Accomplishments of a 10 month old!

Forgot to add in my last post that as of this weekend Emery said her first word: dada...and kept saying it all.weekend.long! We are practicing mama and lola now so they may be next. She has been kinda saying "hi" but dada came out pretty loud and clear! She also is now "attemping" to feed herself with a spoon. She will take the spoon and put it in her mouth and usually get the food right in! I am so proud of her! She will also try to dip the spoon in the bowl--I just need to hold it for her. She has also learned that she can "feed" the dogs too from her highchair so we usually have a bunch of scavengers hanging around our table at dinnertime. No walking as of yet but she will push her little car around and can stand by herself for a few seconds. Wondering how long it will take for her to make a few steps....

December already...where does the time go????

It's been a little over a month since my last update. Emery is growing into her own little person now with her own likes and dislikes--and she is not scared to let you know! :) Trying to prepare for Christmas and back last year before I had her, I kept telling myself "my kid will not be spoiled" but it is seriously hard to limit the toy buying when there is just so much cute stuff out there! Throw in an awesome sale at Target and I think we have enough stuff for her birthday in February too! Don't tell her but I bought her a super cute Laugh and Learn Farm...err..I mean Santa is bringing her...lol, a Little People Farm House, a wooden push/pull wagon and several other things. I think I am more excited than she will be! The house has been decorated since right after Thanksgiving with the tree up and some presents already wrapped. Anna from Squeezebox Photography came by to snap some 9 month pics/Christmas family pics for us and they came out fantastic. They will be added to our Christmas cards this year for sure.



Here's one sample....

It seems like time just flew by this past month....Thanksgiving was great...especially since it wasn't at my house this year (just too much going on for that!). My mom--aka Grandma B--had it at hers and all the Jones family came out for the big day. Emery got to wear her "My family is thankful for me" bib and Mommy got to make an extra special cake for cuz Alyssa--love doing that each year!

Here's a pic of cuz Alyssa and Leanna with their birthday cake: And of course, Miss Emme in her bib:

Lots of fun activities planned for the Christmas season....already had her first visit to Santa and it actually went pretty well. Santa came to our neighborhood and we did get some good pics--no smiles though :) She takes Santa very serious! Hahaha! We are going to see Santa again on the 19th and will meet up with some friends: Sam and family and Natalie is coming with her family. Hopefully we can all do a quick lunch afterwards. This past weekend Emery and I made a Santa plate for her to put out cookies for Santa each year. We used her footprint for a design so it will be fun to see how much she goes from this year to next.

That's it for now...will update soon!

Trick or Treat....

Halloween weekend turned out to be super-fun even though the weather didn't cooperate. Friday, Emery and I attended a Gwinnett Area Mommies Halloween party at a nearby park, however , the weather was rainy and windy so we didn't stay too long. Saturday, Daddy took off and we had a a wonderful breakfast of Pumpkin Pancakes. We decided then and there that that would be our morning ritual for Halloween! Then we got Emery all dolled up in her Halloween costume and hit Target for some festive pics in her kitty-cat outfit. Though I think we got some good ones, she wasn't into it and didn't smile much in them. She's got her two front teeth starting to come in so I know that has affected her mood. Afterwards, Grandma Ballinger and Donnie came over and we all had lunch at the house. Even though the weather was still kind of dreary, Daddy and I decided to take Emery out for a little trick or treating just up and down our street once it got a little dark. I think she really enjoyed it...she even got to pick out treats from the buckets at each house. When we took her home, we let explore her treasures (not eating them of course)! And she had a candy in each hand! I think she is already going to be a chocolate lover! She especially liked rattling the Nerds in her hands...guess it made for a nice maraca!

The next morning the weather was just beautiful and we all--Bear and Lola included--took a nice drive up to Helen. We grabbed a picnic lunch and headed to De Soto Falls for a hike up to the Falls. On the way, we made a pit stop in Helen and walked through town. Just love this gorgeous fall weather!

Fall Adventures

Can't believe it's almost Halloween! Emme has her costume all picked out and ready to go and she looks adorable in it as you can see.....

My little Kitt-E-Kate!

One of my mommy friends, Sky, is picking up photography and we had a photo playdate with all the babies. Her house was overrun with babies everywhere! So much fun! All of us mommies reverting to kids ourselves playing dress-up and posing them :) We did get some wonderful shots and really had a great time. Here's a couple pics from the shoot:

Before our photo shoot, Emery actually had a playdate at her friend Ike's so it was a very busy day and she held up really well considering all the running around! Kevin and I also took a trip up to Dahlonega for Gold Rush Days. It was soooo crowded though and we ended up not staying too long. We did get to stop by Burt's Pumpkin Patch on the way home though. There was some HUGE pumpkins there and we got some great pics. The weather is finally cooling down and we are seeing some beautiful Fall foliage. I love this time of year!

