Almost 2

I can officially say Elyse is almost two years old.  Where to start?!?  Elyse is very much almost two.  In many ways, I'm reminded of just how big she is getting, and in many ways, I'm reminded of what a little baby she is :)  Jordan and I are both loving this stage so much more than we ever expected.  I just love wondering what she'll come up with next, and she is very good at surprising us!  I'm sorry ahead of time for listing all this stuff.  I just don't want to forget it all!  Here are some of the most recent things she's been up to:

* She tries to count, and each number is long and drawn-out... It usually goes: "Ooonnneeee, tttwwwoooo, sevvveeenn, eeeiigghhtt, nine ten."
* Her new favorite phrases are "right there" (as in, Daddy's nose: right there), "GOOD job, Elyse" (yes, she totally praises herself), "that's okay" when she messes up, "go poopy on potty get sucker" is a classic around here, and "that's a no-no" is repeated often.
* She loves her blankets & any and every stuffed animal.  She'll drag them around the house and can be found randomly cuddling with her blankets in any room.  She's a big fan of cuddling these days, and there's no way I can say NO to cuddle time!
* She loves to put on make-up like Mommy.  Oh, no.  Every little toy is some sort of lotion and can be rubbed all over her hair and face.  I love that you don't have to teach girls this stuff :)  They want to be just like Mommy...
* Elyse's imagination is coming alive.  She loves to pretend to do things, especially when it comes to food.  She'll constantly be asking us if we want a bite of something unknown...?  She has enjoyed her little dollhouse so much recently... perhaps because she's in the process of teaching dolly how to poop on the potty?  I even see her showing dolly how.  Wow.

* Elyse is still very sweet with Emily. Don't get me wrong- we have our moments, but she really does love to watch Emily and make her smile.  I'm thankful, as I know their "days" are coming :)
* She's getting to the point where she'll eat just about anything, and that's fun.  I'm glad she's finally grown to like citrus, as I'm a big fan of oranges this time of year!
* When she talks seriously, she'll wag her finger around and adopt an Italian accent: "Go-a-bye-a-bye" for whatever phrase she wants to say.  I'll see her "teaching" her stuffed animals things about "no-no's" and other important life lessons, all the while, shaking her finger at them.
* She loves to ask for "tickles" and to play "get you" (the game that starts with the phrase "I'm going to get you...!").
* Elyse is genuinely a goof.  I never expected to have a little clown on my hands, but she loves to just be goofy and get attention for her goofiness.  We, of course, are happy to oblige :)
* She loves singing, but she still won't try singing more than a phrase or two before she gets all shy on me....
* She talks nonstop, and hearing the phrases that come out of her mouth make my day.  Most recently, was, "Mommy?  Daddy is busy.  Mommy is busy.  Elyse is busy."  Oh, really?  She has added the word "too" to her vocab, so she loves to tack than on just about anything.  

* She's making some progress in the potty-training department, but we're definitely not THERE yet.  I sure hope she's learning something.  I know Mommy is. 
* We went to the library together for the first time this month, and she really enjoyed it.  She kept reminding me to "be quiet" because "Emmie is sleeping."
* Elyse loves school buses and the moon.  She talks about them all the time, and even reminds me that God made them :)  Some of my favorite moments are watching her face light up when she sees either one. Nothing like seeing the wonder in a toddler's face!
* She loves using adjectives whenever she can, like "big, big, big head" or "yummy, yummy, yummy grilled cheese."
* She would rather be around older kids than kids her own age.  They annoy her for some reason?  One the other hand, SHE annoys the older kids :)
* She is working hard to master walking up and down stairs.  It takes a lifetime to get in and out of our house sometimes, but I know it will be worth it!  She's a bit behind the game on this one AND in learning how to sit in a chair without having to back into it 5 feet out.

