Barbeque Time

Things have been so busy here!! By the time I get home from picking up Emmy from the sitter, it is after 6 and we get stuff ready for the evening. It seems like we have little time to spend time with Emmy before it's off to bed (and the subsequent 2am and 4am wakings). Then of course back to work. It's just going to take some getting used to for all of us. She is doing so much better at sleeping in her crib, even if it is only for half of the night.

Over the Memorial Day holiday, we BBQ'd and Emmy had this outfit that her AunTee got her and it reminded me of the outfit Samantha wore in Sex in the City for the BBQ she threw to make up with her neighbors. Cracks me up...

Daddy Daycare

Emmy was so upset about the Griz getting 4th pick in the draft lottery that she had to stay home from the sitter’s yesterday. Actually she had a cold and a little bit of a fever so we went to the pediatrician’s office (just in case!) and John stayed home with her. This is what I came home to yesterday afternoon. I asked why the chair was moved in front of the couch and he said it was so they could sit side by side and it was easier to hold her hand this way. What in the world??? Where did my John go? Who is this person??

Well, crap

I had hoped to have a photo of Emmy in her Grizzlies outfit but she was too overcome with sorrow at the outcome of last night's lottery.

Cross your fingers!

It’s NBA Draft Lottery Day! Not that I am the biggest Grizzlies fan, I can appreciate a game or two, but I have to have all my fingers and toes crossed for this one. Our city has a lot of good but that doesn’t always shine out among the bad stuff going on here. However, if we get the 1st or 2nd pick tonight, everything could change in a second. Having Greg Oden or Kevin Durant here could give this city the push it needs to be excited about something, even if it is just basketball. The money that would pour into downtown is mind boggling. Here’s to the ping pong balls bouncing in our favor!

Thirst for knowledge

This must be what they mean when they refer to a thirst for knowledge. Just look at how she is reaching out for her Miss Circle book.





Emmy has hated tummy time so much but all the books say that you need to have them on their bellies for at least ten minutes per day. Putting the crib mirror in front of her has been the only way to get her okay with it--if only for five minutes!! I know she is saying, 'what a beautiful baby!'

Three months

The little girl’s three month birthday was on Mother’s Day—how appropriate. This was such a very bittersweet Mother’s Day for us knowing how much you would have loved Emmy. She reminds me so much of you sometimes, just the way she holds her little mouth and the little expressions she makes. I can see you dancing around with her now and “shush-shush-shush”-ing her when she is fussy (which, let me tell you is quite often). We are so lucky to have our sweet little Emmy. She has started smiling big time smiles now. We spent the night with Daddy on Friday night and when she was in her swing, he would “play” patty-cake with her and she just laughed!!! That Papa, he’s a funny, funny guy! All of her little sounds are so sweet—she is trying to so hard to talk! Imagine that!!

I wanted to get a good photo of Emmy and I on our first mother’s day but she had a rough day—she’s teething! Already! At three months! According to folklore, babies that teeth early are more intelligent but I wonder if they are just saying that to make you feel better about it. Kind of like saying that rain on your wedding day is good luck. We are looking forward to a big weekend though as we have two birthday parties to attend on Saturday so maybe we can get some good pictures then. She’s just growing up so quickly. Already.

My little genius

Apparently, this book about monkeys is a real page-turner. And how stinking cute are those toes??? She has them curled as if she is just in deep concentration of her story. I sure do like this munchkin. Her sitter had to be out of town today and tomorrow so I took off work to spend the time with her. Then, as a coincidence, my family from Ohio ended up coming into town. It was great to see them and for them to get the chance to meet Emmy.

Luke and Emmy

Tara, being the best mommy and friend in the world, offered to let Emmy spend the night with them on Saturday night. It appears that everyone had a great time. I hate it that I missed all the fun that went on but John and I had a birthday party to attend.

No diving, No running and No horseplay

Emmy wasn't sure what to think about the pool but I think she enjoyed it!!

Ruth

Today is Grandma Ruth's birthday. She would have been 94. Every day the 3rd of May is so special to me and I think of Grandma and how much she meant to me. Even as a little girl, no matter how much pain she was in, she always loved everyone so much. I remember being a kid playing "teacher" with her and Neall singing "Elvira" into a tape player or being the Incredible Hulk when he had chicken pox. Emmy Ruth has a lot to live up to with her namesake.