At Gold Rush Days

At Burt's Pumpkin Patch

Spoke too soon....

Guess I got to get used to the fact that with babies....things CAN and will change! We seem to have hit a rough patch with the crib sleeping. We have our routine down pat though...when I get home from work she eats dinner with us in her highchair--usually just some homemade puree or broken up bits of sweet potato. Then it's a little playtime and upstairs for bathtime. After bathtime, we ready a story or two while daddy or I gets a bottle ready. Daddy says goodnight and I feed her in the rocking chair with her sleep sheep waves on and the lights off. She usually doozes right off to sleep and I will rock her and cuddle her for about 20 minutes or so. HOWEVER, the minute her head touches the crib....the eyes fly open, the hands start grabbing and the screaming begins! For the past few weeks we have literally tried everything!!! From letting her cry it out to just giving up and letting her sleep with us. I have even climbed into her crib and laid down next to her! The past few nights have started to work though....I have just been letting her cry, standing by her crib and patting her hair. Little by little the crying has started to stop and last night there was no crying when I put her down at all! So yay! Now are only obstacle is the night-waking (at least 1-2 a night). If it's past 1-2am, I usually bring her down to our bed to sleep which isn't so bad--at least I get to wake up to my lil angel next to me :) I guess that's my fault though and I can deal with that.

Exciting past few weeks!

It's been a really crazy few weeks...Emery has started crawling!!! And now she is all over the place. When I sit her on her mat in the living room, she heads right for the baskets of toys I keep under the coffee table. She just loves to take each toy out of the baskets. She also likes to follow Bear and Lola around. Lola will sit there and let Emery just grab her and pet her but Bear just leaves. Lola and Emme are already best friends as you can see by the pic here :)

Kevin and I are just having such a fun time with her right now...she is a very happy baby and people comment on it all the time! She just has smiles for everyone she meets. This past weekend, we had a playdate at "auntie" Megan's house. Lots of babies everywhere! So cute to see them all together. Emery got to hang out with Gabriella and they had a great time playing together. Natalie and I just know they will be good friends as they grow up!

Emery also got to visit with Jaiden (mommy Megan), Colten (Mommy Marie), Violet (Mommy Sky) and new friend Molly (Mommy Laurie). Here's a pic of the whole crew (except for Molly and Laurie):

Us mommies have now deemed ourselves....Sisterhood of the Traveling Babies and have many more outings planned for the future. In fact, our next one will be a group visit, with hubbies included, to the Uncle Shuck's Pumpkin Patch for pics of the kiddos in their costumes on October 20th. I just feel so blessed to have this great group of ladies in our lives!

As of this weekend, Emery is now sleeping peacefully in her crib at night. She has been tossing and turning in her cosleeper lately and mostly ending up not sleeping well in our bed either. Friday night I just decided to have her sleep in her crib, expecting the worst, and she slept ALL night!! I am so glad she likes her bed! We are going on 4 nights now with success! I think I am the one has the problem with it...not her! I miss our cuddles but know this is the best for her.

We also tried out a fun baby yoga and massage class in Decatur Friday with Sam and mommy Lenea. So much fun!

Well, I will keep everyone updated on our Fall activities next time!

September so far....Looking forward to Fall!

Well, September has turned out to be a fun month so far!

Kevin and I decided to take Emery back to the beach--our favorite place go figure!--for the long Labor Day weekend and to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We found a darling cottage in the town of Seaside called Lil' Blessings. The town was gorgeous with cute cottages and a quaint town square. We had a great time! Emery finally got to sit up in the sand and play. Daddy dug her a hole--like her own little bumbo seat--and let her just chill out. Amazingly she didn't try to eat it! She keep running it through her little hands and it was just the cutest thing ever! Daddy took her out in the Ocean with him and she just didn't want to get out. We did notice though that the beach wears her right out and she was ready for her afternoon nap every day on schedule! In fact, we were all ready for naps! Each morning, we would wake up and walk to a little grocery for a quick bite and stroll and then come back to the cottage for a morning nap and then lunch and beach time afterwards with a nap to follow. Evenings were spent dining at one of the cafes, watching the sunset, taking a stroll, and eating ice cream and snowcones (mmmm....the best!). Emery and I also tried a new pool float at the neighborhood pool there and she liked it but likes to be able to get her hands into the water to splash more. All and all, I think we all had a relaxing time. We have found our new favorite vacation spot and will most definately be back...with more family in tow next time! :)