* She is working on the art of distraction when it comes to getting caught in disobedience.  She'll usually light up and wave "hi, Mommy!" to me.  The other thing she'll do is just randomly start counting (you know, counting without the numbers 3-6) as if she's doing something productive.  She'll also say, "thank you, Mommy, welcome, Mommy!"  I hope she's learning that those tactics only serve to make Mommy have to hide her smile.  :)
* Elyse doesn't hate her car seat as much now that she is able to recognize things around her.  I usually hear her identifying everything she can from the back seat.  We talk about everything from bridges to trees to birds.
* She desperately needs bigger glasses, but we're trying so hard to make it to the end of the year!!
* She told me today that God made her potty.  Amen.  Let's use it then, dear!

I'm so thankful for this girl.  These 23 months with her have been so fun.  We've definitely had our CHALLENGING moments, but I know that won't end for many many years.  She constantly reminds me of the simple joys in life, and I've learned a lot from parenting this little gal.  I know the fun's only beginning, in many ways, and I get excited about doing this stage all over again with Emily.  I really am going to miss this when they're grown!  We love you, Miss Elyse!  

The wonderful world of solids.

Welcome, Emily!  Enjoy :) 

6 whole months.

Half of a year has gone by since sweet Emily Mae joined our clan.  I am seriously in disbelief.  I have no idea where these six months went, but I have a feeling I will grow to miss them greatly.  Emily has drastically changed the dynamic of our family, but she has definitely changed it for the better.  I have enjoyed watching her grow and change, and every now and then I see glimpses of what she will be like as a toddler.  I can almost predict she'll be a spunky one :)  As I've posted before, Em gave us a crazy introduction to the world of 2 kids, but she has settled into a very easy routine.  I am just starting to see indications that she is getting bored with certain toys that I've abused by giving them over and over to her... I can see that look in her eye when she is annoyed with something, and it makes me laugh.  Jordan and I were talking the other day about "starting over" in training Em.  He commented that it would be much easier if the girls had little USB ports we could use to plug in the latest downloads.  Well, since that isn't happening, I might as well enjoy the next few months with Emily before she gets feisty on me. :)  

Emily loves to put everything in her mouth.  If she can get her shirt, excellent.  If she can get her fist, even better.  Toys will do, too, as long as they're the right texture.  She loves to grab at my face, and I know she's getting close to trying to put that in her mouth, too.  I love seeing her focus on grabbing something... she's trying so. very. hard. to get it - and- oops, missed.  I also love when I see her get distracted and she ends up looking at her own fingers in awe.  Seeing the way her little eyes take in the big world makes me marvel.  I love how she catches her breath when the wind is blowing on her face.  How often I ignore the beauty & wonder all around me.  Emily seems on the small end of the charts to me, still, but I'll know more when I take her in next week for her check-up.  She adores watching Elyse, and Elyse has the most success getting this girl to giggle.  I must say, Emily does not seem quite as free-spirited as her sister was at this age.  She seems much more reserved, and though she loves to "talk" and smile often, she is determined to make us work at getting her to laugh.  I love her flirty smiles and the way she wiggles her eyebrows at us when she's just begging for more attention.  She is still scooting all over her crib, but she has no desire to get on her knees and crawl around :)  She will roll from her tummy to her back once in a while but has not tried rolling the other way yet.

(Don't you love this "I'm sick of pictures" response??  I do.)

Her latest trick is sucking on her bottom lip and blowing raspberries at the same time.  Very funny.  I'll hear her in the next room (where she should be napping) just making her happy noises all to herself.  Though Emily has been a good sleeper, she doesn't like or need to sleep nearly as much as Elyse did, and I'm learning to be okay with that :)  I am starting to believe that Emily has a very high metabolism, as well.  She does not make very many "messes" (if you get my drift), and the pediatrician we saw last evaluated her x-rays and mentioned that Emily just might be metabolizing every last bit of her food.  Little PIGGY.  She would seriously eat all day if I let her.  Not happening.  I still haven't been able to hold her off to four hours between most feedings (which makes me very said if I think about it), but I'm hoping starting her on cereal will help.  Having said that, she has hardly any fat rolls and is just the cutest little string bean out there :)  Hmm... extremely high metabolism seems to run in my family but skipped moi.  How sad.

