The North Exposure

bathing beauty

2011-07-04T16:30:00.001-06:00

No fussing, no mumbling.
Sweet Hattie just scrunches into a little ball to get bathed in the kitchen sink.

Christmas surprise

2010-12-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

Today Emery got a package in the mail.
He especially loved the snowman wrapping paper.

His very own crocheted Santa hat!!

Grandma Jeanne, you shouldn't have!

We ALL love it. Thank you so much...

Merry Christmas!

since you've been gone...

2010-08-09T22:44:00.005-06:00

Dear Daddy,

We are missing you. Before you left, I colored a picture for you and we snuck it in your bag.

Since I really like trucks, triangles, and hearts, mommy helped me draw those.

And then I colored it all in.

Ruby wasn't too interested in helping.

I hope you like it.

I found the tape when mommy was finishing packing your suitcase.

I like it.

After you left, we were really sad. We took you to the airport and then came home for a snooze. We met up with our cousins Aiden, Hunter, and Livie for dinner. Nonna and papa took us to Dimitri's. Nonna even bought me a snoasis.

Hunter really wanted to spend the night at our house so mommy checked her sanity at the door and said sure. It was lots of fun. He got to sleep in my room.

Before bed, like always, we read No, David! and Pookie's Dance. I was sitting on mommy's lap and Hunter was kneeling next to us. I reached over, wrapped my arms around his neck tightly, and squealed, "I like it!! I like it! I love, I love!".

In the morning, I woke everyone up. I turned on the light and yelled, "HUNTER!" until he woke up. Then we played.

I took really good care of Ruby.

Loads of hugs and kisses.

"I like it!!"

Hunter tried to teach me how to trade one toy for another.

I'm practicing REALLY hard to learn how to share.

We went to McDonald's for breakfast and got to play at the new play place. It was so fun to have my cousins there. Papa, nonna, and Corey came, too.

Then we came home just in time for a BBQ with my other cousins, Emily, Bradley, and Clarissa.

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Allison set up the pool and play sink.

Mommy grilled hot dogs and cut up some strawberries and grapes.

I stared at Clarissa.

Lunch was good.

I like my new camping chair that's just my size.

I REALLY like lemonade from a big cup.

Ruby sat in her jumper the whole time.

When mommy took her out to go into the house, she had grass stains on her toes.

It was hot at first, but then the clouds came in and it cooled off.

It was neat to have so many cousins around all day.

After the BBQ was over, I took a snooze.

When I got up, we went to nonna and papa's house for more cousin time.

Uncle Corey took Donna, Andrea, and Courtney shooting while we were there.

When they were done, we all went to a new pizza buffet that we think you'll like.

Hunter spent the night again and I woke him up Sunday morning.

This time I yelled "Aiden". I got confused with so many cousins to remember in one weekend.

I was sad when he left to go back to Idaho.

I was happy to go to nursery, though. Ruby slept in the stroller and I played with trucks.

There was a sun pinata with candy in it because we learned about weather.

I kept trying to take the bat from each of the kids because I really wanted to hit the pinata a lot of times.

Then mommy asked me to come stand by her because 2 year olds swinging bats made her nervous.

I had bananas and crackers for snack.

And then back to nonna and papa's after a Sunday afternoon snooze.

Today, mommy said we were having a recoup day.

We all took a 3 hour nap.

Then mommy and nonna got their toenails painted.

And we went to Costco for gelato in your memory with Erin, Susannah, and Jack.

I had more than one fit while we were there.

Ruby sat up in the cart next to me for the first time.

I didn't like it so much-- I pushed her a lot and had to have an ineffective timeout in the basket of the cart.

Then I watched Toy Story on the ipad while mommy bought diapers and formula.

We came home to a flood in the driveway. Mommy doesn't like living in the country.

She'd like a house with a garage, not a swamp, she said.

We took a bath before bed.

I was tired and had a hard time.

Ruby kept knocking over my cups.

She really likes me now and tries to grab anything she can get her hands on.

But she sure is cute.

I got sad as the bath continued.

Ruby was content to play with the water.

Mommy made me put the running water in Ruby's side of the tub.

I was not happy about that.

Then I splashed. Mommy said that was the last time.

So I had to get out.

I was mad.

I screamed while Ruby looked on.

I tried to climb back in while Ruby looked on.

"I sad."

That's what I kept yelling at mommy.

And just like that, we were dressed and ready for bed.

Ruby likes my piano.

I have a hard time sharing it.

It made Ruby cry when I took it away from her.

So I gave it back when she started hollering.

And I tried to apologize.

But it didn't work.

We both got our bottles and mommy let me watch a little more Toy Story.

She put Ruby to bed and said it was a feat.

Then she put me to bed.

I wouldn't let her just read stories.

When she put me into my crib, I said "I rock" and handed her my doggie blanket.

She laughed because I was very forceful and wouldn't lay down until I got to snuggle with her.

When she was holding me like a baby, my ear got bent forward and I sat up and yelled "STUCK!" and laughed.

We sang "peace" and she put me in bed without protest.

And then Uncle Corey brought over his new girlfriend.

Mommy thinks they will go steady for a long time.

I can't wait to see it tomorrow.

Right now, I'm dreaming of listening to music with you.

And bike rides in the trailer.

And sharing your limeade at the dinner table.

And watching you "vacuum" the lawn.

Come home soon.

Mommy says it's lonely without you.

Costa Rica isn't as fun as being with us, is it?

Sweet hugs and slobbery kisses,

Emery

p.s.

it's oh so quiet here.

until 6am tomorrow morning.

cleaning the kitchen

2010-08-04T13:14:00.001-06:00

Normally, I try to clean the kitchen in the evening, once the little ones are in bed and the house is quiet.

I listen to Dave Ramsey, think of our emergency fund, and scrub.

Last night, I watched Rachel Zoe instead. I die.

This morning, Ruby helped me clean the dishes.

And Emery played with his new bucket of trucks over toast.

He used to carry around loads of cars and trucks and things with wheels in anything he could find-- a shoe box, an old basket, or any number of random buckets from Costco leftovers. He loves buckets and baskets and anything that helps him cart his important things around. It's easier than using his "third hand", which is the family reference to his mouth. Because yes, he carries anything he can't hold in his hands or with his arms in his mouth.

At Target a bit ago, I found this cute green bucket that was just his size. He hasn't parted ways with it since. It goes EVERYWHERE with us. To the grocery store, to nonna's house, to the restaurant, not to mention in every room of the house.

This morning was no exception.

I love my little boy.

vacuuming

2010-08-03T22:38:00.000-06:00

This afternoon, Emery followed Nate outside.

It was time to "vacuum" the grass.

Emery is both excited and scared every time Nate does it.

He ran towards the patio when the lawnmower started.

And stopped when he felt he was at a good distance.

And then did a little jig in the tall grass.

He came and told me all about his adventure.

All the while, Miss Ruby was in the kitchen bouncing away.

She quite enjoys her new jumper.

Ruby's new trick

2010-08-02T21:19:00.001-06:00

I put Ruby on the floor, on her back, and left for a second to check on Emery in the other room.

When I came back, she was on her belly!

Emery was a proud older brother.

Until I wouldn't let him hold the camera.

He has a mean mommy.

And then Ruby was crying on Emery's behalf.

And what was a happy occasion morphed into a sad one.

It's a never ending circle, these two.

little sister

2010-08-01T23:06:00.000-06:00

growing, growing, gone

2010-07-26T15:32:00.003-06:00

Ruby's growing so quickly, I'm selling things off left and right.

This is on its' way out, via craigslist.

And it seems we will have to give Livie back her bumbo in the next little while,

as Miss Ruby's turn with it is coming to an end.

She arches her back and can almost pop herself out.

She's not too interested in it anymore, unless she has her favorite elephant within biting distance.

On a side note, I found our Baby Signing Times DVD recently and Emery was watching it in the car this morning. I thought he was just sitting so cute, so I snapped a picture. Turns out he was signing along with the video. Smart cookie!

Day 3

2010-07-22T19:09:00.000-06:00

After a disastrous first day of swim lessons, Emery's second day was awesome!

When we arrived, I asked Ben, his teacher, to focus only on Emery having fun and enjoying the water.

They did just that-- playing in the kids' area, blowing bubbles for the fish, and even going down the big 2 story slide 9 times in a row! I couldn't have been more pleased and was anxious for him to complete his third and final day.

But then I locked my keys in the house as we were heading to the lesson and Nate had to come home from work to let us in. Nonna was already there with Brooklyn, so she came out to the parking lot and grabbed Emery and took him in to the lessons late. It went downhill from there. I got Ruby out of the car and headed towards the sounds of my son screaming bloody murder.

He spent the next 10 minutes trying to get away from his teacher.

Ben tried to distract and get him to go on the big slide,

which had been such a blast for Emery the day before.

His scream said it all.

No go.

It was painful to watch and even worse to hear.

Here he his, forming the word, "MOMMY".

He swallowed quite a bit of water, to say the least.