Emery is now seeing a new Pediatrician now...Dr. Overcash at All About Kids. I was able to review them online and noticed lots of people commented on how well they liked this practice. They are also more informative about the alternative shot schedule that we are using. Emery is now 17 lbs. and in the 75% for weight and 85% for height. Her head is still 20% though. Poor thing though did have to get her PC and Hib shots and she cried and cried...so heartbreaking! We are also a little concerned about her head...it's a little flat on one side--she favors one side when she sleeps--but we think that will change now that she is sleeping on her tummy more. She will go back at the end of the month to catch up on the other two vaccines--Rotavirus and DTaP. On a side note, she slept the worst ever that night of her shots! Hoping we don't have the same issue with the next ones! :(

The eating issues had escalated the last few weeks and we have noticed her taking less at mealtimes and being generally fussier. However, we are now noticing that we finally have a tooth peeking through on the bottom right and the other next to it is about to break through as well.

7 months old now and September 17th update: Within the last few days the tooth has finally made an appearance and is super sharp and we have now noticed that Emery is actually eating more!! She even opened her mouth for some baby food for grandma yesterday! Last night she ate 8.5 ounces and then woke up at 3am for another 3-4! Now we are thinking growth spurt. Lots of milestones going on right now too.

Over the last week she has realized that she REALLY likes the bath! She liked it before but now she splashes around and soaks everyone! She also really likes to play with her toys in there--a little boat and some little plastic toys. She bangs them together and splashes around with them in her hands. So cute! I will blow some bubbles for her and she just smiles at them and tries to grab them. She is also sitting VERY well on her own and has started flipping to her tummy and then getting on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth. She is getting ready to start really crawling around! She tries to go forward but hasn't been able to figure out the coordination of moving forward. She usually ends up scooting backwards! Another big milestone is that she is now pulling up in her crib and trying to stand. Daddy is gonna have to drop the crib down or else she may try to climb out! We have come to the realization that we have one active little girl on our hands! :)

We are looking forward to this weekend's playdate!! Emery and I are headed over to Megan and Jaiden's to meet up with some other babies. I will update next week!!!

Month of August and a litle behind....lemme catch you up!

Well it's been some time since I last blogged but I guess I will just break in down for the month of August.

Summer Vacation Time!!

The beginning of the month we took a long weekend trip to Panama City Beach, FL and stayed at Calypso ( condo's right next to Pier Park's shops and restaurants). Well, things didn't go exactly as planned and we ended up having to switch rooms during part of trip but in the end we did have a nice time. The water was warm and calm and Emery got to spend her time with both grandparents who love her so much! She really loves the water and isn't afraid to get a wave or two in her face. This makes her daddy and I so proud as we are truly "water babies" ourselves! We ended up spending our nights dining at Reggae J's and other hotspots with the two families and in fact got to cook up some fresh Mahi, Snapper and Grouper that Kevin and Donny caught while deep sea fishing. Oh man, fresh fish is the BEST!!! It was so delish! Our last day, we took our usual route through the town of Seaside and Destin and stopped for a quick bite to eat at Destin Commons and let Emery "play" in the fountains there. On the drive home however, our AC radiator went out and we ended up having to drive the rest of our way home with the windows rolled down. Emery must have liked it though--something about the wind in her hair...hahaha! and went right to sleep for the remaining two hours home. So crisis averted!

Emery turned 6 months on August 14th and I took her to meet her friend Nick at the Suwanee Fountains and for a playdate at Lauren and Nick's house. There we were joined by Sam and Lenea (her buddy Sam that she has known since she was 5weeks old) and another Lauren and Ike (a new friend). While the babies played the mommies made baby food! Emery will start eating solids this month!!

August 21st--Fun Friday planned! Me and Emery attended Mom and Me in Alpharetta and had some pictures made for Emery's 6th month! She sat up like a big girl for the first time. A little wobbly but all by herself! She was so proud of herself!

Other issues for the month though are Emery's eating and sleeping habits! We seemed to have regressed on both!! :( She is refusing to eat all her bottles and is now waking up in the night wanting to be fed. It is sooo exhausting for all of us. We are thinking that she is teething and that has been the problem. We are all hoping those teeth make an appearance soon! We are trying solids but it has been a very slow go! She clamps those lips tight and won't let you even get the spoon in there....don't think she is quite ready yet but we will keep trying!

Ladies Night Out

So last night I decided to go to a Ladies Night Out through a group--Gwinnett Area Mommies--that I belong to. I was a little worried about how E would do with daddy putting her to bed but she ended up doing great! In fact, I got this short clip from Kevin at about 9pm! Really put my mind at ease and our group ended up winning first place in Trivia that night!