Here are my fun's and not-so-fun's for this age.  There are so many other things I could list about what Emily is doing, but most of them are details only Mommy and Daddy care about :)

fun's:

* she's ticklish under her chin.  putting her jammies on and zipping them up is always fun :)
* she loves to be teased and lights up when you play peek-a-boo with her.
* I love that she will still fall asleep on me often.  seriously, I could hold her forever.
* Emily has found her thumb, but she still prefers to suck on her index finger knuckle.  strange, huh?
* I love watching her light up when Elyse comes over for kisses or to just say "hi!"
* she holds onto the changing table almost every time she's there as if she might fall off :)
* she loves loves loves to stand (with help, of course :)  this is foreign to me, as big E preferred to SIT.
* she is enjoying "trying" to sit up, but she's still pretty floppy.
* she makes the cutest face when she gets close to a toy with a "face" on it.  her expression seems to say, "why, hello, toy!"
* she can still sleep in the corner of a noisy room, but I know those days are coming to an end!
* I love bringing her into our bed when she's up early- I think that might be my favorite time of day with her, after a long night's sleep.  she is almost giddy.
* My mom has a theory that every second girl on our side of the family will be left-handed.  So far, she's been proven right.  Emily seems to be taking after her mommy :)

not-so-fun's:

* I truly am getting a glimpse of her temper now and then, and it makes me pray hard that she will learn compliance someday soon :)
* I am kind of dreading the start of this food-thing.  I do feel like she needs it, but I will miss the days of not having to pack "meals" for the times we're out.  Welcome back, baby food!
* it's not exactly easy to tote her around in the car seat anymore, especially when Elyse has one of my hands.  THANK YOU, Elyse, for learning to walk, though! :)  I try to utilize my sling or my carrier whenever possible.
* I thought I would have a much easier time leaving Emily in the nursery, or with babysitters, etc... than I did with Elyse.  Actually, it's harder for some reason.  Maybe it's knowing what a dynamic duo they can be :)
* I packed up all the newborn clothes the other day, and I almost cried as I remembered getting most of them only "yesterday."

I have been pondering more and more recently the beauty of this life God grants us.  My girls are such a huge part of God's display of his grace to me and Jordan.  I look into their eyes now and know that someday they will look back at me with older eyes; eyes that have seen more of the world & eyes that know life isn't perfect.  So, for today, I will continue to look into Emily's sweet little wide-eyed face and enjoy introducing her to the beauty of the life around us.  I will enjoy the fact that she doesn't care that mommy hasn't plucked her eyebrows or done her hair...  All she knows how to show is adoration, and I'm fine with that :)  I love being her mommy.  It's been a happy six months, Emily Mae.  You are a treasure!

These are a few of my recent phrases:

* Elyse, milk is for drinking, not for smearing.
* Babe, can you toss this in the diaper pail?  I'll wipe Emily up.
* Elyse, you need to stop squawking.
* Emily drinks milk, honey {meaning ELYSE}.  She doesn't eat apples yet.
* Babe, if you get the little one, I'll get the big one.  (My neighbor fondly calls them the "big" one and the "little" one since their names are tricky... I can't resist sometimes.)
* Elyse, it's okay if Emily's hands touch you.  She's not hurting you.
* GENTLE.
* You need to eat the rest of your vegetables before you can have . . .
* No, we're not having cookies today.
* Emily's actually not sleeping, but we still need to be quiet.
* No, that's not another moon, Elyse, there's only one moon.  It's up there!
* You can go see if that's a bus, Elyse.  No, Mommy can't make more buses drive down our street.
* Don't touch Emily's eyes.  Elyse?  Look at Mommy.  Don't touch Emily's eyes.

