E.L.M.O.

Yesterday, I bought an Elmo at a church rummage sale in my neighborhood. I got it home and Emmy's face literally shot sparkles and stars from her eyes and mouth. She has only recently started reaching for toys and until now, Lulu and her dog, RuffRuff, have been the only things she cared for and reached to hold. And then there was Elmo. John was beside himself with delight as he wanted a Tickle me Elmo for years and well, I have to draw the line at something. But Elmo didn't work. We replaced the batteries and tried to get him going, but he didn't do anything. But sit and look cute. Emmy knew no different and would have been just fine. John and I knew. We knew the joy and excitement that Elmo could bestoy on her so we headed out today to get Elmo. I thought there would be fifty or so different Elmo's from which to choose but there was only a giggle ball with Elmo on one side and Cookie Monster on the other side. This wasn't what we had in mind and then John found the last Elmo TMX in the back of the shelf behind all the other toys...marked down to $35.99 from $39.99 for a limited time only. But, it is the best overpriced stuffed red monster that screams and giggles that I have ever seen...

Miss America

Emmy still hates to take a bath. Hates. It. I have started singing to her when we get her in the tub to try and distract her, if nothing else, she might think, "man, I really hope I got Daddy's musical talents instead of That Woman's". (Sometimes, I am certain she refers to me as That Woman--That Woman that cuts her nails, That Woman that makes her sleep in her crib, That Woman that gives her baths, That Woman that puts her in the car all the time... ) Today when she was getting her bath, I sang the Miss America song to her and told her the story of her Papa singing it me when I was a kid. Every morning, he was sitting at the kitchen table facing towards the hallway, reading his paper, and would sing, "there she is, Miss America" when I walked down the hall to get my morning coke. I am sure that I was such a little shit that I actually snarled at that but when I think of it now, it is one of my most special and treasured memories. I hope that one day, Emmy remembers goofy and silly things that John and I do to her, and I hope she does them for her little princess and I hope that she tells her that she knows that even though Daddy and Mama were goofy sometimes, never once did she doubt that we loved her, just like me now.

Stop that! Stop It Right Now!

The girl is growing too fast. My friend Theresa gave me their ExerSaucer at Griffin's birthday party at the end of May. It was set to the lowest height and Emmy was completely dwarfed in it. I had to put receiving blankets in it with her because she was so tiny in the seat. I keep it in the basement in my closet so I can have Emmy downstairs while I am getting dressed or down there working on my craft stuff. I noticed this morning that she was already too tall and we have to move the seat up a level. She has to stop growing so fast!

No, for real, this time!

Emmy is asleep in HER bed and has been for about 30 minutes. I am heading to bed right now just in case it doesn't last long!!!!! Weeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who slept in her bed, for a few hours at least...

That's right... ME! Emmy, John and I all piled into our bed last night and I got about 2.5 hours of sleep with little princess booties sticking in John's side and the occasional whimper in my ear.

Traveling the Music Highway

The stretch of I40 between Memphis and Nashville is known as the Music Highway and we headed there for the weekend. Two of my friends were in town for the Sigma national convention so we all headed to visit with them. Andrea and Tracy and I, along with three other recent grads, traveled for the sorority the year after college to collegiate chapters across the country. It was a strange, strange time, living out of a suitcase for a year, but it was one that I would never trade. I got to visit lots of places and met lots of people. Andrea and Tracy are still very active with the National Organization and were in town for the national convention. I figured this might be one of the last times I get to see them, especially together, so I convinced John that we needed a mini-vacation to Nashville. We left out yesterday morning and got there around 1:30. Emmy and I went to the hotel to meet them and Emmy was of course, an angel. She was quite charming to everyone. She got to meet not only Andrea and Tracy but Jane Kinderman, who was an fixture at the national office from my chapter, Margaret Fields, who kept us all in the loop when we traveled, and Jeannie Johnson, who was the Collegiate Vice President when I traveled. John, Emmy and I went out for a bit in the afternoon and then he stayed home with The Girl while I went to dinner with my girls. It was so wonderful to see my friends. I am so very lucky to have incredible women that want keep in touch with me after all these years and keep being MY friends!

We got up Sunday morning and went for a swim, then went to Music Row and then headed home. First, we got ready...

And then Mama wrapped me up in a hooded beach jacket for the walk from the room to the elevator to the pool...

And Daddy held me in the pool...

And Mama and I dried up after our swim...

Then we went to Music Row to get my picture made by giant guitars for Johnny Cash and the Carter Family...

Then I was soooooooooooooooo excited to head home!