I finally took Ben out of his misery and Emery collapsed in my arms.

We cuddled for a minute while we both regrouped, and then headed home.

I cancelled his scheduled swim lessons for next week.

We're waiting until next YEAR.

swim lessons

2010-07-20T20:46:00.000-06:00

Swim lessons are tiring, especially when you scream, cry for your mommy, and yell "OUT!" at Ben, your swim teacher, for 40 minutes straight.

He fell asleep with his hand in the apple crisps within a minute of leaving the pool's parking lot, that's how sleepy he was.

After a 30 minute car ride, he woke up happy to see papa, Corey, nonna, and Brooklyn at SmashBurger for a well deserved lunch.

Better luck tomorrow?

Farmers Market

2010-07-10T20:49:00.002-06:00

We headed up to the downtown SLC farmers market on a sweltering July morning.

Emery enjoyed a fresh baked cookie while we walked around... it's a huge event!

Ruby enjoyed the ride.

We took a break and got some lunch.

Ruby had some milk.

Emery and I had some fresh baked pizza.

Made on the spot in a wood burning stove.

It was so hot that we wet Ruby's head with some water to cool her off.

When Emery couldn't get the top off daddy's drink off, he tried to sip it anyway.

He then resorted to his water.

Buby was all smiles.

As we were getting in the car, we noticed a fire truck pulling in behind us.

Nate and Emery went to take a look.

Firemen are awesome!

They gave Emery his own "badge" sticker.

Ruby waited patiently in the car until she had had enough.

With the AC blowing, we stopped by McDonald's for an ice cream cone.

Emery really enjoyed his.

puppy love

2010-07-08T16:21:00.001-06:00

It seems that ever since Emery's hair was cut,

there's been more misbehavin' around here.

Today was the exception.

When I told him that I was going to do some laundry,

he ran into the room and hugged the dryer.

Then he moved on to his favorite spot for some sitting

and a little toe tapping

some smiling

a little talking (probably about what color something was)

and some high stepping

and then a little cuddling with mommy

before he was off on another adventure

with a little dancing in front of the stove

and some more fun with his puppy.

strawberry fields forever

2010-07-08T15:49:00.002-06:00

Just like her mommy 30+ years ago,

Ruby has an adorable outfit courtesy of her GREAT Grandma Jeanne.

It's a dress that keeps on giving! I'm hoping Ruby can wear it for the next three summers-- as a dress, then a tunic, and finally a shirt.

The ribbon straps can be adjusted as she grows and grows and grows!

When I called Grandma to tell her we love it, she shared the story of the fabric.

It's from the 70's and was originally purchased to make into napkins that matched a tablecloth she had made.

Ruby got annoyed that I took quite so many pictures and things started to go downhill.

Luckily she found her thumb.

We changed locations hoping the scenery would suit her better.

Getting hungry, she had a little meltdown.

But like always, with just a few words of encouragement...

... the smiles were back!

Thank you Grandma Jeanne... I couldn't be any happier with the dress!

I'm so grateful Ruby has something to call her own that was made especially for her by such loving hands.

ahoy, matey

2010-06-22T22:37:00.001-06:00

Pirates beware: Emery is officially patch-free!

At our appointment at Primary Children's today, Dr. Dries told me that Emery's eyes are looking fabulous while he's wearing his glasses and we can discontinue using the patch. I'm THRILLED and Emery is unknowingly ECSTATIC. We've been battling the last little while, as he can rip that patch off faster than you can say "shiver me timbers". He loves his glasses, but hated that darn patch. The only bad thing about the appointment was my feelings of failure when I had to report that since having Ruby, Emery's wearing of the patch fell from 100% accuracy to 30%. It hurt my heart for a second, as I thought we'd have to switch back to wearing it 2 hours a day. But alas, SUCCESS. Dr. Dries even told me that all my hard work had paid off-- or the 30% effort I'd put in. Either way, we're happy around here!

my new sundress

2010-06-22T20:48:00.001-06:00

the queen on her throne...

Dear Daddy,

Mommy and I were hoping when we went to Strawberry Days in PG this weekend, we'd find something cute for me. Luckily, you spotted it at the first booth we passed and you suggested we get it. Thank you for my new dress-- I think you have fabulous taste and I can't wait to go shopping with you again!

Slobbery wet kisses and chubby arm hugs,

Ruby

she didn't mind posing, but mommy took a bit too many pictures

and Ruby had enough.

Ruby's turtle neck

2010-06-17T20:47:00.002-06:00

At Ruby's two month check up, I told Dr. W that she often leaned her head to her left side. He checked things out and said she was fine and to just keep an eye on it. Over the last two weeks, it has gotten much more noticeable and so I called the triage nurse this morning, who said I should bring her in immediately and not wait until her 4 month check up at the end of the month.

Come to find out, she has a mild case of torticollis, which is a condition where, on one side of her neck, the muscles are too tight. It's like a permanent kink on the left side of her neck. Diagnosis: lots of tummy time and physical therapy. The PT doesn't worry me, but upping the tummy time makes me nervous-- she hasn't gotten much of it because Emery has a habit of stepping on anything that's in his way, including his sister. We'll see how it goes...

And one other thing-- she weighed 19.1 lbs. today. That's bigger than Emery if memory serves me well and I thought he was a big little guy. As Grandma Jeanne would say, I wish I could put a brick on her head to make her stop growing so quickly!

3.5 month buby update

2010-06-16T13:31:00.003-06:00

She's as sweet as ever, bringing lots of peace and love to our home.

She sleeps through the night, from about 9pm until Emery gets her up in the morning around 8am.

She's eating about 6 oz. at every feeding and is a great burper!

She wears size 3 diapers.

She has really long eyelashes, just like Emery.

She loves her swing but doesn't like pacifiers.

She lights up when Emery comes near or when she hears mommy's voice.

She's outgrown LOTS of clothes and wears 6-12 month sizes now.

She seems to always be warm/hot, just like her brother and mommy, so she wears lots of summer dresses and onesies to keep cool.

She doesn't mind the big bows mommy always puts in her full head of dark hair.

She quite likes baths.

She sucks on her fingers/whole fist to comfort herself.

She LOVES batting at toys and even held a toy today for quite awhile.

She's calm, kissable, and filled with smiles!

fine lines

2010-06-15T08:34:00.003-06:00

Emery got a hold of a pen this morning and created a masterpiece.

I'm not sure if it's more Felix the Cat or Gomez Addams... you decide.

talking points

2010-06-14T11:02:00.004-06:00

Rocking Emery before his morning nap today, he put his hand on my chest. I started stroking his arm and he said, "NI-ce!" just like I always say to him when he's being sweet with Ruby. I'm always grateful to see some of the good words I say get put to use.

This morning, he brought me his easter basket and told me to "fix it" because the handle had broke. He's really starting to put thoughts together instead of just using one word to express himself. It's crazy how quickly he's picking things up these last few weeks... I'm hearing things all the time that I didn't teach him on purpose, but that he's just picking up through hearing everyday conversations (or that he's hearing me say when I am angry... like "shoot!!"-- I'm waiting for a couple of my slip ups to come out of his mouth at some point).

Last night at nonna and papa's house, we had a fun dinner with Spencer, Missy, Julie, and Stu Edgin. Sitting next to the table in his high chair, Emery was being really loud and trying to get me to notice him. It got a little quiet and I asked him if he just needed some attention, to which he replied clearly, "attention!" Needless to say, we paid him much of it the rest of dinner.

really?

2010-06-11T14:28:00.002-06:00

I didn't know that I needed a coloring book as big as my son.

Thanks to Costco for helping me with yet another unnecessary but fun find.

try it. you'll like it.

2010-06-10T14:00:00.003-06:00

The "funny faces" segment on Yo Gabba Gabba is now one of Emery's favorites.

After much training, he's become a natural at sticking his tongue out.

If he were on the "cool tricks" segment, he could show his whiny face--

something he's practiced a lot lately.

This is Ruby's I-want-to-nibble-her-cheeks face. She exercises it often.

dress up

2010-06-09T20:17:00.000-06:00

Emery is proving that even with just a younger sibling, he can still play dress up with the best of them. Who doesn't want to wear his 3 month old sister's yellow shorts and pink jacket?!? What's even better, he managed to get both his legs into only one of the shorts' leg holes. He fell at every step, but it was still quite a feat.

2010-06-08T23:30:00.001-06:00

Papa and Uncle Corey started building Nonna's chicken coop today.

We heard there was a truck involved, so we had to stop by.

The truck was a bit scary, so Emery opted out of a ride in it.

But the dirt was awesome.

Ruby has gotten really good at entertaining herself with her hand.

I think she's gonna be a southpaw like her mommy, Uncle Corey, and Aunt Holly.

Before heading home, Emery got to show off his balance beam skills to Uncle Corey, who was thoroughly amused. Nice hat.

Thomas the Train

2010-05-29T23:16:00.003-06:00

As an early birthday present, Emery got a chance to ride Thomas the Train on the weekend before he turned two.

There was no way mommy and daddy could let the opportunity pass...