* Say "Yes, Mommy!"
* Say, "I will obey."
* Who do you want to sing "Happy Birthday" to?
* No, we're not going through the tunnel today, Elyse.  Maybe another day.
* Daddy has to go to work.
* Mommy doesn't do 1-2-3's, honey, Daddy does 1-2-3's! (1-2-3's being the game where you count to 3 and throw a 26 pound toddler into the air and catch her on the way down.  Sounds fun, right?)
* Yes, honey?
* No, it's "One, two, three, FOUR,..." not seven.
* "Happy birthday to poopie, happy birthday to poopie..."  Yes, I said it.
* Honey, do you have to go potty?
* Elyse, what do you get when you go on the potty?  No, not a kitty cat, a KIT KAT.
* "The wheels on the bus go round and round..."

Love those Mondays.

We enjoyed such a great day with Jordan on Monday.  It's been a while since we had a day together as a family, and I'm always reminded how great those days are!  The girls just love having him around & so do I.  He (for some strange reason) thought it would be fun to tag along on a couple of my shopping trips, but we just had to break the day up with an ice cream date.  

Let's just say, Elyse definitely double dipped.  Doesn't Daddy look sad? :) 

She was moving back and forth between our cones so fast, I'm sure was having brain freezes that she was just flat-out ignoring.  

Emily gnawed on her toy rings, and I was reminded that our family dates won't always be so cheap and simple :)  

Emily ALSO had her first shoulder-ride from Daddy, and she was in awe of the great big world around her.  It consisted of a shabby parking lot, but she seemed to be fascinated.  I'm so thankful for a husband that loves to be with us.  We sure love to be with him!

Another Look

Miss Elyse & Miss Emily at approximately the same age...I think :)  

Elyse wins the fat legs award, and Emily wins the big hair award!  I sure do love these two...

More Random

Seems like nothing THAT significant has been going on around here, and every time I've thought about posting something, I've returned to that same conclusion.  So, here are some snippets of life around here:

* I think Elyse is making a regular habit of talking in her sleep.  I was in her room the other night and heard her saying, "Boca, Boca, Boca" (her doggy friend).  Sure enough, she was sound asleep.  This morning she was repeating all of our names over and over again- asleep again.  :)  Poor Emily.

* I was waiting to return a movie at RedBox, and there was the cutest little couple in front of me, probably the ages of my grandparents.  They were going through every movie listed, and I could tell there was a hiccup somewhere in the "check out" process.  I was thinking about going over to help just as I noticed that the gentleman was holding his library card out.  Oops!  Thankfully, he realized it soon.  I hope Jordan and I still like to watch movies when we're in our 80's :)  Yay for date night!

* Yesterday night we spontaneously went out for dinner as a family, and it was so fun.  I love those last-minute decisions!  We went to a Mexican restaurant, and our server kept trying to get Elyse to like him by trying to tickle her arm.  It was NOT working.  It was embarrassing and funny all at the same time.  You'd think that if you saw a toddler shrinking away in disgust, you'd get the clue, right?

* Elyse is so in love with school buses.  She saw about four or five yesterday when we were out, and she was lovin' life.  Simplicity!!

* Jordan and I are officially in that "DON'T LAUGH" stage when we're scolding.  Oh, I guess I should clarify: Elyse is not laughing.  We are.  Seriously, it's getting bad.  Elyse does this funny little face while looking at us over her glasses, and it's all we can do to keep a straight face.  I won't tell you how many times we've failed.  She's turning on the charm these days to get out of trouble, and it's so pathetically funny.  Really, it's not funny... but it is??  So torn.

* Along those lines, Elyse and I are having fun whispering things to each other.  That has recently backfired, though, when I'm looking for a response to a serious question.  I get this really low whisper tone that is borderline mockery.  Ahhh....

* Emily is in that stage where she doesn't like to sleep on her back, yet she insists on rolling to her back in the middle of the night.  Thankfully, I think she's figuring out NOT to roll over (since she has no interest in flipping from her back to her tummy).  We've had some loud nights :)

* The older Emily gets, I've been struck with just how close these two are in age.  Elyse probably only has about 10 pounds on Emily.

* Elyse has been more of a ham lately.  She is trying to make the most bizarre noises lately, and most of them end up terrifying Emily.  And me.

