Saturday, November 5, 2011

Halloween 2011

I never imagined how much thought could go into Halloween! Andre and I debated over what Emilie would be for Halloween, and Andre decided that he would get to choose her costume this year, and I could make next years choice. Andre's decision: a strawberry. It was a nice fleece costume, so we knew Emilie would be warm.

Finally the day arrived, and Carrie and I got Emilie and Josh together for a little photo shoot in their costumes with their pumpkins.

First came Emilie and her pumpkin:

You want me to look where?

At the pumpkin?

You?
Then came Josh:

This is what I think of this whole thing.

Is it time for us to go home yet Mom?
And finally Emilie and Josh:

Emilie: Josh isn't this fun? Josh: Whatever

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's....we don't know we're babies!

The Pumpkin Patch

It's amazing how much more you look forward to holidays when you have a child. Holidays that you normally wouldn't even think about now warrant weeks of thought and planning. One example of this was picking a pumpkin for Halloween.

Normally Andre and I would just pick up a pumpkin and call it a day, but now it could be another photo op, so it deserved much more thought. I did some research on different Pumpkin Patches (farms) in the area, but in the end we decided that since Emilie is so young this year we would just visit a little farm not too far from our house and pick up a Pumpkin, and get some pictures. So off to Bennett's we went!

Emilie had a great time looking at all the pumpkins, so much so she didn't want to look at the camera!
Emilie and the mountain of pumpkins.

Hmmm, this is pretty neat.

I guess you want me to smile right?

This is as much as you're going to get!

Random October Cuteness

Here are some pictures of our little honey bunny from October.

Emilie's first walk at Bayfront Park!

Showing off to Mama and Papa how well she does on her tummy now.

Just liked this picture.

I want a pumpkin this big Mama!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

Yet another first holiday has come and gone. This time it was Thanksgiving!

We had big plans for the weekend, mainly church on Sunday morning (if your nap time worked out) followed by some play time with Mama and Papa at home then dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Everything was working out great that day. The weather was beautiful! You even decided to get up a little earlier than usual that morning, but that was okay because that meant you would be up from your morning nap in time to go to church.

You lasted up in the church service for about 20 minutes and then Papa took you down to the nursery so you could play with a couple other little babies for the rest of the service. You had such a good time playing with Papa that morning. We noticed around this time that your nose was running just a little bit. We figured it was just teething since you were due for another tooth or two anytime. We went home after church and you had your lunch and went down for your nap. Your nose was now running alot more. We knew we were in for it...you had caught your Papa's cold.

Since your Nana and Grandpa Frank weren't feeling well themselves and they were going to miss Thanksgiving dinner with the rest of us, we decided that we would make a little Thanksgiving video for them and your Great Uncle Blake in Fort Lauderdale.



We also got some pictures of you in all your cute glory:
We should have known with all that chewing you were teething...

A drooly, runny nosed smile.


I apologize for the funky colour in the video, I had been playing with settings, and forgot to change them back to auto before we took the video. That's why the entire thing has a purplish hue.

Just around dinner time you were super tired, but decided that you'd rather have a huge meltdown instead. So we sent Papa over to Grandma's house with the food I had made, and you finally caved and had a tiny little nap.

After you got up and had dinner yourself you were a little bit happier so we headed over to Grandma and Grandpas house. You were immediately swept away by your Aunts and Uncles and Mama got some time to herself to have something to eat, and a little bit of wine too. Everyone tired you out so much that you were exhausted, but your cold had started in earnest so you were not a happy camper at all. You had a really rough night up every half hour until 11pm, then up every two hours all through the night. Thankfully Papa had Monday off work so he was able to help with the middle of the night wake ups.

Thanksgiving Monday we were a little worried that you could have an ear infection, so we made a Doctors appointment, and you were a little angel for the Doctor. She told us that you just had a cold so we went home knowing we could be in for another rough night.

The weather was so great that day, after your nap you went outside to play with Papa, and I snapped some pictures:



In the end it wasn't the best Thanksgiving ever, but it definitely wasn't one that we will forget anytime soon! Especially since during the week that followed you cut three teeth! We still haven't decided if what you were feeling was all cold, teeth and cold, or just teeth. I guess we'll never know!



Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Dear Emilie

Dear Emilie,

Oh my goodness this last month was a crazy month! You just went through an explosion of activity and developments over the last month! It first started off with your hatred of being on your tummy. You hate being on your tummy, always have. Tummy time was screaming time in our house. We put you on your tummy because the doctors and books told us to, not because you liked it. I was actually worried that you would never crawl, because crawling meant you had to be on your tummy. I was so worried that I mentioned it to your doctor at your 6 month appointment. She assured me that it was normal, and that a lot of babies hate being on their tummy, so I shouldn't worry.