We gave the conductor our tickets and boarded Thomas.

We picked our seats and were excited for the ride!

Luckily for Emery, Nonna had bought him a Thomas train the week before at TJMaxx. It's a story for another day, but suffice it to say, Nonna is helping Emery to learn that crying and saying "TRAIN!" through tears while waiting in line to check out is a great way to take one home if your grandma is with you.

Lots of kids there had Thomas memorabilia. And luckily for mommy and daddy, we remembered to bring the train with us. Emery was happy to have it and we saved $30 at the huge gift shop today by coming prepared!

And we were off on a 28 minute train ride, complete with Thomas music blasting on the speakers.

Riding on trains makes Ruby a hungry girl.

She was more than pleased to have her bottle.

It couldn't have been a nicer day.

There were lots of smiles.

The conductor came by and gave each of the children a Jr. Engineer certificate.

Emery said "sank you" when he was handed his. Melts my heart!

After completing the long journey 14 minutes one way and 14 minutes back,we pulled back into the station and then walked around the different booths outside. Ruby was content in the stroller, as always.

And Emery was content to see Sir Topham Hatt from a distance. Unlike this excited little guy, we didn't have to stand in a really long line. Maybe next year?

By far the second favorite activity of the day was playing the drums with Steve Gryb, The Pied Piper of Percussion. "Wipe Out" was quite a hit with the 2 year old crowd.

After a stop at McDonalds for his favorite chicken nuggets, the afternoon was complete.

Cue sleep.

Happy Birthday to our little one who's not so little anymore...

this morning

2010-05-29T21:05:00.001-06:00

... Emery got up on the right side of the bed.

Che gioia!

exception to the rule

2010-05-29T11:42:00.001-06:00

Emery is all boy with one exception-- his fondness for Ruby's new jacket.

After a fun night on the town, we picked up Emery and Ruby at nonna's house. As the story goes, nonna showed Emery a pretty pink polka dotted jacket she had purchased for his sister. He insisted on trying it on-- and refused to give it back.

He wore it all evening, including on the way to our house. I tried, unsuccessfully, to take it off when we got home, along with his shoes and hat. He wasn't having it. The little man knows what he likes.

It ended badly for Emery that evening.

It ended badly for me in the morning, when I realized I had forgotten to put the polka dotted prize away and Emery wore it all morning.

breakfast for lunch

2010-05-27T23:22:00.002-06:00

It was hard to walk away from the trucks for lunch.

But he was hungry and let them have a rest.

After some contemplation, breakfast for lunch was decided.

We've been working on using a spoon lately because he much prefers a fork.

We are stuck on everything being "hot", including lots of things he doesn't like and doesn't want to eat.

Today, however, an ice cube saved the day.

Ruby works hard at being cute while lunch is served.

Such nice manners... he's getting lots of practice wiping off his chin these days.

bath time break

2010-05-27T13:45:00.003-06:00

good morning!

2010-05-25T11:45:00.002-06:00

Emery going to bed late usually means a 5am wake up call. Not today! We all slept until 8:15, including Ruby (who only woke up for a 5 o'clock feeding and then went right back to sleep).

Emery brought me the cereal daddy left out on the counter for breakfast.

Ooh!

Fuzzy picture, but perfect smile.

He then proceeded into the family room for a little Brobee fix. I walked in to find him on the couch trying to turn on the TV with the "mote".

I bribed him to sit on the chair with Ruby by turning on the latest installment of Yo Gabba Gabba-- it's about birthdays since we're prepping for his!

He really liked Biz's beat-of-the-day.

He might just be a bit of a rapper in the next couple of years...

And now on to the love.

When I gave Ruby a rest, he put on his sad face and kept asking to hold her.

So they watched the rest of the show together.

And then more hugs.

When I rock him to sleep at night, he likes to put his arm behind my back. He was insistent on doing the same thing with his sister this morning.

He gave up and held her hand instead.

She's as sweet and patient as ever. It's wonderful to see her light up when she gets a glimpse of Emery-- they are interacting much more now these last few days.

And he's such a fun handful!

Lots of love around here lately!

before bed

2010-05-24T23:07:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm the mom that buys matching pjs for my little ones. Proudly. I'm sure Emery and Ruby will be so grateful for these pictures when they're older.

After a fun afternoon of picking up Nonna at the airport and a dinner of smashburger chicken sandwiches, Emery was a delight when we got home. Normally I'd be rushing to put him to bed, but he stayed up an hour later than usual and was being extra sweet to his sister.

Lots of kisses

and hand holding

and smiles

and love pats

and playing

and more kisses

and love pats and smiles

and hugs.

After Emery was in bed, and before Ruby and I had our snuggle time,

I snapped a couple more pictures to measure just how big she's getting!

Then it was a bottle and bed for Miss Ruby. Tonight is the first night she went to bed in her room with the monitor around 9:30pm... sleep training is in the air!

baby steps

2010-05-24T14:36:00.000-06:00

Holding Ruby, I was on the computer trying to pay a couple of bills. Emery came up to me and said "sad!" and started crying. I told him that I was sad because he was sad and I picked him up with my free arm and he melted right into my chest, brought his head up for a second and said, "I'm sad!". Huge day for us around here-- 1. no hitting during the sad phase and 2. a sentence (even if it was only two words!) out of my son's mouth.

I've been at my wits end trying to figure out how to help Emery to be more gentle and less aggressive. I've been working on helping him label his emotions (too many parenting magazines?) and also trying to not give him much of a reaction when he does hit. And it seems to be working... at least today.

changes from a mother of two

2010-05-24T13:15:00.003-06:00

I was on the computer and Emery came up to me and said, "help!" in a pleading tone. I gave him my hand and asked him to show me what he needed. He took me over to the changing table and got down on his hands and knees, pointing underneath it. "Help!" There it was, a lone baked cheeto, just out of reach. I pulled it out and held it in my hand, which he promptly took. Smiling as he put it in his mouth, a big "MMMMM" was said.

Before Ruby, I probably would have been totally grossed out and tried to fish it from his mouth. Instead, I just smiled at the utter pleasure he had in eating a stale orange chip.

our little ones

2010-05-20T21:27:00.002-06:00

one of daddy's favorites...

and mommy's favorite...

today...

2010-05-12T21:51:00.002-06:00

... we spent tons of time on laundry, as I had to play catch up after our Vegas vacation this past weekend. Emery was at my side for every cycle, having fun playing with the new train Nonna bought him at TJMaxx.

... I tried to get Emery caught up on sleep and was able to get him to take two two hour naps, a GINORMOUS accomplishment.

... Emery both loved and loathed Ruby. Aside from the many swipes he took at her face, several times he said, "hold", and I placed Ruby in his arms as he squeezed her little body and grinned from ear to ear. He'd then say, "hug" as his arms were wrapped around her and my heart melted. He always tilts his head into hers so that he can get as close to her as he can.

... we went to the mall on 106th south to ride the train and play on the indoor play area with Erin, Susannah and Jack. Emery had spent the whole morning asking for "Zanna" and crying at the door as he tried to leave to "walk". He had an amazing time on the train ride and Erin said he went through each of their names and "choo choo" the entire ride. He was NOT happy when it ended, though. He half-heartily played on the slide and spent the majority of the time trying to break free and see the train. We walked around it a couple of times with him crying and whimpering, "choo choo!". It became too painful, so we headed back to the car. I was pleasantly surprised that he walked and held Susannah's hand all the way to the exit of the mall. He shows signs of being such a big boy!

... we got home from the mall and headed straight for the bath, as he was getting a diaper rash. A couple of times in the last month or so, he's gotten out of the tub and after running around naked, he's squatted down, looked at his penis, and peed all over the floor. So today in the tub, he looked down and seemed to be concentrating on trying to get something going. I asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty, and he kept repeating "potty". There was nothing like looking at those chubby little legs hanging over the toilet while I held both his hands. He had a huge grin on his face and seemed to be really trying to make something happen! I'm in no hurry and actually enjoy that he's in a diaper, as I think it makes my life easier at the store. :) But it was a start to yet another milestone...

