Emery is one, and we survived.

Well, we are just two weeks away from my little girl turning 1. Who can believe it?! This time last year I was crying daily because I couldn't sleep, was nesting like crazy, finishing up my last few days at St. Jude, and waddling...full time. It's hard to believe that in one year my little girl has gone from 8 pounds to 23, and grown 9 1/2 inches. She amazes me daily with how quickly she learns and how sassy she is, already. Jason and I are really in for it. She loves books, our dogs, clothes, eating, and being tickled by daddy. She is strong willed and compassionate. She is the best of Jason and I and we are so thankful that she is ours. She loves her cousin and friends as well as her aunts, and grandparents. There has never been a little girl more loved, and boy does she know it. This has been the most exhausting and rewarding year of my life. I can not wait to celebrate her first birthday with Tutus and all those that we love. Holy cow, I'm the mommy of a one year old....
And just a few of our favorite photos from the photo sesh... they are also all posted on my facebook.

Our little walker

So, Emery has started taking steps on a pretty regular basis this weekend. She just sees a toy several feet away, and takes off from whatever she is holding to get it! And everytime, she gets excited. She is trying to stand up from the ground too, but does more face planting into the carpet than anything... Any day now we will be in full-time walking mode! She's not even 11 months! So exciting! Here is a video with proof of her success! PS isn't her play area fabulous! xoxo

Emery Update

So, I feel I have not done my blog accurate justice by not updating on some of Emery's most recent accomplishments and activities...
She has been saying Mama and Dada to the right parent for nearly 2 months, three times has taken steps on her own, stood on top of her choo choo train with the help of the safety gate, knows the sign language for "all done," however she does it mostly in the middle of eating a veggie... so I ignore it and keep going, sometimes she waves bye bye.. even when you're clearly not leaving the room...
Emery has mastered using Jackson (our labrador) as a mountain with her as the moutain goat... he loves it though, and she is using her choo choo to scamper all over the house, she can turn it, back it up and go a different direction. All of this while chatting up a storm saying who knows what to who knows who... She is a wiggling beast that laughs and giggles all the time. Emery has been on the merry go round holding on all by herself, like a big girl. She LOVED IT! And of course we took the pictures to prove it, which are in a previous post (she's on a dolphin)!
If a toy makes noice or plays music she LOVES it as though it were a pot of gold. And the opportunity to push the button 100,000 times per hour is just all too exciting, especially while her parents are trying to have a conversation or watch TV... But she cracks us up! And we are so thankful to have her! So there you have it, she's on her way to walking, talking, and driving her parents crazy, like any little girl!

A Christmas to Remember...

Well, this year was Emery's first Christmas... out of my belly. We have had a fabulous past few weeks, birthday parties, visits from family, and a lot of anticipation for celebrating Christmas... Emery met Santa at the beginning of December, it did NOT go well. But we also went to the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, had emery free evenings at a few holiday parties, and put up our first regular size Christmas tree! We had to put a fence around it because Emery likes to unwrap presents... She still managed to get her hands through and unwrap a few...
The Wednesday before Christmas, Emery came down with a slight fever, which over night turned into a bad fever and by Christmas Eve evening, it had gotten up to 102.5. We stripped her down to her diaper, took her home and stuck her in a cool bath. Unfortunately, that didn't help and it went up even more. In a matter of minutes it went up to 103.5 and she had a fever induced seizure. It appeared that she had stopped breathing and we called 911. They were there so quickly and we were taken to our local Memorial Hospital. Apparently, when you have a seizure you hold your breathe, but I am glad we called. It took a few hours, but her fever broke and we were able to make it home before Christmas. It was the scariest thing to ever happen, but I am so thankful for my family and their quick response of support. Emery was a grouch for a few days, but did LOVE opening her presents with her cousin, Madison. They sure do love each other. Emery is back to her sassy self and we have never been more thankful for her! I can't believe my little girl is nearly 10 months old.... where does the time go?
Stay tuned as I begin to plan her first birthday! Tutus and tiaras here we come!

'Tis the season!

The holidays have officially began for our family! Thanksgiving was a wonderful opportunity to eat good food and spend time with family! Emery LOVED Thanksgiving dinner and has been eating mostly regular food every since. She is such a big girl at 9 months that we have already started buying 12 and 18 month pants!
Over the weekend was the Elk's Lodge Annual Holiday Party. Emery got to meet Santa for the first time. Needless to say, and as this picture shows, it did not go well. For now, we will keep Santa at bay, Emery did not enjoy this experience!
We are thrilled for the holidays, cool weather, warm coco, and lots of snuggling! Emery attended her first holiday parade, the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade in Long Beach. She attended, but didn't see much of it, as she slept through the whole thing, 5 High School Marching Bands and all!
It has been raining all day in Long Beach and it really just makes me love the holidays... and want to go home with some hot coco and read a holiday story to my little Piggy!

xoxo

So, I am still getting the hang of, and used to this blogging thing. But, I do have some fun new photos to share from our adventures! Emery is officially 8 months old now! Each month, since her first, we have been taking photos with this wooden E. It hangs on the wall in her room. We want to show how much she has changed and grow during her first year in comparison to the E. Then, we will take a picture with the E each year for her birthday. Like a height chart, I guess.

November has been busy already! I work at CSULB (my alma mater), and I am an advisor for the Tri Delta Chapter there. This month held homecoming for csulb, initation, slating of new officers, and Founder's Day for Tri Delta. On top of trying to be a good wife and mommy. I love being able to work with such an amazing group of collegiate women and alumni. Our Fraternity Presdient, Jackye Clark, attended Founder's Day this past weekend. In the photo are myself, Jackye, Angela (my fellow advisor) and Cohen, the chapter president. These are 3 amazing women!

I heart Fall!

I heart fall! I love sweatshirt weather, and snuggling up with those that I love. Our fall has been so eventful and fun so far! Between Disneyland, pumpkin patches, and our trip to TN, we have been able to spend a lot of time with those that we love! We took in a Titans football game, with our favorite TN couple, Andrew and Brienn! Emery went too! She loves watching sportscenter with Daddy, so this was all kinds of fun!
This Halloween, Emery was a piggy, for obvious reasons! What a fabulous piggy she was! Jason and I were even able to sneek away for a few hours to go to Oktoberfest in HB this year! We had never been, but between good bear, brats, and the weeny dog races, it was a success! Who knew weeny dogs could run so fast! I can't wait for the holidays to begin! I have the best baby, husband, family and friends a girl could ask for!