I swear you were listening closely at that appointment, and decided to make me a liar, because the very next day you rolled onto your tummy and didn't start to scream. In fact you continued to play with your toys on your tummy for five whole minutes before you started to fuss and let me know you had enough. Five whole minutes! I didn't know whether that was a fluke or not, so Papa and I just let you be when you went on your tummy and it wasn't a fluke! You now didn't mind being on your tummy so much. You're such a sneaky little girl sometimes! Now you play on your tummy all the time, your newest trick is trying to get your knees underneath you. I predict by 8 months you will be crawling. Then Mama and Papa are in trouble!!

You sit all by yourself now too! It started last month, and now you can sit without any help at all from papa and I now. You play with all your toys in the blanket, and on the nice days you love to move your feet in the grass. You love being outside so much. You love to look at the trees, and listen to the sounds of the wind through the leaves. Most babies would hate the feel of the cold grass under their feet and legs, but not you, you love it. I've even had to treat grass stains on your socks because of this!

You said your "first word" this month too! You say "ma ma ma" and "mum". I know that you don't really associate the words with me yet, but I still think it's a big deal that your first word wasn't "da da da". You talk all the time to Papa and I, and really anyone else that will listen. You smile at everyone who says hi to you (if you're in a good mood at least), and you like to flirt now. You flirt with your Papa, your Grandpa, and your Uncle Andrew and Uncle Darren too.

You're getting to be so big. Everyday your Papa and I are amazed at all the new things that you can do, but at the same time it makes us sad. Our little baby girl is leaving us, and now we have this amazing, happy, vocal little big girl instead. You haven't quite mastered the art of a hug or a kiss yet, but you put your arms around our shoulders when we carry you, and you get so happy to see us when we get home from work that you open your mouth wide and "kiss" our cheek. This is getting to be a bit tricky now since you got your first tooth! We've been waiting and waiting for the bottom teeth to come in, but instead your top left arrived first!

We can't wait to see what new and exciting things are on their way for next month!

Love, Mama

6 Months Old!!

Happy Half Birthday little girl!


It seems like just yesterday you were so tiny, and now you're our little big girl!

You had two doctors appointments this month, the first was with the Family Doctor for your 6 month well-baby visit, and your needles. You hate needles, but you did so well this month. I think it helped that you only had one needle, so less poking and prodding. Your second appointment was with the Pediatrician to check on your murmur. She could still hear it, but it is fading. Your next appointment with her is in December, around the same time you're due for your next appointment with the family doctor too!

Here are your stats from your September appointments:
Height: 26cm long
Weight: 15.5lbs
According to the doctor that puts you around the 50th percentile for both height and weight. In other words, you're normal!

You do so much now! You're eating food now. We started you off with sweet potatoes and you really liked them. We've discovered that you love your veggies, fruits are a different story, they have to be disguised in rice or oat cereal so you will eat them. After some trial and error we discovered you don't like their texture.

You babble, and coo all the time now, and you sit all.by.yourself! You can't sit for a long time by yourself, but you can for shorter periods with the nursing pillow, or someone behind you. Still no teeth yet, we're still waiting on those!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Dear Emilie

Dear Emilie,

How does 6 months pass by in the blink of an eye? I'm sitting here at the computer while you play with spoons and bowls after dinner in your highchair. You just finished your dinner. I was always amazed looking at the children of friends how many changes happen in the first year. First that baby was just this little thing that did little else but sleep, eat, and fill a diaper. Then on their first birthday they were this person, laughing, playing, walking too most of the time.

Now as I look at you, my little big girl, it makes it seem even more amazing. Everyday that goes by I am reminded of how much of a miracle you truly are to your Papa and me. Every day your are changing and growing right before our eyes. You are discovering something new and exciting about the world around you. This month you got to go swimming for the first time. It didn't last long since you decided you were ready for a nap, but you went swimming! You got to meet more family at your cousin's baby shower, and they all loved you. Your Mama and Papa even remembered the Jolly Jumper you had in your closet and we put that up for you. You love it! You bounce and bounce as long as we'll let you stay in there everyday. You even tried food for the first time this month. You loved it and Papa and I loved it too since it would fill up your tummy enough that you would sleep through the night again!

Your teething troubles continued again this month with still no sign of teeth. This is driving all of us crazy. It's so hard to see you in pain with not much we can do. We've discovered some homeopathic medication, as well as an amber teething necklace. This has helped us manage the pain along with some good old fashioned Advil on standby for the really bad days.

Your Mama and Papa can't wait to see what is in store for the next six months. Happy Half Birthday Emilie!

Love, Your Mama and Papa


With your Mama, 16 days old.
(Copyright Julian Dean Photography)


With your Papa, 16 days old.
(Copyright Julian Dean Photography)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

August: A month of firsts

August was a busy month. Emilie got to experience so many new things in addition to food. Here are some pictures of some of her new adventures:

"Swimming" in a hot tub for the first time!