... he was on a bit of a terror-- lots of hitting and grabbing at Ruby's face. It was a hard day trying to keep him being gentle with her, so I was at the end of my rope as dinner and bedtime approached. He asked for pasta and I got him a bowl of his favorite ravioli. After eating a significant amount, he looked at me from his highchair and chucked the bowl across the kitchen before I could blink. As I picked up the trail of ravioli on the floor, I stopped and looked at him and said, "Emery, NO, we do not throw our food." He then proceeded to shake his little finger and yell, "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO". I had to hide my smiling face from him. Mom called me two minutes later and laughed when I told her what he had done. She reminded me to watch him sleeping later on so that I could remember he can be sweet and loving. As I rocked him before bed, he lifted his head and held my face with his two pudgy little hands and told me a story I couldn't understand. In that moment, I remembered.

lunch

2010-05-05T20:21:00.000-06:00

Daughter

2010-05-05T10:51:00.003-06:00

Sweet Ruby Girl,

You're 9 weeks old and already we feel like you've been with us forever. I love that we already have a bit of a routine and it includes you smiling all the time now. You are such a joy-- happy and content most of the time. Even if I can't hold you, as long as we're in the same room and I am talking to you or you can hear Emery playing, you're calm and peaceful. You're already wearing 6 month clothes and eat about 4 oz. at every feeding. Over the last two weeks or so, you've started to consistently burp afterwards, and you like to do it in a sitting position with your neck and chest resting on my hand while I pat your back with my other hand. You smile and coo a ton and really like to rock and sit with me. Your hair sticks up in a mohawk without any help and I usually have a bow in the front of your hair. You have long eyelashes like your brother. You bring a sense of calm to me that I can't explain. I feel like I'm a better mother to you and Emery because of the spirit you have added to our home. You really like baths and sometimes in the middle of a feeding, you stop eating to grin at me. It's very rewarding being your mommy. You're sleeping most of the night now. At 4 weeks, you slept several nights in a row for 9 hour stretches. In the early morning when you wake up, I feed you in bed and then we cuddle until Emery wakes us all up. You sleep through the morning and on and off in the afternoons. If we have to run errands or go somewhere, you'll usually sleep through all that too! You're awake a lot in the evenings and that's the time for you and I to sit and play. It's quiet while Emery is in bed and I love taking advantage of the time for just the two of us. You slept in your swing for the first month or so because I was worried about your breathing and bronchiolitist, but now you are in your crib and do just fine. You don't like to be swaddled and you sleep with your arms in little L shapes by your head. As crazy as it sounds, I feel like you know when I am having a hard time and am being stretched, and you don't ask for much. I worry that you don't get all the attention and cuddles that you need, but I do my best to make sure you know how much we love you. The first thing Emery talks about when he wakes up is you-- BABY is what he asks for and we come down and check on you before he does anything else. He doesn't like to hear you cry and he runs to me the second he senses you're not happy. Lately, he's been asking to hold you by saying "hug" and "baby". It's the most fulfilling thing as a mother to see you two together. You are very patient with his rough love!

Thank you for being such a sweet, tender little girl. You add so much to our family and we are so grateful for you!

Big hugs,

Mommy

countdown to 2!

2010-05-05T09:31:00.007-06:00

Emery,

In a little less than a month, you will be two years old! Here are lot of things I love about you...

you love anything with wheels, especially buses, trucks, trains, and cars
when we're in the car (and if you're not watching your "moo-mi" on the DVD player) you love to gaze out the window and shout out whatever type of vehicle you see
your favorite said "moo-mi" is Shrek and you get a huge grin and start to dance whenever the theme song comes on
you adore your little "Booby" and get very concerned whenever she cries-- you run to me and yell "baby!!"
you love to kiss Ruby on the mouth and are not satisfied until you find her lips!
you really love to give hugs and as you wrap your arms around one of us, you say "hug" while you're doing it
you are fascinated by all children (strangers or ones you know and love) and give hugs to them all-- even if they push you away, you are adamant about giving them one!
You love to watch daddy give mommy a kiss and when he hugs mommy, you run over and join in
since Christmas 2009, you insist on being rocked to sleep while we sing the first verse of "Silent Night", which you call PEACE because of the last sentence
over the last couple of months, I've been able to increase the bedtime songs to include DADDY ("I'm so glad when daddy comes home"), STAR ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") and JESUS ("Jesus wants Emery for a sunbeam")
When you wake up in the middle of the night crying and I go in to check on you, you pick up your blanket (you two faves are the monkey quilt and dog "blankie" that Grandma Jeanne made you), sometimes your bears, and point at the glider and say "ROCK!"
You love being outside and would spend all day in the yard if I could let you... so I put gates in front of the two front doors and we open them a lot so you can look out and see all the cars and trucks and buses drive by
I swear you have your own language that you think I understand! For the last 6 months, you have full conversations with me, where you look at me intently and make gestures like an adult. Erin said yesterday that you sound like you're speaking in Turkish.
You love Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba and Elmo. Whenever I'm near the computer or TV, you're asking to watch one of the two.
You really enjoy playing with your trucks, buses, trains and cars. You like to line them all up, either next to each other or in a line front to back, in which case you push them and say "CHOO CHOO".
You used to say "CRUCK" which meant either a car or truck, along with "BUS" and "CHOO CHOO" for train. Over the last couple of days, you've started saying "truck" and "car" for each one. It's amazing to be able to watch you learn concepts and to see your little mind working so hard!
You LOVE baths. You REALLY LOVE splashing in the bath and bubbles. I finally bought sensitive bubbles because we use them almost every time!
You DON'T LOVE the process of getting the shampoo out of your hair. Daddy doesn't really try, but I'm willing to fight for the suds to come clean. :)
When you are happy about something you accomplished, you yell "yeah!"
You are a great clapper. We were watching "Dancing With the Stars" this morning and when the dance ended and everyone was clapping, you put down your truck, turned toward the TV, and clapped along with them.
You have gotten so used to wearing glasses that you can now scratch an itch under your glasses and them push them back up your nose
You like wearing your BYU baseball hat we got for our Australia trip last summer and can even put it on now (you insist on wearing it like an adult, pulled down low in the front)
You and your daddy love spending time in front of the computer playing music. You like to stand facing the big speakers and dancing.
You still like your bottle-- usually one in the morning and one at night with milk. If it's been a hard day, you'll sometimes ask for one in the afternoon and it seems to calm you. I don't mind one bit.
You are very helpful. You like to wash things off with a wipe or washcloth. You also really enjoy when I vacuum. You follow me around the house and sometimes use the mop as your own vacuum.
And the word "vacuum" is what you use if there is any type of motor involved with something... anything that sounds remotely like it, you yell "vacuum" and point to it.
You HATE getting your diaper changed. EVERY TIME. It makes my job a little hard, as I've gotten kicked plenty of times.
You love your monkey sweatshirts, your shoes (the Crocs and flip flops are your favorites) and getting dressed in general-- you tell me each thing as we put it on, like "pants", "socks", "shoes", etc.
You like to kiss the picture of Jesus and the children that I hung for you in the family room.
You like having a blanket on you whenever you're sitting... in the car this past winter, on the couch reading books or watching TV, in bed, when we rock before bedtime, in your crib... you love that we have blankets all over the house now for Ruby because you think they were put everywhere for you!
You really like Max, who you call "Matt".
Sometimes he's naughty and takes food right out of your hand. Sometimes you give him food through his kennel door or when he's at the foot of your high chair waiting for something to fall. You squeal with delight when eats it.
You love helping with laundry and especially when you can watch the water start up in the washing machine.
You are really good about staying away from things I tell you are hot, like the oven and Nonna's fireplace
You worship your papa and as we round the corner by their house, you start yelling "papa" before we're even at the driveway
You do the same think when we get close to daddy's work-- I find it fascinating that you can already recognize where we are!
You really like Andy and can say his name very clearly.
You love to carry around phones and have one sided conversations on them. Whenever my phone or Nonna's phone rings, you say "Papa?" and then "daddy?"
If you ever spot a pacifier, you insist on shoving it into Ruby's face, whether or not she wants it
You try and share your bottles with her
There's only one word I've been trying to get you to say for a long time... more. You still do the sign language for that word, which you've been doing for a year now.
You love climbing stairs and can go down the big winding slide at the park by our house, even though it makes your mother VERY nervous
You often go to the door and plead "WALK!"
You enjoy going on walks and being on the front porch, sitting in the wicker chair
You love car keys and like to "unlock" the kitchen door with the keys
You love Nonna, but not so much when I'm around. You spend a lot of time yelling "Mom-MYYYY" and hugging my leg.
You call Ruby "baby" most of the time.
You love stars and can recognize the shape every time you see it.
You know how to count 1, 2. You've been doing it about a year now, as I always say "1, 2" when we get dressed-- like 1, 2 socks, 1, 2 shoes. When you have two things, you will yell, "TWO!" and get very excited.
When we go Target or the like now, Ruby stays in her car seat and you stand next to it in the cart. I usually get you a toy car that has buttons on it so you can push it over ad over again and listen to the sounds or watch the lights. After awhile, you get bored and hand it to me or throw it over the side and say "all done".
You really like pens. You colored on two of the doors in our house last week.
You're very compassionate to little ones crying and whenever you hear a baby or child crying, you come to me and say "baby" in a concerned tone.
You love to blow your nose. On anything. Wipes, toilet paper, paper towels, my shirt. You hold it up to your nose and bend forward and blow out of your mouth. You look like an adult who really is blowing hard. It's one of the funniest things you do.
I love you more every day. When I'm not with you for a short time, I can't stop thinking about how you would like something, or what you would be doing if you were with me. I love taking you places to watch your face light up, like at the dino museum or farm country. You love to explore, run around on your own and crouch down on your haunches to see something closer. I've realized that you are your own little person, who knows what he likes and what he wants to do. And I'm so grateful for every minute we get to spend together. It's fun being one of your favorite people.
You have started repeating the last word that I say in a sentence, but here are some of the words you can say now on your own: daddy. mommy, baby, Booby, Andy, Corky (Corey was coming into town and I tried to teach you his name. When you saw him for the first time at the airport, you said "Corky" without coaching. It was priceless!), Nonna, Papa, Matt (Max), Jack, Zanna, Pinky (that's what you call Brooklyn), car, truck, bus, lellow (yellow), lalalala (means light to you!), HOT!, pants, shoes, socks, shirt, walk, rock, keys, seat (last week you said "car seat" together, but you haven't done it since!), Elmo, Abbie, Brobee, remote (as in, Emery, can you hand mommy the remote? and then you hand it to me and say "remote"!), hat, eat, hun-gy (as in hungry), NO, NO WAY, YAY!, dite-dite (you've been calling that a cracker for months!), juice, milk, water, wet, doggy, dog, cookie, cheese (you love to ask for cheese and then when I open the fridge, you get it out yourself from the bottom drawer), bath, owwie, ouch, poop (like when I was changing your diaper today and you yelled "POOP!"), help, please, pizza, ni-night, blankie, mouse, slide, up, down, away, hurt, head, mouth, teeth, nose, ears, hands, toes, eyes, apple, nana (for banana)

today...