* We've all had at least one cold a month for the last three months.  I'm only consoled when I heard that babies typically get 10-12 colds a year.  WHAT?!?

* When I get Elyse up in the mornings, it's like she hasn't had a chance to talk in AGES.  She just starts gabbing about any words she can think of, rambling in the middle to fill any gaps.  It's quite possibly the funnest part of my day.  Emily's usually over in her crib pushing herself up and smiling.

* I cleaned poo off the carpet a couple of days ago.  I hope I don't have to do that again, but I'm guessing those days aren't over yet.  Turn your back for 2 seconds, and...

* Emily is fully into her fake cry routine.  It's so funny.  She can snap out of it in a split-second.

* I'm always amazed at how fast this season goes!  I can't believe how quickly the calendar is filling up.

* I was sitting in the rocking chair peeling apples the other day (multi-tasking), and I watched Elyse go over to kiss Emily, who was just chilling on the floor.  I could only see Elyse's head from my vantage point, but when she came up, Emily was gasping for air.  OOPS!  Time for kissing lessons.

* Jordan has this awesome nose-cleaning technique that he uses on Elyse called "roto-rooter."  It's his genius way of using a tissue to get way up into her nose, all the while, making Elyse laugh.  I commend him.  Anyway, the other day, Elyse was playing with her baby doll, and she asked me to do roto-rooter on her baby for "boogies."

* Now do you believe I didn't have anything of significance to post? :)

A fun ride

These recent days with my kidlets have been such a wild ride.  I admit, I don't always think that these rides are fun, but today, I think it :)  I am starting to clue in to the fact that this parenting gig can be a real roller coaster (I'm a little slow).  Healthy days, sick days ... happy days, sad days ... easy days, hard days ... funny days, horrible days ... clean days, messy days ... productive days, VERY unproductive days ... sane days, insane days ...  Each day is an adventure waiting to happen.  I confess, there are many days where I will fall into bed and realize that my day consisted more of investments than accomplishments, but I'm learning to be okay with that.  After all, that's what life should be comprised of, right?

Seriously, just when I think I have something figured out, I thought wrong.  Those of you who know me well know that I thrive on a nice, healthy routine.  I love the familiar, the predictable, and the comfortable.  Boy, parenting is none of the above.  Dealing with the unexpected has really startled me into relaxing :)  Is it really possible to go down the road to relaxation kicking and screaming?  I never thought I would get to the point where the spontaneous choices are sometimes the best choices.  I'm learning not to be shocked when my plan crumbles or when we have to eat pb&j again because I totally forgot to prepare dinner (okay, that hasn't happened too often lately).  And the biggest shock?  I am actually starting to LIKE living like this!  Now, I will still continue to make a plan... but hopefully in the future, I'll be even more easygoing when it crumbles.

My thought lately is how much I'm going to miss these days.  I've probably said that exact thing to Jordan at least once a day for the last few weeks.  I'm constantly reminded that my little toddler isn't going to get any shorter, and she isn't going to get any less independent.  Her sweet baby talk will soon turn into polished speech, and I'll be correcting the "can I"'s to "may I"'s instead of the "pee-appia"'s to "butterflies."  She will have stairs mastered & won't need me to wash her hair.  My baby girl won't always fit in the crook of my arm or fit neatly in my lap.  She won't always ignore the fact that I'm cleaning out her nose or clipping her nails :)  She'll probably get sick of me asking her to smile & giggle every time she's awake & she'll soon get annoyed that I constantly squeeze her close just to smell her baby scent.  Yes, I will really miss these days.

This is a very fun ride indeed.  AND, I wouldn't want to be on this ride with anyone other than my amazing husband.  I don't always blog about my hubby since he doesn't let me follow him around all day with a camera. . . PLUS, I know that anyone reading would get nauseous reading post after post about how awesome and hot he is (heehee).  So, though I mostly blog about my girls & life with them, my heart still skips a beat for this guy.  Always.  This stage of life isn't exactly conducive to endless "quantity time" together, but it sure makes the time we do have together much more meaningful.  This stage is a fun ride, but I know I will enjoy every day of growing old with him.

