake you up from your naps. You give me the biggest smile like you are so proud of yourself. Then, you just topple over to the side. Of course, you would rather stand up than sit up. You push with those strong legs of yours to stand up when I try to get you to just sit up. You are ready to get on the move!

You've REALLY started sucking your thumb this past month. You found your thumb a while back and would randomly suck on it, but lately, you suck on it almost every time you go down for a nap or to sleep at night. I'll look at the baby monitor and find that thumb in your mouth!

You also started playing in your jump-a-roo this past month. We borrowed Abby’s jumpie and you LOVE it. Of course, it’s a little big for you, so we have to stuff blankets all around you and put something under your feet, so you can jump big. You even try to jump when we are just holding you. Jumping is your new fav thing to do (besides cuddling with mommy, of course). =)

You had your very 1st Easter this past month. We went to an egg hunt and you met the Easter Bunny. On Easter morning, we went to church and you slept in my arms. Then, we had brunch at Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bo’s house – it was a great day. The Easter Bunny came to see you too – he left you some goodies in your Easter Basket and mommy bought you two swim suites for the summer – a tradition I want to start with you is giving you two swim suits each Easter for the upcoming Summer. They’ll be great for our upcoming swim lessons and beach trip!

Your little personality is really starting to come out now – you just talk and talk and “growl” and talk some more. You are so funny. I think you like to hear yourself talk. Our house will never be quiet again – I love it!

You also love to be tickled – your sweet spot is on your chunk thighs. You will just laugh and laugh when we tickle you there. You also will just look at Mommy or Daddy and smile so big – you are SUCH a happy girl! You love to smile and laugh.

You have started to get specs of brown in your dark gray/blue eyes. I figured they would start turning brown - just wasn't sure when it would happen.

You had your 1st vegetable this past month too – squash. We have been introducing a new vegetable once a week. We are on our last one (sweet potatoes) and will start inducing yummy fruits this coming month (6 months). You are eating veggies twice a day (lunch and supper). I’m trying to teach you to keep your hands by your side while you eat, so you won’t make a mess. I’m also trying to teach you some sign language (please and more). I know you have the ability to understand things long before you have the ability to vocally communicate. We’ll see how quickly you can pick up these signs. I’m hoping to teach you some others after you master these – hopefully, it will help alleviate some of the frustration you might feel when you can’t tell vocally tell Mommy what you want. =)

Random – my nickname for you is “punk” and “punky.” I have called you this since you were born. I know it came from me calling you “pumkin head” b/c you had a hat in the shape of a pumpkin when you were a newborn (since a Fall baby). It got shortened into “punk” and “punky.” It just fits you so well…you are my little punky. =) Some other nick names I have for you: Emmie, Emmie Wimmie, Em, Miss Em. I have really tried to call you Emily more lately b/c I have noticed I hardly ever call you by your actual name. You are going to think your name is Punky. =) My mama use to call me Jenny Penny, Jenn or Jenn Jenn. I guess nicknaming comes from her. I bet she would call you Emmie Wimmie.

Sweet girl, you just have no idea how much mama loves you! I literally love you more every single day. I love watching you learn new things – seeing the look on your face when hear a new noise or see something new. It’s like I get to live my life all over again through your sweet, innocent little eyes. I want so much to bottle up this time I’m having with you and keep if forever and ever, but I know that’s impossible and it makes me a little sad. I’m trying to soak it all in as much as I can. I want you to grow up big and strong, but wish you could stay my baby girl forever. Well, you WILL be my baby forever – you’ll be my 50 year old sweet, baby girl punky punk. =) You just remember that!

Love,
Mama

Fashion Friday - Mud Pie

Emily's Fashion Friday is thanks to Aunt Melissa and Uncle David. They bought her this adorable outfit for her Easter present. It's from Mud Pie (one of my fav brands). They also got her a matching piggie bank...super cute!

Emily's Fashion Friday - Cow Girl Up!

Today's Fashion Friday is brought to you thanks to "Nana" Irene and Aunt Lisa.

The dress was an Easter gift from Aunt Lisa, Uncle Bo, and Abby. A favorite style from Target.

Bo's mom (aka, "Nana Irene") gave both the girls these adorable John Deer cowgirl boots for Easter. The best thing about these boots is they help showcase her ADORABLE chunk knees and legs. She's a petite little thing except for when it comes to those chunk legs...she is thick! haha!

Emily's Fashion Friday

To say I LOVE dressing my girl up is a big understatement. She is my little baby doll! We love to shop (something passed down genetically from Mimi). But, she is growing so fast, a cute outfit will fit one day and be too tight the next! So, I'm introducing Emily's Fashion Friday to capture her extra cute outfits before she outgrows them.

The outfit in today's Fashion Friday is from Baby Nay

I love the cherries and little ruffles around the legs and arms. It reminds me of something my mama would buy, so that's a big reason it's a fav outfit. Plus, it's not PINK, which is a typical outfit color for Em.