2010-05-04T23:14:00.003-06:00

... when I was washing Emery's hands in the sink, he was trying to pull away and I told him, "No, you have to stay here while mommy washes your hands" to which he replied, "NO WAY!". It was the first of many "no ways", I'm afraid.

... we went to Cafe Rio with mom. After eating the shrimp from one of my tacos, black beans, and a quesadilla, he ran around the empty restaurant climbing on all the chairs in between dancing to the loud music blaring from the overhead speakers. That kid loves to dance-- he couldn't help himself. He'd be in the middle of looking at something and then a beat would come on that he liked and his little arms would just start moving and his hips swaying. We received several compliments on how cute he is.

... after his bath this evening, he wanted some naked time before getting dressed for bed. I was cleaning up the bathroom and came out to the kitchen to see his squatting down in front of the oven, hunched over. Upon further inspection, I found him looking at a pool of pee. He looked up, grinned, and pointed at it. He then proceeded to run through it, so he had another mini-bath in the kitchen sink. At least I was able to get Max into his kennel before he tried to help clean up.

day and night

2010-05-04T21:27:00.000-06:00

Fun morning playing with trucks

and fun evening with Zanna and Jack while daddy "read" a story on the iPad.

Emery's routine

2010-05-01T09:06:00.003-06:00

To help mom and Nate while I was in the hospital, I typed up Emery's daily routine pre-Ruby. It's funny to read it even now, as it seems a world away when it was just he and I. In the last two months since I had written this, he can tell me "drink" or "eat" when he's hungry and thirsty. We can be more flexible about bedtime, as he's a better sleeper, and he has cut way back on the bottles. He's changing so quickly! Here's what we did every day..

Emery’s Daily Routine:

7am

wake up, have bottle with 7 oz. of milk, likes to cuddle with mom and have a blanket over his lap
within a half hour of finishing bottle, eat ½ banana or some yogurt and a Kashi bar or cereal
change diaper, usually after he eats as he has his first BM around this time
take off his heavy pjs and leave on the ones underneath
plays with toys and likes to read books right before nap
I offer him a sippy cup with water and leave it in the family room for him to drink from throughout the day

9am

two hours from the time he wakes up, he’s ready for his morning nap
check diaper before nap

NAP ROUTINE:

Tell him it’s time to take his snooze and let’s go upstairs
Carry him the entire way—don’t let him get down at all as he’ll get interested in a toy or something and will have a little fit
No carrying toys or anything in his hands up the stairs, as it makes it harder to take away once we’re near the crib! J
Take off his glasses and put them on the rail outside his door
Turn on the humidifier
Take his monkey blanket and two bears out of the crib and sit with him in the chair
He puts the bears into the crooks of each of his arms and settles in and then I put the blanket over his shoulders—he’ll tell you if you forget by making the sound of a monkey
Sometimes he wants a drink—usually he’ll point to the crib and say either “emery” or “d, d” for drink
He’ll usually ask for a song—he says “do-da!?!” and if he says “peace, peace” he wants “Silent Night”
Usually, I sing “Silent Night” about 4 times in a row and maybe a verse or two of “Child of God”—those are his two favorites right now
If he doesn’t sit still or tries to play, I just stop singing and put him into bed
I lay him down on his belly and he will usually rearrange the bears in both crooks of his arms when he hits the mattress
I fold the monkey blanket in half and put it over him—he’ll protest if you don’t do it
Tell him nigh-night
Turn on the overhead fan if it’s warm in the room—that blanket is heavy but he insists on having it over him
Shut the door

11am

He wakes up
Glasses on
Change diaper and change into clothes for the day
Based on the time—if it’s close to lunch, I ask him if he wants to eat lunch or I’ll offer him an apple, kiwi, or the rest of the banana from the morning
Offer him sippy cup with water
Lunch can be anything—he loves peaches or fruit cup (in the fridge), green beans, black beans (in the laundry room pantry), turkey or chicken slices (in the deli drawer in the fridge), Fiber crackers in his blue bin on the bottom right side of the big cabinets), mac and cheese (next to the blue bin—microwavable), toddler ravioli in yellow containers in same blue bin
We play and at some point, he’ll probably ask to watch Elmo—which means either Yo Gabba Gabba or Sesame Street, both on the DVR

Afternoon

Naptime depends (usually about 2-3 hours after he’s up from morning nap)
Depending on when he acts tired and how long his morning nap…
If he wakes up at 11, then usually he’ll go down again around 1:30
Same routine as the morning
He usually sleeps about 1 ½ hour
After nap, I offer him another snack and more to drink; he might want a bottle

Dinner

He usually eats between 5-6, depending on his appetite and mood
Same offerings as lunch; lately he’s had a bigger appetite at dinner than any other time

Before bed

Around 6:15, change diaper (use bum cream) and lather his legs and back/arms with Aveeno
Put on pjs
top red bin on the right side under changing table—light PJs
bottom red bin on the right side under changing table—heavy PJs
Based on when he ate dinner, I’ll offer him a bottle of milk or a light snack, like a cup of fruit or an apple slice
Sometimes, he’ll go stand by his high chair to let me know he’s still hungry
Up to bed at 6:45, same routine as nap
In bed no later than 7

Mommy and Me class

2010-04-30T20:58:00.003-06:00

Today Emery went to a free trial gymnastics class at Gymcats. He was in the "Kitten Class". I squeezed in an early morning nap and woke him up with just a couple of minutes to spare. It's hard work getting he and Ruby out the door! We talked about his class the whole way there and he kept saying "class". The first 20 minutes is in a small room with a balance beam, a slide into a foam pit, and some low parallel bars. While you're supposed to go in a circle through all the different activities, he was too fond of the slide to do much of anything else, although he is really good at a back rollover. He wasn't happy about the bars at all-- no hanging for this kid! We then moved into the big gym, with a bunch of other activities like trampolines, a blow up walkway, and a huge foam pit (which both he and I got stuck in).

Throughout the whole class, Ruby slept. I don't know why I still get nervous to take her places, as she's the best behaved out of all of us!

We'll be out of town next week, but I think he was too happy there to not go again...

breakfast

2010-04-27T15:09:00.000-06:00

daddy, daughter

2010-04-26T23:38:00.002-06:00

Daddy spent some time this evening with Ruby before her latest photo shoot. They talked, she cried, and he gave her some great advice. I feel like this will be replayed many times in the coming years...

Here's a good look at her stork bite.

On to the photo shoot. She wasn't so happy about it at the beginning, but by the end she was smiling. Big thanks to Aunties Candace and Jenny for the darling outfit.

She's becoming known for her lip curl.

You've got the look.

2010-04-26T14:33:00.001-06:00

This is Emery's concerned face.

This is Ruby's consistently peaceful and always accomodating pose.

Discovery Park

2010-04-24T22:15:00.000-06:00

Brooklyn and Nonna met us at the Discovery Park this afternoon for loads of fun. Nonna played with Ruby on the sidelines while Nate and I had a great time trying to corral Emery. It's really designed for big kids like B, who probably enjoyed it the most!

The only thing Emery didn't enjoy was his first time on a swing. He's not a fan.

hold on, little girl

2010-04-23T20:41:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure why I lucked out so much, but Ruby is the most patient baby I know. We went to the mall on 106th South and Emery, Pinky, Susannah and Jack all rode the train and played at the indoor park. Ruby laid in the stroller smiling. The entire time. I heart her.

new shoes!

2010-04-22T22:53:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Emery got new shoes and refused to even try them on at the store.
So I left them out on the counter, thinking I would return them.
Emery had a different idea after staring at them throughout the day.

He warmed up to his warm weather flip flops.

He was giddy putting them on after his bath. I think they have special powers that make him dance even better...

He likes his music REALLY loud.