"Riding" on a motorcycle for the first time with her Great Uncle Kevin!

Blowing bubbles with Grandma for the first time!


Swinging on the big-girl swing for the first time!

Bouncing on the Jolly Jumper for the first time!

Getting her ears pierced!

Emilie and Joshua

Everyone knows that Emilie has a little cousin, Joshua, who is just three months younger than her. They're destined to besties, they just don't know it yet!

Carrie brought Joshua over one day for a little photo shoot, and we got some nudie patootie shots of Josh and Emilie. I thought I would share their adorable nakedness with you all.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Food!

There have been so many firsts this month, and one of them is Emilie having rice cereal for the first time. Emilie has always been very particular about what and how much she will eat. Around her 5 month birthday she decided that she was hungry.

Now, Emilie, you will have to forgive us for taking a few hours to figure this out. We weren't used to you waking up upset in the middle of the night, but by 3am, your very tired Mama and Papa figured it out and gave you a bottle. Of course you ate it up. The next day we tried giving you an extra bottle during the day so you wouldn't get hungry in the middle of the night. You wanted nothing to do with that. After all, extra snuggles with your Mama or Papa in the dead of night is much more fun!

After a week or so of this Mama decided that desperate times called for desperate measures, you were five months old, you could sit up, maybe we would try some rice cereal. So after a little trip to the drugstore to pick up some supplies, (since we thought we had another month before we had to have these on hand!) we were ready to go.

The moment of truth was here. I mixed up some cereal, and held up the spoon and you went crazy! You immediately opened your mouth and your little head started to move around like a little bird. I swear you were thinking "Finally Mama! What have you been waiting for? I was STARVING!"

You ate that cereal up like a champ! Hardly spitting any out, because you wouldn't want to waste any would you?

For everyone that missed the Rice Cereal Extravaganza that night, here are some pictures:



And since you're all so wonderful here is the video of her having rice cereal for the first time. We were having a BBQ that night so you can hear voices and see people walking around while we're feeding her.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Dear Emilie

Dear Emilie,

Five months old. Gone are the days of our little baby content to just lie in our arms snuggled in for a little sleep. Here to stay is our little big girl. You shout, and laugh, and "talk" to us all day. You shun laying down in favour of sitting up and looking out at the world that way, or better yet standing on your legs while someone holds you steady. Just a few weeks ago you refused to put any weight on those little legs of yours, and now you could stand all day, or well until you get tired.

You won't let Mama rock you to sleep anymore, you go into the crib wide awake now, and fall asleep on your own. You will never know how hard it is to see you growing up so quickly right in front of my eyes. It's like all I do is blink, and you've discovered something new. It's an amazing thing watching you discover the world, and change and grow. It's like Papa and I can rediscover the world through your eyes too.

Never lose that sense of wonder and amazement at everything around you my little honey bunny.

Love,
Mama

Thursday, August 11, 2011

5 Months!

Time keeps trucking along even though Andre and I try and slow it down. Our little girl is 5 months already.




There was no doctors appointment this month, so no new stats for you all. I did weigh her on a scale at a friends house a week ago though, and according to that scale she's hovering around 14lbs. She was wearing a cloth diaper at the time, so who knows.

She is doing so much now! We've been signing to her for the last few months, and I think our hard work is paying off. There have been a few times that I swear she has signed "Momma" back to me. This happens mostly at night when it's just the two of us and I'm giving her her last bottle of the day, and she's getting sleepy. We're now working on "Papa" so Andre won't feel left out. She is sitting so well in her Bumbo now and loves to sit up and look around. We'll catch her in her car seat as well trying to lift her head out of the seat so she's not reclining as much too. It seems like every day our little baby is fading away and instead this little girl is emerging. It's so much fun, and so sad all at the same time.

Here are some more pictures from our 5 month photo shoot:

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

Emilie's "fishy" face.

The little smile that brightens our day.

Monday, August 1, 2011

I dare you not to laugh...

I just can't help myself when she starts to laugh, I have to laugh along with her.

Here is a little video of our little Emilie laughing with her Auntie Carrie.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

A lean, mean, rolling machine!

Well just as I suspected, as soon as she figured it out, we can't stop her!

Every day we give her time on a blanket on the floor with some toys, to just stretch her arms and legs, along with her vocal cords! For the longest time she would roll on to her tummy, and Lord, let me tell you how much she hates to be on her tummy! So she would start to fuss, which would gradually turn into a full on meltdown if we would let it. We would go over, turn her onto her back again, she would smile, and then in a couple minutes we would repeat again.

She had managed to roll back if someone was there to give her a little momentum, but this week she rolled back to her back all by herself. I was there to see it, and I cheered her on clapping my hands, then Andre came over and started cheering her too. She was a little confused as to why we were cheering like idiots, but was happy with the attention at the same time.

