Those days seem like sooooo long ago, but just yesterday at the very same time. It's hard to believe she will already be one, but then it also seems like we've had her forever just because I cannot nor do I want to remember my days without her. She cracks me up all the time, she makes funny little faces, or squeals at these high pitch levels, she'll shake her head back and forth and she is her daddy's parrot. She mimics everything he does, even his burp, she'll try to make a noise like a burp. She's
got her 7th tooth coming in, she loves to clap, she can sort of wave (it's like a two handed wave and almost a clap but her hands don't meet), she loves the cats, she pulls herself along on the floor but doesn't do a traditional crawl, she gives kisses, she says mama and dada (though the jury is still out on the meaning behind them) she loves to blow raspberries and if we make a psssst sound, she'll mimic it. She loves getting into the DVDs and tossing them all over the floor, and she eats everything. Aside from puree green beans months ago (she likes fresh green beans) I've yet to feed her anything she doesn't seem to like. She gets mad if you eat in front of her and don't give her any.
Her newest food that she loves are dill pickle spears. She's getting better and sippies but half of the time still spits the water back out, and she does even better with a straw. I just bought her a little water bottle with a straw that has her name on it. She knows her name, she loves to babble and screech and she loves to walk. If she had it her way, she'd make you walk with her all.day.long. She's such a fun, sweet, happy little girl. She not only claps and gets excited when Bubble Guppies comes on, she gets excited when I pull up the DVRd shows because I always record them since they're on when she naps. So she knows when the DVR menu comes up, it's Bubble Guppies time.
This past weekend she and I and my stepmom joined my aunts and a few cousins for girls' weekend. We started with lunch in Birch Run, then we shopped till we dropped at the outlet stores. I got a new leather coat and a Easter dress for Em, and Grammy bought her quite a few outfits too. When we were all shopped out we went to the hotel and had pizza and then we went for a swim. Emily had been swimming once before but she was only about three months old, so this was pretty much her first time. Her suit was so small on her, even with added elastic to the straps, it was still pretty tight, so I definitely need to get her a new suit for the summer. Ryan and I had both agreed no second hand swim suits...it's gross. But then I realized, she has a swim diaper on (which is new) so really second hand suits are no different than second hand clothes. I'm so happy for this revelation since Once Upon a Child has a ton of cute suits out that are so cheap. Since she can only get one season out of them, why spend a bunch on a new one?
So luckily our clan were the only ones in the pool when we went, 'cause this mama does not like wearing a swim suit right now. Operation lose baby weight isn't going so well. So I took her in, and it was coooold, even for being an indoor pool. So we didn't stay long at all, her poor body was shaking and her lower lip was trembling but I wanted to stay in for a few minutes to see if she liked it. I showed her how to splash in the water so she had fun doing that and getting mommy all wet. Then I held her out from my body a bit so I could twirl her around in the water a little. She kind of liked it, but she was hanging on to me pretty tight. She did let my aunt take her and swim her around a bit. When I couldn't take her lip trembling anymore we headed back to the room, gave her a warm bath to rinse off the chlorine and got her ready for bed.
I wasn't sure how she was going to sleep being in a pack n play and in a strange place. She had barely gotten even one short nap that day and it was already an hour past her bedtime. I tried putting her in bed with me until she fell asleep but she just wanted to play, so I put her in the PNP. Within a minute or two she was out. Most nights she wakes at some point and either plays or fusses a bit but I think she was out cold the whole night. My alarm woke me up, but she didn't wake up till about 10 minutes later. So after we had breakfast and packed up, we headed to Frankenmuth for a carriage ride. It was a fun little ride around the area and Emily got to meet our horse. Then we went for chicken dinner. By then she was due for a nap, but I suspected she was still a bit overtired from the day before and there was too much going on....my two cousins who are about 4 and 7 both loved her and wouldn't leave her alone, so it was tough for her to catch a nap.
Between my cousins and my niece and nephew on Ryan's side, I think she will be known as Baby Emily till she is an adult. They all call her that...it's tough being the youngest on both sides. I tried taking her out of the restaurant to calm her but nothing was working, so when I came back my SIL took her since she was finished eating and I still needed to eat. Then my stepmom took her, and she was out in the lobby and an accordion player came over to them. I kept thinking, he better not be out there keeping her awake. So I went out a few minutes later and he was actually playing her to sleep. She was half out when I came out there and then boom, she was gone. He even played her a lullabye on his accordion. I wanted to take him home with us, he was like a baby whisperer.
So after dinner we browsed the gift shops downstairs and she woke up not long after, but I think she got at least a 30 minute nap. I wanted to go to the toy store but I didn't want to navigate the stroller, so I left her with my SIL so I could go, and she was with all my aunts and cousins. When I came back, everybody was gone. I knew they were headed outside soon, so I went out and found them....all of them except my SIL my stepmom and my daughter. I tried texting them, my SIL answered, saying she had gone to the bathroom but she didn't know where my stepmom was. I was like ok, you still have my kid right? She said no, my stepmom took her so she could go to the bathroom and when she came out they were gone.
So, I know my stepmom didn't run off with her, and I knew she had her and she was fine, but when it was going on about 20 minutes and no sign of her, didn't respond to my text or answer her phone, I was getting antsy. I mean, I KNOW my stepmom wouldn't leave her somewhere, but not knowing for sure where your kid is for more than a few minutes was a feeling I wasn't fond of. Mama bear didn't know where her cub was and mama bear was getting agitated. My SIL and stepmom finally found each other, and we all met up, but I am thinking once Emily is mobile and walking on her own, she will not be leaving my side when out in public. I don't care if it is to go somewhere with Grammy or Nana or the damn Pope, not going to happen for a while.
So once we are all reunited, we headed to Bronner's (the worlds largest christmas store) and wandered around there for a few hours. There were just so many things to look at. I got Ryan a 5K ornament and a cute little stuffed snowwoman. After that we hit a couple more outlet stores, got dinner and then headed home. It was a good little weekend. I am looking forward to making girls' weekend a tradition with Emily and I (my family has been doing it for a few years now and this was the first time I could make it).
So I took my camera crash course last week and took Emily's pictures. I think they actually turned out pretty nice. Especially nice that I was able to save a couple hundred dollars. Some were a bit dark, but nothing photoshop couldn't correct. So I am excited to have pretty pictures of her one year for almost peanuts...I have a few promos from shutterfly from pampers rewards, so I think I'll be able to get a bunch of pictures for like 12 bucks.
Last time I said how Emily walked with her walker toy a few steps, whereas before she would just stand there. Well today she walked all the way through the living room, down the hall and we started to come back but she fell and we couldn't catch her in time. Once she calmed down I did have her walk a few more steps just so she won't be scared to try again, but I was so proud, she did so well! I'm predicting that she'll walk by say....14 months. Yep, that's my guess. I have a lot to do this week to get ready for her party, but I am so excited to celebrate my baby girl's first year. This time last year I was sitting here, taking it all in, knowing that the next morning I was going in for my induction. My how my life has changed and I wouldn't change a thing.
Here are a few of the pics I took, not bad for a novice I say.
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