Daddy is a great DJ. Emery's recent requests include "My Life Would Suck Without You" by the cast of Glee, "Long Black Train" by Josh Turner, and "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings.

Ruby slept through the whole dance party.

And then it was over-- both the dancing and the excitement of new shoes.

Back to basics-- a bottle and bed for our big boy!

bundles of love

2010-04-13T13:53:00.003-06:00

Big hugs to the GREAT Great Grandma Jeanne. Emery is in love with his new doggy blanket. He especially likes to cuddle with it.

He tried (unsuccessfully) to wake up his sister to share in the joy.

It keeps him plenty warm.

And makes a great cape.

It even doubles as an apron.

And when he was ready for a break,

he laid it out

and had the perfect place to put his head.

p.s. Ruby can't express it yet, but she loves hers too!

polishing our jewel

2010-03-07T22:30:00.001-07:00

Ruby's first bath was completely uneventful. She didn't make a peep. She squirmed halfway through and after getting a pacifier, she fell blissfully asleep. What a gem!

my helpers

2010-03-07T14:45:00.001-07:00

I'm so lucky to have two handsome laundry connoisseurs.

like father, like son

2010-03-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

Emery has taken full advantage of the fact that my hands are now literally full with a baby. Here's what I found after he was alone for a mere 37 seconds... he's been busy.

teeny tiny

2010-03-05T23:49:00.001-07:00

Halfway through a diaper change tonight, a mini photo shoot took place. Everything is still so tiny! She's starting to unfold herself-- stretching more, opening her eyes, and soaking it all in.

It's difficult being so adorable and awake... time for another snooze.

visitors!

2010-03-05T00:21:00.002-07:00

Emery was thrilled that this cute girl and her mom paid a visit. Brobee, Ruby, and Chloe all in one afternoon.

And then Uncle Andy showed up for even more fun.

After they left, it was back to our normal routine-- thank you nick jr. for keeping my son entertained during Ruby's newborn phase.
I swore I wouldn't be that kind of a parent and then I had kids.

freedom!

2010-03-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

No more morning trips to the hospital for bilirubin checks-- we got a call from the pediatrician this afternoon that Ruby's levels are back in the normal range and she can be done with the biliblanket and blood draws from her heels. Although she slept through both, I couldn't be more happy to get rid of that blanket or the heel pricks!

03.04.05 remembered

2010-03-04T12:15:00.003-07:00

Dear Nate,

When you walked into the family room this morning and asked if I knew what today was, I told you it was garbage day. You smiled and said it was also our 5 year anniversary. I teared up a little as Emery sat on my lap and Ruby laid in the pack 'n play next to us. I couldn't have imagined a better anniversary than having all four of us together.

Apparently, wood and silverware are the traditional gifts for 5 year celebrations. Unfortunately, you won't be receiving either as you already got the best present I could have given you-- remember how I didn't cry this time getting my epidural? You're welcome. :)

Happy anniversary to the best husband and daddy around. I heart you.

Love, me

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ruby, Nate, and I arrived home late afternoon on Monday, March 1 to this cute thing:

He automatically seemed to have aged a couple of years, except for the bottle. I cried when I saw him-- he was a boy! How'd that happen over a long weekend?

Ruby has been an angel and sleeps amid strains of Yo Gabba Gabba songs and her brother crashing trucks and trains within inches of her bed.

We're really tired, but sleeping in shifts is helping ease the transition.

Upon her homecoming, she's had to use the biliblanket 24 hours a day to help get rid of the jaundice. However, it hasn't affected her ability to catch some ZZZs.

With daddy home every day, Emery has loved his afternoon trips to the neighborhood park. It's especially thrilling, as daddy let's him get as dirty as he wants.

I'm not keeping up on much except for the People magazine that's buried under the mail pile.

And we sure do go through a lot of bottles these days... Emery was close to being done with them until he saw Ruby with one every couple of hours. Too much competition to pass up.

And he loves the dancing Brobee Ruby brought him. A baby and Brobee all in one day!

She's been such a joy and I couldn't feel more lucky to have a good sleeper!

We love our sweet little jewel!

the goal: go home

2010-03-02T12:40:00.003-07:00

I pleaded with the doctor, but given the complications I had, he said it'd be best to stay an extra day until Monday. I'm not sure WHY I'd want to leave-- given the delicious meals served.

It was a blessing in disguise, though, as Ruby's bilirubin levels rose and she needed phototherapy. And we were lucky enough that Grandma Nona was so willing to keep up with Emery the whole weekend.

So Ruby tanned most of Monday.

Not nearly as traumatizing as when Emery was under the lights for 24 hours in the nursery, they now let the babies be treated in the mother's room so you can always be close by to comfort, love, and readjust as needed.

Also unlike Emery, Ruby didn't complain much.

She did OK on her back, but much preferred snuggling in on her belly. She actually slept 3 hours straight and had to be woken for her feeding.

On Sunday morning, the nurses asked me what my goal was for the day-- take a shower, walk around more... I said "go home". While we ended up staying the extra day, it was certainly a goal worth reaching for!

And then it happened. Her levels came back more stable Monday afternoon and they said she could be off the lights at the hospital and on a biliblanket at home, instead.

So we got her dressed in lots of pink.

And headed home.

Announcing...

2010-03-01T12:49:00.002-07:00

Ruby Bauer Jones
Born February 26, 2010 at 12:56 pm
10 lbs. 1 oz.
21 inches

From this...

...to this!

mamma mia!

2009-12-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

While watching Corey eat pizza today, Nonna said to Emery, "say pizza!" to which he replied, "piii-za". His first two syllable word and his new favorite food! Needless to say, he got a big bite after all that hard work.

Daddy's special day

2009-12-16T15:13:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday to the man that makes Emery smile the biggest. We love you!

p.s. Big birthday hugs to Aunt Holly, too...

life

2009-09-14T21:00:00.007-06:00

Like it

or not,

Emery's going to be a big brother.

We're all a little hesitant

and a tad unsure of what's to come,

but excited beyond measure!

15 weeks and counting.

Little Gymnist

2009-09-12T18:08:00.001-06:00

Although he doesn't look too excited, Emery went to his first Little Gym class with Nate and I this morning. He was NOT interested in the group opening, mainly because it entailed sitting still in daddy's lap. He was much more happy to roam around the gym and climb on everything and tackle the other children. He decided to start participating when they brought out all the balls. He also enjoyed the hula hoops and bubbles. By the end, he didn't want to leave.

We were happy to meet another little guy at the class, whose middle name is Emery. Nate was talking to his parents and they told him they were worried about how small he is-- Emery was by far a head taller, although 2 months younger. Not a second later, I was horrified to see Emery grab this little one by both shoulders and then flat out tackle him, ending up pinning him to the ground and squealing with delight. I know he was just ecstatic to find another friend, but it didn't look that way... the parents were very gracious and said not to worry.

I still worry. We've got a sweet little bruiser on our hands. Nate is hoping it is foreshadowing Emery's future football career. I would like to think it's just a sign he'll be an aggressive post player on the hardwood. Only time will tell.

Septemberfest

2009-09-07T21:29:00.003-06:00

With Nate off for Labor Day, we headed up to Snowbird for Oktoberfest. We were happy to get out of the house after being cooped up with a recovering Emery. It was his first day without lortab and it was a good one!

We were joined by the lovely Donna, who enjoyed a brat with sauerkraut.

Emery was entertained by the plastic utensils.

And Nate was sweet on the spaetzle.

Most notable was our happy baby boy, who thoroughly enjoyed the sun and canyon breeze.

He got to ride on a bus and had his first taste of potato pancakes (although he enjoyed the applesauce topping the most). He apparently really digs polka music and didn't even mind the band-aid to keep the sun off his surgery scar. And Nate was pleased that someone told us how tough our little guy looked with his war wound.

the surgery

2009-09-03T22:38:00.002-06:00

It was a long day, to say the least. After a restless night for mom and dad, we left the house at 5am and arrived at Primary Children's just before 6 to check into same day surgery. Emery was in heaven, even at that early hour, as the room started filling with children and their parents.

He loved playing with the toys and got right in with the big kids. It was great, as he hadn't been allowed to eat or drink since the night before and I was panicked that he would start asking for his bottle.

There was a little scare initially, as they only had his eye surgery on the schedule at the check in counter. We had to wait until we went back in to the exam room to find out that things were set for both surgeries.

Around 6:45, he was given a routine exam to check his health and was not very happy about it. He had been diagnosed with an ear infection on Sunday and was given an antibiotic shot that day, one Monday, and another Tuesday-- all to make sure he was in fighting shape for today's events. The second he saw the nurse walk towards him, he let it be known that he wasn't going to take it.

It even took a bit of coaxing for us to get his diaper changed and his surgery "scrubs" put on. Good thing he had his favorite Cookie and Elmo to comfort him. They would stay by his side, literally, the entire day.

The early wake-up call was starting to show as we left the exam room and headed to the pre-surgery play area.