Her newest trick is also wanting to sit up like a big girl. Gone are the days of reclining back. She has to sit up in her swing, her highchair, stroller, everything. We've tried her in her exersaucer a few times, and she LOVES her Bumbo too. It's so exciting to see her growing up, but it breaks my heart at the same time to see my little baby slipping away a little more each day.

The last few weeks in pictures

The last few weeks have been a little crazy, trying to adjust to my return to work, but we have tried to not let that get in the way of our picture taking!

Here is a little taste of what our little one has been up to.





Sunday, July 17, 2011

4 Months Old!

I know I'm a little late, but her four month birthday also coincided with my return to work, so my spare time has been slashed dramatically. We did do a little photo shoot though!
She has changed so much over the last month. She is a lean, mean, rolling machine now! She will roll all over the floor now. So much so her little exercise mat is a little too narrow for her, so she spends more time on a blanket on the floor exploring that way. She is discovering her voice more and more now, and has found an octave that is so loud, it kind of hurts your ears. It drives her daddy BANANAS! He comes running every time she does it thinking something is wrong only to have her just playing away, completely happy. Sometimes I swear I see this proud look on her face when she discovers a new sound she can make.

Emilie also giggles like crazy. It's the best sound in the entire world. I have a couple videos on our camera, I'm going to try and upload them onto YouTube, so it's easier for non readers of this blog to watch them as well.

Emilie is still teething, and has been for the last month or so. She'll be a drool monster for a few days, and a little cranky pants, then it will pass, and then start up again about a week or so later. I keep hoping that those two little teeth under the gums will pop through already, but no such luck as yet. She's really taken to the little teething toys we have, as well as any fingers or knuckles that get within sucking distance of her mouth!

Here are the official stats from her 4 month well baby visit:
Weight: 13.1 lbs putting her at the 50th percentile *
Height 24 inches putting her at approx the 60th percentile *

*According to the growth calculator in my copy of What to Expect the First Year.

I will end with a few pictures from her four month photo shoot. Time is passing a little too quickly!
-Our Little One is four months old!
Oh Momma, that camera is so cool!



Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Dear Emilie


Oh Emilie, you have come so far. I remember that day when you were two days old like it was yesterday. The day we brought you home. So naive as to what was to come. You sure had us fooled sleeping all the way home. We had no idea that you would scare us with your weight loss, and show us repeatedly that you would rather sleep than eat. I had no idea how hard, and yet how wonderful it would be to be your Mama.

You amaze us everyday with a new discovery. Things that we take for granted, you find fascinating. Your little smile can brighten our day, and your laugh, well there is no greater sound. We still find ourselves staring at you, unable to believe that we created you, this beautiful, perfect little human being. You may never know the depth of our love for you,  but we will spend the rest of our days trying to show you.

Love,
Your Mama

Monday, July 11, 2011

We have a roller!

The exact same day that I posted about Emilie taking her time with things, the 28th of June to be exact, was the day Emilie decided to roll for the first time! I guess she decided that was as good a day as any.

She has come close again, but I guess she'll do a sneak attack for the next rolling adventure she has. Luckily I had time to yell for Andre to come and see what Emilie had done, and grab the camera before she had enough of being on her tummy.



Here is the proof in pictures:
Mommy, Daddy, look what I am doing!


How did this happen?


Some time with daddy after all her hard work.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Taking her time

Emilie likes to do everything on her own time. Some things she likes to do when she's "suppose" to do them, others, they can wait.

She verbalizes so well for her age. She is making vowel sounds, and loves to open her mouth wide and make "aaaaahhhhhh" sounds and "ooooooohhhhhh" sounds. She makes soft sounds almost like a whisper, and then catch you off guard by wailing out the next sound. She's been alternating the volume of her talking a lot more lately. I swear I see a proud little look on her face when she discovers that she can make a new sound. She has also been moving her mouth when she's making sounds a lot more too, like she discovered she has this new part of her body that she can control at will.

She's also recently discovered her feet too. She will try and grab for them during diaper changes, or just move her legs around and just stare at her feet. I think it's only a matter of time before those toes end up in her mouth!

Rolling is another story. This could partially be our fault as we don't push tummy time since she hates it with a passion. She will last on her belly for a couple minutes and then start wailing. Almost full melt down mode if we let her wait. She would much rather sit on our lap and look around or be perched on one of our shoulders to get a better view of the room.

We have caught her rolling on to her side many times though as you can see here:

I'm getting there, I'm getting there...

...and I'm done.

I think if she would just flip her upper leg to get some momentum going she could do it, but again, she just doesn't want to roll yet. I think we're getting closer though, just yesterday morning when I went to get her she was on her side while swaddled. It's coming!