Tonight we tried to feed Emmy her rice cereal. She refuses to sleep through the night--last night she got up at midnight, 2 am, and 5 am. Of course, it made for a long day today. Lots of people have suggested that we give her cereal so we tried that last night. It was pretty funny to see her little expression as she tried to figure this spoon thing out. Thankfully, Grandma Ruth was a much neater eater than Emmy Ruth!

Em's First Fundraiser

We did the WalkAmerica for March of Dimes this year through my office. As a group we raised over $7,000--pretty impressive! Here is our little fundraiser at her first event. The girl likes pink, what can I say???

And we're off!

Emmy and I tried out the carrier this weekend and it got both of our approvals!

All grown up

Last night, John was holding Emmy and I just realized how much she had grown in just the last week or so. She looks like a baby now—not a newborn anymore, but a real baby that will eventually be a child. When she is taking her bottle and I am feeling especially nurturing, I will rub her little head while she eats. Usually my hand kind of cups part of her little head but last night, I realized that I had to hold my hand differently to fit of her growing noggin. She will lay in my lap kind of leaning against my arm while she is eating—almost like she is kicked back watching television or something. Last night, she was fussy as she got into our little position and couldn’t really get into her niche. It suddenly dawned on me that it was because she didn’t fit in our little niche anymore—it was uncomfortable to her now. Already! She is already outgrowing me!!

I am going home tonight and getting out the video camera, even if is just to video her sleeping. Or crying.

Emmy's Rough Morning

Bless her heart. This morning, I got up to feed her the first bottle of the morning and was still quite asleep. I got the bottle out of the fridge, took the nipple off and heated it up and then we went back to the couch to dine. When I went to put the bottle in her little mouth, formula went everywhere! I guess the nipple fell out of the ring when I took it out and I just poured formula directly onto her little face, all over me and the couch! Poor thing, she just looked at me like, are you kidding??? What was that??? She recovered pretty quickly though. We went to a hot wing festival but only stayed about fifteen minutes. Even though we slathered her with sunscreen and had a wide brim hat on her, I was afraid she would burn. We ended up just coming home and trying out the bumbo seat. That was the success of the day.

Daddy's home! Daddy's home!!

John has been out of town all week for work and we actually made it! I was afraid we might not make it alone but we did. However, we are so very excited for him to get home today. I think he might have missed her a little bit.

Morning Glory

Usually Emmy gets up around 2 and eats and then we get up for the day around 515. But this morning, she woke up at 2 but wouldn't take her bottle and went back to sleep really quickly. I am hoping this is a sign that she is getting ready to start sleeping through the night. All fingers and toes crossed! She was hanging out in her bouncy seat this morning while I was getting ready.

Two Short Months

The little girl is two months old now. It seems like she has been a part of our lives forever and I can't imagine not having her around now. I can't imagine sleeping in my bed beside John either but that is another story. For now, there is little Emmy in between us. And we wouldn't have it any other way. She is smiling a lot now--it's just adorable. As cute as that is, I can't fathom what her first words are going to be like. When she is sleepy, she still likes to pump her fist directly up in the air--her Skynard tribute. We always know when she is really content because she holds her little fist against her cheek. But the best way to really tick her off is to put on her belly for tummy time. She can be in the best of moods and will absolutley scream like a madwoman in just a matter of seconds.

She wasn't too thrilled here either. Luke seems to be saying to her, "just be quiet for a minute and they will take these hats off, I promise!"

WalkAmerica

The March of Dimes WalkAmerica is here again and we are walking!!!!

www.walkamerica.org/taradburton

Earth Day

With Earth Day being during April, all of the magazines I get have had articles about what you can do to by proactive during Earth Day. As a joke, I bought us and my friends with kids this dolphin fountain thingy. It helps the environment since you don't use those disposable Dixie cups.
Then I bought this:

My hybrid car: the Toyota Prius. I drive a lot now that I am taking Emmy to the sitter and to me to back to work and all. On one tank of gas, I got 400 miles and when I refueled, it was 8.2 gallons! I love it! The car is a techy geek's dream!

The Tiniest Tater Tot

What a silly goose she is!! Emmy has hopefully grown out of the colic. I think the soy formula helped her tremendously. She has gone from having the crying spells every night to maybe only three nights a week, so we are thrilled. But the smiles! The smiles are the best. She just started that this week. We can pump her little legs and she just grins or you can blow raspberries to her and she smiles with the best of them. Just as I was so confused as to where she got her long legs, because it certainly didn't come from me or John, I am confused as to where she got her chipperness in the mornings. She wakes up and has to eat immediately but then she just lays there so content and smiling. Maybe it's just that she is laughing at John trying to keep his eyes open at 530 in the morning!