Emery loved the kitchen, just like he does at home. And yes, gross that he was putting the cup in his mouth, but I couldn't stop him fast enough!

It was during this 30 minutes of fun that Nate and I decided Santa will be getting him his own kitchen for Christmas.

At 7:15, a nurse came out and administered an anti-anxiety drug that helped him relax. He slowed down over the next 15 minutes and was in my arms by 7:30 when the eye doctor and anesthesiologist came out. The eye doctor, Dr. Dries, assured us that he would take extra special care of our little one and because Dr. Patel was not there yet, Dr. Dries drew dots around Emery's forehead where the cyst was to be removed. He left to prep and the anesthesiologist explained what would happen in detail with the surgery. She was a wonderfully kind 60 something grandma who I immediately trusted. She told us she had a grandson Emery's age and that she would make sure he was safe and comfortable during the surgery. She let me hold him as we walked toward the operating room, right to the double doors where we had to hand him to her. Luckily the medicine had worked and the moment I dreaded was over in an instant. Nate and I gave him a kiss and I handed our baby to her. And that was that.

We waited in the parents surgery waiting room with other anxious adults and numbingly watched the Today show for 2 hours. Dr. Dries came in first and said the eye surgery had gone extremely well. He told us that Dr. Patel was finishing up and that we would be reunited with Emery shortly. We were given some instructions and were able to ask a couple of questions. About a half hour later, Dr. Patel came with the same great news. Relief was an understatement.

15 minutes later, my name was called and the nurse in the waiting room gave me a slip of paper and told me to follow the kites on the floor to the big blue doors. Nate couldn't come for another half hour while Emery was still coming out of the anesthesia. I have never walked so quickly in my life.

I found him in the post surgery room with a dozen other children, each in their own little bed. His eyes were closed and he was feverishly sucking down sugar water from a bottle that a nurse was holding and his vitals were being checked by another nurse. They let me hold the bottle and stroke his hair as he started to wake up. His picc line was still in and his other hand was tightly grasping his beloved Cookie. The nurse told me that they had tried to give him a sippy cup, but he wouldn't take it and so they tried the bottle and he was on his second one by the time I arrived. When he started to stir and cry, they let me take him out of the bed and rock him. I sang him his favorite songs and he continued to drink from the bottle. It was disconcerting, as there were several children screaming for their moms and sobbing. We had been warned that some children come out of the anesthesia without much fuss and others have a hard time. Unfortunately, Emery was the latter. There were lots of bloody tears, which we had also been told could happen but I was still not prepared for, and crying.

In order to move into the recovery room and ultimately go home, he had to pass several tests, including drinking something and breathing on his own with a high enough saturation of oxygen. I was told that when he is in pain, he holds his breath, so the oxygen level wasn't as high as it should have been. As I rocked him, I had to hold an oxygen mask over his mouth to help with that. They took out his picc line and got blood everywhere (I threw away my shirt when we got home, as it was covered) and Emery was in a lot of pain.

At that point, I was able to carry him into the recovery room and they called Nathan to come in. We had two rocking chairs next to his bed and the nurse would come in periodically to monitor him and check him stats. It was a horrible hour and a half, but Emery made it through.

As soon as he heard Nate's voice, he cried out for him. At that point, he still wasn't opening his eyes. We were told it felt like sandpaper and it took him a long time to keep them open.

After about an hour, he was much more alert. All he wanted was apple juice, but they were worried he had already had so much (about 8 4 oz. bottles by that point!). We tried a popsicle, but he didn't much care for it.

He still wanted the bottle.

His eyes were swollen and looked bruised. The area where the cyst was removed seemed much better-- just a small butterfly bandage to cover the stitches.

After another dose of lortab kicked in, he seemed much more himself. He sat on his own, kept his eyes open, and was easily distracted with toys and other items on his bed. By 11:15am, the nurse told us we could take him home.

We changed him and got his discharge papers and then headed to the pharmacy to pick up his antibiotic eye drops and lortab. He had to wear arm braces because he kept rubbing his eyes, which he wasn't supposed to touch.

We were home by 1pm and all three of us collapsed in bed. Emery and I slept 3 hours straight. He woke up happy but annoyed with the arm braces.

With the lortab, he was comfortable and got lots of rest. We learned that the cyst removal was not too uncomfortable. Had that been the only surgery, he would have been sent home with a recommendation to take Motrin for the next 24 hours. It was the eye surgery that caused so much pain and discomfort.

At first, I wasn't going to list the day's events in such detail, but I want to remember what it felt like and I want to be able to recall the tender feelings of love I have for my son.

Nathan told me he hadn't known how much he loved Emery until he watched him be taken to the OR. It's been a very difficult experience, but one that has reminded us of what is truly meaningful. I'm grateful for my slice of heaven on earth-- my family is the most important thing to me.

major milestone for mom.

2009-08-30T21:20:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure what traumatic experience occurred in the bathtub, but Emery refuses to be bathed anywhere but the kitchen sink. So as he sat contently playing with plastic Elmo and a wooden spoon this afternoon, I decided to cut his hair for the first time. He's usually so active, it was actually the easiest place to do it. I tried to leave the cute curls/wings behind his ears, but the mullet look he was starting to sport looked a little too 1984 and something had to be done!

The end result wasn't too shabby.

We're BAAAACK.

2009-08-20T21:24:00.001-06:00

It's been a crazy summer, but here's hoping we're back to a somewhat normal routine!

Much has transpired...
-- we moved into our cute "new" old farmhouse (built in 1899!) at the end of June
-- Emery and I went down under with the koalas and kangaroos at the end of July
-- we had fun at Nate's family reunion at the beginning of August
-- Emery has started saying quite a few words and knows how to bark like a dog
-- he's decided he might want to start walking sometime soon
-- he has dealt with 4 ear infections, a bout of pneumonia, and a severe cold in the past 2 months
-- after several consults, on September 2nd, Emery is scheduled for eye surgery, along with the surgery to remove the dermoid cyst on his forehead

We've been busy! More to come, especially LOADS of pictures.

More to come.

bagels and lox

2009-08-20T20:41:00.001-06:00

Fun day. Emery and I got to meet one of our favorite red heads for lunch, Miss Donna. Emery had his first peanut butter and grape jelly bagel, albeit he got more on his face than in his bocca.

Then we joined our other favorite red head at the aquarium.

The boys lounged..

while Susannah and Erin pet the sting rays.

One of Emery's most enjoyable moments was a push from his favorite 3 year old.

Fancy fake canoe rides are something to smile about.

Lucky for mom, the tired boy fell asleep the second our car hit the road.

oops!

2009-07-07T23:57:00.002-06:00

I realized tonight it's been a LONG time since my last post. My mom sent me another pic from the summerfest that Emery attended in early JUNE.

So much as happened. We sold these:

and Nate shed a tear or two.

We packed LOTS of boxes and moved 10 minutes south to our new old home. Emery has been sick, sick, sick going on three weeks. His latest diagnosis: ear infection. Yuck. He's spent most nights like this:

Said picture was taken at 3am with my cell phone, 2 minutes after he had finally fallen asleep. We're ALL tired lately.

We also found out that Emery will have to have two surgeries next month-- one to remove his dermoid cyst and one to correct his esotropia. It seems both can be done during the same round of anesthesia, so we're grateful that the risk will be minimal.

And big thanks to my parents for helping with the little one this weekend. They were out of town for 2 weeks and it is wonderful to have them back. While Nate and I went to dinner, they let Emery have a little naked bum time, much to his enjoyment:

Many more posts to come, as soon as we unpack the box with the camera cords and I find a little energy... moving stinks.

saturday morning snack

2009-06-13T23:37:00.001-06:00

thanks!

2009-06-12T17:44:00.004-06:00

Emery got to hang out at the Orem Festival with Brooklyn, Chloe, and Grandma and Grandpa this afternoon while I packed for our move next week.

He got sleepy and took a snooze before lunch.

And then had a lot of fun sitting with Grandpa watching all the people and rides. His love of carnies was discovered today.

Thanks to Grandpa for the pics and to Grandma for the sanity.
Moving is hard with a one year old!!

Following in Obama's footsteps, he even got to eat a grilled cheese at Five Guys!

Pat Riley

2009-06-11T23:22:00.000-06:00

After his bath, we often think he resembles either Pat Riley or Conan O'Brien. Tonight, it was definitely Pat.

He had a great time playing with a chair, but then got stuck when he moved on to the dishwasher. That's when the meltdown started.

It ended when he saw his nightly bottle being made. Sad, but cute.

play date

2009-06-11T23:07:00.004-06:00

Erin and her crew came to give some moral support as I started to tackle packing the basement (which hasn't been touched since we moved IN almost two years ago!). We were thrilled to see Emery and Jack start to interact with each other and play together, instead of just playing in the same room!

Susannah was a little annoyed with "the babies"...

but nothing a little cartoon couldn't fix!

don't eat the daisies!

2009-06-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

I got a call this morning asking for Emery. I was a little startled, as my one year old doesn't usually receive such requests... it turned out it was a flower shop trying to locate our house. Fabulous and Great Aunt Holly and Uncle Bob sent our chief his own fire truck, complete with flowers he adores (they're his newest obsession).