Princess Picklebritches is Four Months Old Today

I don’t want to say that Emmy or I are getting better as I don’t feel like either of was especially bad, but we are starting to get the hang of this thing going on now! The other day, Tara said how she couldn’t believe that Lucas and Emmy were this old; I told her I could, but only because I can’t remember what it was like before they were here. Emmy is starting to develop her own little personality. She’s quite a character. She smiles a lot but she has only laughed a real, hearty laugh a few times now. Sunday night, we were eating dinner with friends and watching the Sopranos finale and she woke up from a brief nap. She just laughed and laughed for no apparent reason. It was quite comical.

I am always one to multitask and having Emmy has made me tone that down. I used to be in the habit of being on the internet or watching TV or reading a magazine while I was feeding her but I have stopped doing that so much. The other day, she grabbed my finger with her entire little fist while she was eating. I started to move it and then it dawned on me that she won’t be doing that much longer. It was almost like she grabbed me and shook me, saying “Mama, please look in my eyes—watch me do this! One day you will wish you could hold me like this again”. So now, I just look into her giant blue eyes and hope that you are getting all this; hoping that you can see all this happening.

While I would love to say that I am putting Emmy in her crib every night, it would not be true. She usually starts out there but comes to bed with us to have her 3 AM feeding and stays with us the rest of the night. Some nights, if she is really having a tough time going to sleep, I just put her in bed with us from the beginning. Really, I just don’t think we can spoil her too much. Bless her little heart, she has had to teach John and I so many things already in her four little months, we can pamper her every now and then and it will all be okay. She will curl up in John's arm at night when we sleep together. On one hand, I want to be jealous that she wants to curl up with her daddy and not me, but then, I just turn over and get some sleep for a bit. Horrible, I know, but I have to take advantage of these times as they come at me. Last night, I heard her fussing through the baby monitor around 3 but before I could get up to get her for her feeding, she went back to sleep. She did that twice more; we got up each time to go check on her to make sure she was breathing and she was just back to sleep. I was so proud and think that we count this as sleeping through the night for the first time. My little grown up princess.

There are so many little things Emmy does now. She rolls over and then is furious that she is on her belly and screams. Sometimes, I can quickly shove a crib mirror in front of her face and she will let it go for a bit, but usually she is just ready to get on her back again. She loves her swing and I sit on the floor and talk to her when she is in it. I will take a deep breath and then 'eat' her toes and kiss the bottom of her feet. She will just scream with delight!!!!!!!!! It's hysterical.

My sweet, sweet Emmy. I can never thank John enough this Father's Day for my sweet, sweet Emmy.

Back in the Day.

There was a time when John and I would gripe about Bill (the dog) and how she slept with us. She would get on one side of the bed and stretch out sideways and John and I would be perilously laying on one end of the bed. Now, Bill sleeps at the foot of the bed in a perfect little circle, just thankful that she still is allowed in the bed at all. This morning, I woke up to Emmy turned completely sideways. She had her little bitty feet stuck in Daddy's side. I wanted to take a picture, but then realized that John would not be thrilled for me to put a picture of his hairy back on the Internet. But I am sure he has no problem with me talking about it...

Check it out..

Does this photo look like two well rested Burton girls or what?Sweet Patootie Britches went to sleep in her crib at 8 last night and slept there until 3 this morning. I put her in our bed then and she ate 4 ounces and the cuddled up with Daddy until 6:15 when Mean Mama woke them both up to go to work and the babysitter. They crack me up when they wake up--both of them will streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch every muscle in their bodies and then raise their eyebrows as if "do I really have to get up right now???" But then she giggles and smiles. John doesn't.

Oh Emmy

What a mess you are! Every day she rolls over and then she gets mad that she is on her belly. So we roll her back over on to her back and she rolls back over to her belly and gets mad all over again. It can be quite funny sometimes to torture her! She does love her daddy though--last night she was upset and when we finally got her calmed down we put her in bed with us. When I woke up, she was facing Daddy so I placed her on her back just to make sure she didn't smother. She promptly started wimpering and then turned back over to nuzzle up to daddy. Who is this kid?

I always thought that I would be the best mom ever. Now, I just hope to make it through the day without hurting her or running off my support system. I had no idea how hard it would be to raise a child... much less raise a child without without a mother there to tell you what to do or to call to ask questions. There are things that go on that I am not sure I am doing right, like is she getting diaper rash? It is horrible not having a mom to ask about this things. I am scared more of hurting Emmy from lack of know-how than I am of anything else. I have this strong need for her know all of your friends; anyone that was close to you, I feel like she can feel your presence in them when they hold her. Maybe I am crazy but I just want you to be a part of her life and I don't know how else to do it. How am I ever going to make sure that she knows about you? And not just knows who you were but knows who you ARE. Your spirit. Oh, Momma...

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!