Note, I try to NEVER pay full price for name brand baby clothes - this was a fab Ebay find!

5 Months Old - March 22, 2010

Better late than never...here is our 5 month post (even though we are pushing 6 months now)... =)




Dear Emily,

You are now 5 months old and such a BIG girl! You are growing by leaps and bounds. There was one day in particular this past month that I woke you up one morning and thought, gee, you look so big all of a sudden – I think you had a growth spurt while you slept that night!





While you’re growing every day, you are still a petite little baby. You can still fit into many of your 0-3 months clothes, but no more 0-3 month PJ’s! You’re tiny, but pretty average in length, so your footed PJ’s are too short now. You are in 3-6 month PJ’s and even some 6 month PJ’s will fit you (although a little baggie). Generally, 3 months clothes fit you PERFECT, but will soon be too small. We’re fast moving into 3-6 month stuff.



Mommy and Aunt Lisa have started taking a sewing class, so we can learn to make clothes for you and Abby. It’s so fun! I hope you like the outfits I make for you. I love doing stuff for you. Oh, how quickly you have totally consumed my life! I love it! My mama (your Mimi) would be so proud of us learning to sew. I think all mama’s should know how to sew a little bit. I’m sure there will be a time when you are going to need some crazy outfit for school and I’ll have to make it for you. I had to be Annie Oakley in 4th grade for a school project, so Mimi added some fringe to a blue jean skirt and vest, so I could be a cowgirl. Now, I’ll know how to do that for you too!



You LOVE playing...you have so much fun on your floor gym and have started to play a little in your excer-saucer (although, it's still a little big for you). One of your favorite things to do is stand up (with some help from me or Daddy). I stand you up and say, "Sooooo Big." You just smile and look so proud of yourself.

















Some milestones this month –

You have mastered grabbing and holding things. You’ve been holding things and putting them in your mouth for a while, but this past month, you’ve become a lot more coordinated with it. You carefully grasp for things within your reach and bring them perfectly straight to your mouth - like your paci. You can put your paci in your mouth all by yourself - sometimes you get it backwards though. =) You also want anything and everything that I have in my hands – a cup, boogie sucker, or my cell phone. If it’s in mommy’s hands, it needs to be in Emmie’s hands! =)





You’ve also really started laughing. I wrote in a past post that you have been “trying” to laugh for a while, but couldn’t quite get it out. I knew you were trying to laugh, but it just came out as a funny sound – not quite a laugh. Well, now you are full on laughing. You have the absolute cutest laugh ever in the world! It’s the best sound to hear. I get you to laugh by walking up your tummy and tickling under your arms. Daddy can get you to laugh the easiest. You just love him! Your face lights up when he walks into the room - I think you might be a Daddy's girl. I just hope you are a Mama's girl too. =)













You have been working on rolling over for a while and finally rolled over from your back to your tummy while at Granny’s house. Mommy's so proud!





Instead of a food milestone, we’ve had to take a step back on food. You just were not ready at 4 months for food, so we’ve just taken a break. I don’t want to force it on you if you aren’t ready. I’m going to start you back on it this month (month 5). You just get so mad and spit it all out. Maybe you don’t like cereal? I’m not sure. I think I’m going to try some squash soon and we’ll go from there.

We went to our very 1st story time at the library this past month. You were in awe of all the other kids running around. It was a lot of fun. I want you to learn to love to read. I use to read a lot when I was little. Books are so great for escaping into a fairytale land or adventure, but also help your brainpower! Haha! I think too much TV is not good for the soul. =) I hope to bring reading books into our bedtime routine soon.





We've also spent more time outside this past month than ever. It's FINALLY started to warm up, so we can sit outside and play. We also visited the park for the 1st time. You had fun watching the other kids play and we took a walk.









We also ventured out to our very 1st St. Paddy’s Day parade. You and Abby were decked out in your matching green dresses for the event. It’s funny how my life has changed – we use to take the puppies to the pet parade and now we are taking you girls to the kid stuff. We love it though. Like I said before, I love showing you off. =) AND, a milestone for mommy...it was the 1st time I could fit (or should I say squeeze) back into my pre-prego jeans - yay me! =)









You and Abby were dedicated at church this past month. Daddy and I want you to grow to love the Lord and Jesus. We want you to have a strong faith and trust in Him with everything you do. As you grow up, you’ll realize just how important it is to have faith. While it’s hard sometimes to have faith (it’s not something you can see or touch), it’s so important and something that builds over time with life lessons – sometimes hard ones. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes the hardest of life experiences to bring you to a closer walk with God. Sad, but so true. I experienced this 1st hand when I lost my mama.





















Excited for your very 1st Easter, which is coming up soon. Can't wait to see what else happens this month!