Happy 1st birthday to Emery!

big day

2009-06-08T21:46:00.001-06:00

This evening, Emery and I went with grandma, grandpa, Uncle Andy, and soon-to-be Auntie Julie to Fuddruckers. The big boy had his first kids meal. It was quite a moment for his mom and I think he thoroughly enjoyed it, too. Grilled cheese never tasted so good!

If I had a wish, then it would be...

2009-06-03T23:46:00.010-06:00

Happy, happy birthday, Emery dear!
Here's the breakdown of the day-long celebration.

Breakfast for the champion

He got dressed in his spiffy Birthday Boy shirt and played with his new favorite iPod toy for a bit.

We had lunch and then drove to pick up Brooklyn from school. It was her LAST day as a 3rd grader! The clock seemed to stand still for all the wiggly kids anxious for summer.

Emery and I got to be in her class for about 20 minutes as the students shared what their summer plans were.

Brooklyn's tooth was loose-- how much better could this day get?!?

And then it was over. One last picture with her fabulous teacher.

On the way out to the car, she was able to get her Principal to sign her yearbook. What a treat!

Emery was thrilled to spend some one-on-one time with his cousin!

Because B got out of school early, we headed to "This Is The Place" for an afternoon of fun with the Jiles. Susannah insisted that Emery open his present before we left the visitor's center. She was very excited to help him with the wrapping.

There was a kids play area where B and S made a quick stop before we headed outside.

It was cold, windy, and rainy-- but the girls were smiling anyway!

We waited for the train to take us on the tour.

Emery entertained himself with his new toy (thanks again Susannah!).

The birthday boy got a kiss from his sweet.

Blustery weather didn't stop us from visiting the Indian tepees and riding the mini train!

Emery loved the mini train, but was not happy to get back into his stroller on the way to get ice cream.

With clenched fists, he expressed himself loudly.

The girls got to visit the schoolhouse and learn about the pioneer children that attended it.

And Emery was happy once again.

This was certainly the place for fun!

Fun for everyone except Jack, who was unhappy with Emery's "love tugs".

As if we hadn't had enough of an amazing day, we were able to meet up with daddy, Uncle Andy, and soon-to-be Auntie Julie for dinner and arcade games (what 1 year old doesn't love pinball??).

Dance, dance.

It was a wonderfully long day of happiness with friends and family.
And he slept like a log that night...

8 days a week

2009-06-02T21:37:00.007-06:00

As I start to type this post, my eyes well up with tears and my heart feels like it is exploding. It's hard to catch my breath. While I always wanted to be a mom, I never knew what it would feel like, looking at something so uniquely mine; spending every waking second caring for him and every sleeping moment dreaming of him.

On the eve of his 1st birthday, I reflect on the last 364 days. Last night, Nate and I reminisced and tried to remember all the details of June 3rd, 2008. Nate said one of the most clear memories he had is when I held Emery for the first time. I vividly recalled it, as well. My son.

I can't begin to image my world without him and Nate and I have a hard time remembering what it was like before he joined our family. I feel incredibly lucky to be his mom and to share his life. He truly is my pride and joy.

I don't want to forget a second of the time I have to spend with him and I certainly don't want to forget any of the amazing bits and pieces of who he is.

Saying he loves music is an understatement. He ADORES any kind of beat and will start bopping to it the second it hits his ears. He especially likes anything by Raffi, "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai, "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers, and "Grace Kelly" by Mika.
He is most happy when surrounded by kids and he is outside.
He loves the wind and is happy to sit in his stroller as long as we are outside and moving.
He enjoys opening and closing doors.
He knows how to High-5.
He likes playing peek-a-boo with a blanket.
He has 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom (with 2 more breaking through next to them).

He crawls fast and furiously and loves to be chased, picked up, and thrown into the air.
He is a maniac for straws and will hold one in each hand for hours.
He loves children and gets excited when his cousins and friends are over to play.
He can rip off his glasses in 2 seconds flat. He then will proceed to bang them on the floor. We just picked up a new pair yesterday, as the first pair were so scratched up, he was looking over them instead of through them.

His favorite toys are his Elmo head with mirror, blocks that he can bang together, pots and pans in the kitchen, his monkey with a rattle, and anything else that makes noise. He also loves the dishwasher and fridge.

He loves playing with his pink piggy bank and coins with his daddy.
He wiggles around when getting a diaper change and can flip himself over in a heartbeat.
He loves to suck on wipes that he pulls from the dispenser after he's flipped himself over while getting a diaper change. And he gets MAD when you take the wipe away!
He loves him mommy and smiles when she picks him up.
He points by opening his hand upward and reaching for whatever he wants.

He is VERY ticklish on his belly, under his arms and chin, and on his legs.
He has a great laugh when tickled or when mommy and daddy are silly with him.

He loves to babble-- lots of dadadadada and mamamamama.
He makes a "BRRRBRR" noise when he's tired and wants his bottle.
He gets lots of compliments on his cuteness when we're in public and lots of questions about whether or not he keeps his glasses on.
He loves Max.

He doesn't like strangers at first, though he warms up pretty quickly.
He won't usually smile upon someone saying hello to him-- you have to work for a grin from him!

He gives great open-mouth slobbery kisses.
He's not a long napper.
He puts everything in to his mouth. I've had to call Poison Control twice-- once because he ate a piece of shipping peanuts and then today(!) because he somehow opened a bottle of Purell with his teeth and got a swig of hand sanitizer in his mouth. This all goes back to how he finds random bottles and lids fascinating and loves to hold them while in his stroller or car seat. Note to self: no more holding bottles filled with anything other than milk.

He loves his grandma sue and is sometimes a little nervous about his grandpa bob, though he warms up quickly!
If he's upset, he usually will perk right up if sang to.
He does a great job in the car, as long as there is music playing.
He's a great eater and loves cheese, graham crackers, bananas, strawberries, mushrooms, green beans, and turkey. I can't think of anything that he won't eat.

He pulls himself up on any and every thing within reach.
He enjoys bath time and his toys for awhile, but when he's done, he's DONE. Usually, he'll try to crawl out of the sink or grab everything in sight.

After a good nap, he wakes up with a smile, some babbling, and a big kiss and smile when we get him out of bed.
He likes playing ball with mommy-- we roll it back and forth and he squeals with delight.
He doesn't mind the sippy cup, but doesn't do very well holding it by himself. That's what mommy is for. Come to think of it, he feels the same way about a bottle.

Like the Beatles said, I love him 8 days a week, which still isn't enough to show him how I care.

sad update

2009-06-02T16:26:00.002-06:00

Emery got a fever of 102 degrees on Friday afternoon. I got him in a cool bath and it seemed to relieve him. But then night fell and we were both awake for most of it. Same thing Saturday and Sunday nights. I thought it was teething, but felt like he was still not doing well, so I took him in yesterday to the doctor.

Turns out he has a viral infection in his mouth that's akin to giant cold sores in his throat and on his soft palate. The PA said that he is in constant pain when he swallows and it would be hard to sleep, thus the last four days. Excessive drooling and irritability are also symptoms. Poor little one!! It also explained why he seemed to do so much better once we used ora-gel. We thought it was cutting down on the teething pain, but turns out it probably numbed the back of his mouth, so he could finally swallow without much hurting (he had screamed for 45 minutes straight at that point).

With lots of motrin and hugs and kisses, he is faring better today. He slept most of the night last night and has even taken a 2 hour nap today... the sun is shining and so are we!

Current weight: 27 lbs. 2 oz.
Current height: 30 1/2 in.

Lady B

2009-06-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

Brooklyn was knighted a Lady at her school for slaying the multiplication dragon through all her hard work this school year. She also won an award for her reading comprehension on the standardized testing. Emery and I were lucky enough to attend the celebration presentation.

He was so happy for his favorite 9 year old!

Getting ready to begin.

Emery enjoyed seeing all the kids.

Brooklyn with two of her favorite classmates.

Brooklyn's family arrives.

Brothers are great!

Brooklyn receiving her reading comprehension award.

Emery played peek-a-boo (his new favorite trick) during the down time.

We're so proud of her accomplishments in 3rd grade.
Emery is very happy to have such a fabulous cousin!

Brooklyn got a big congrats hug from her dad.

She has lots of fans!

Brooklyn with two of her friends, Heaven and Anna.

Mrs. C and Miss B.

Some of Brooklyn's classmates posed for a pic after the presentation.

And then they gathered around Emery-- he was quite the hit, although some of the kids were upset he had taken off his glasses.

He enjoyed all the attention.

Especially the sweet touches and loads of smiles received.

And that was that. The students made their way back to class and Emery and I were left in the cafeteria alone.

He was a little sad to see them all go.

He spent the rest of the ride to the car looking around for another cute 3rd grader-- to no avail.

We love Brooklyn and are so excited to be related to someone that is officially knighted.
Way to go, Lady B!