Five Months Old Today!!!

I went to see Megan and her new baby Jaiden this weekend and as I was holding her new baby (got to feed her while I was there!! YAY!) I kept thinking how fast my little girl is growing up. Seems like just yesterday I was at the hospital holding her for the first time. Now I know what all the mommies say about "don't blink."

Megan's baby girl--Jaiden Jeanne was born on July 11th. Mother and baby are doing great and are heading home today. Emery can't wait to meet her newest playmate! Also, another friend, Sky, had her baby girl Violet on July 5th. And one more friend, Marie is due to give birth to a boy--Colten--in August. Guess this is the year for babies!! We are all looking forward to playdates soon.

July 4th...

Turned out to be an interesting holiday! We grilled out during the day with my mom--nana and grandpa and grandma Orza and even celebrated the day with a special cookie cake. Kevin and I decided to try to go to a church picnic that night for the fireworks but ended up they weren't scheduled until the following day! :( So we made a mad scramble to try and find a park at the lake to watch the fireworks from the beach at Lake Lanier Islands. We found a park, unloaded our chairs and Emery and preceded down to the beach. We got a great spot and waited. And waited...and waited. Nothing. It was dark by now and no fireworks. The bugs were starting to come out and Emme was just getting plain tired by now. So....unfortunately we didn't get to see any and by the time we hit home Emery was throwing a fit!!! Guess she did not want to be out past her bedtime! Oh well....there is always next year and I know she will enjoy it much more then!

Ok, so to give an update on Emery news....

Drum roll please....Dom, dah, dah, dom!!

She is now officially in her own bed. Mind you it is in the co-sleeper which is still in our bedroom but it is definately a big step!! She is actually sleeping much better these days and loves to sprawl out. She usually ends up doing a 180 with her head at the end of the bed! The next big step will be to officially move her to her crib but that won't be for a little while yet since its upstairs in the nursery. For the time being this is working out great! :)


Seems also that she has been a bit fussier lately and not eating as well as before. She is drooling A LOT too so we think she may already be teething. I don't see anything in there yet but from what I hear she could have that going on for awhile till the teeth finally come in. I have switched her back to her old formula--Similac Advance--and she also still nurses in the evenings and mornings. The other reason could be reflux. She doesn't spit up too often so we aren't sure really. I guess we will just keep an eye out on it.


Dr. update: She got her Rotavirus (liquid) and PC vaccine on the June 26th. Her next appt. will be in August for her 6 month checkup. We are looking to change Dr.'s at the time. I am currently interviewing a few now! :)

We have a roller!

Emery is growing up so quick!! Yesterday she rolled over from her belly to her back and tries to pull herself over using the sides of her playmat. She also loves to play with her hands and feet. I always joke that she would rather chew her feet than any of her toys. Her favorite toys (besides her feet of course!) are Sophie the Giraffe teether toy and her "duck-duck," which is a little stuffed duck that she can hold easily. She is eating very well..about 5.5 to 6 oz a feeding. She was 15.8lbs at her check-up on the 11th and is still in the 90th percentile for height and weight. The last few days though she is going through a phase of restlessness at night and is fighting going to sleep at night. I am hoping this passes soon! We switched her formula from Similac Advance to Goodstart Natural Cultures and we are thinking this may be what's causing it. She has also not been finishing off her bottles like she normally does. We will put her back onto Similac.

First Father's Day

Emery got to celebrate Father's Day with daddy for the first time this year. Nana and I took her to make daddy a special present....a ceramic frame with her footprints on it and then I wrote her name and the date on it. She did great and just was fascinated by the man putting paint on her feet! :) Also, a family friend--Lori with SugarBair--made a fantastic Father's Day cake for us. So yummy and in the shape of a golf course! Such a special day and one we will remember forever!

The Lin's Family visit

We were so happy to see Linda, Delaney and Michael this weekend and have them meet Emery. It was a quick visit but a good one all the same....hopefully we will see the rest of the family later on this year! :) We are planning a December/January trip to Disney with a pit stop in the Tampa area.

Four Months Old Already!

It's hard to believe that Emery is already four months old! She had a four month wellness check-up and had to get some shots today. Poor Baby!! She cried and cried! :( We will go for a follow-up visit in two weeks to get her caught up on the rest of her vaccines. We are choosing to do an alternative schedule and will only do two vaccines each visit.

The pic of her in her tutu is courtesy of my good friend Megan with Megan's Gifts. And the other pic is one of her four month photos that Danielle from Picture You Studios came and took of her.