22 & 2 til 2!!!

This baby is 22 months old and 2 months away from 2 years old.  Wow.  I've truly got a little toddler on my hands!  Miss Elyse is just as busy as can be these days.  I have learned so much about Elyse over the course of this month.  I've seen new sides of her, heard new noises from her, watched her accomplish new things & eat new foods... This little lady is keeping me on my toes.  I kind of laugh now at what an incredibly easy baby Elyse was.  I'll be honest, that's partly why Emily is here today :)  I remember thinking that this parenting thing was a piece of cake!  Heehee... Toddlerhood has definitely not been the easiest of stages, but it sure has been fun.  My mom reminded me the other day when we were talking that I actually went through a very long stage of NOT LIKING babies or kids.  I barely remember that stage, but I'm glad it's gone :)  I sure do love my two babies.  I was at the park with a friend the other day, and it hit me that I was the one pushing the swing.  Remember the days of being pushed?  Does anyone know where those days went?

Elyse is in the process of cutting her final eye tooth, so that means 2 year molars can join us anytime.  Hey, her 4 eye teeth spanned almost 4 months, so let's just make a year of it!  I love teeth.  Yippee.  Elyse is a bit behind the game as far as mobility goes, but she is trying so hard to run.  I'm amazed at how often she crashes, but she seems to enjoy making a game of having mommy kiss her boo-boos and fails to remember to cry most times.  I'm okay with that!  Her new greatest love is BUBBLES.  She will sit in the bath for a very long time and just play with the bubbles in her hands until they disappear.  That is one of my favorite things to watch.  She's oblivious of anything else during bath time (until it's time to wash her hair).  She is enjoying coloring and Play-doh, though her attention span is still not very long at these activities.  She enjoys puzzles & the challenge of removing every piece and tossing them all into her toy box.  She loves to find little things that she can hold onto during the day... an empty spice container (yes, they make great toys!), a sock, a hair bow, a rubber band, etc...  She loves to count: "ooonnnneeee, tttwwwooo, ttrrreeeessss, eight, nine, ten."  Once in a great while, she'll remember the numbers in between :)

As for jibber-jabber, we're on a roll.  Elyse is talking all day, and each day I seem to make out more and more things :)  My new favorites are "cose your eyes" (when we pray) and "take a walk" as well as "poopie in pottie get sucker."  Some classics still stick around like "Emmie take nap - shhhh!" and "Daddy go work - shhhh!" :)  Not sure why she's being quiet, but okay!  Lately, she seems to be abusing the "Mommy hugs" and "Daddy hugs" quite a bit.  I'm not sure if this clingy stage is at all related to this current tooth, but Elyse gets very overwhelmed these days when we're out of our environment or in big crowds.  I'm praying this will pass soon for everyone's sake :)  I do love hearing her chatter on about everything she sees, including the new favorites of "bus" and "trucks."  We are now into opening our front door so she can watch the bus drive by.  Any engine rumble indicates a bus or a truck!  She loves to play a one-two-three game with just about everything, from jumping in her crib to being tossed in the air.  She also loves "ready-set-GO!"  She loves to spin in circles until dizziness makes her fall over, and she gets in these moods where a cheesy laugh is the response to everything.

I still love singing to her before bedtime while rocking her.  I'm so thankful she still lets me do this!  I try to plan Emily's evening nap during this time every once in a while, so we can spend some time together.  It's fun to have the same time with Emily 30 minutes later :)  Both girls are waking up around 7:30am together, and I could listen outside their door forever (if only Em would let me).  Elyse is usually listing off things she sees in her room, from her soccer ball to wipes.  I'm not sure if this is a phase, but Elyse's afternoon nap has shortened from 3 hours to 1.5 to 2 hours at most lately.  I'm HOPING this is a phase, but perhaps I should be prepared?  Uh, oh.  On another note, Elyse started the summer with a size 2 foot.  Yes, size 2.  By the August, she was a size 3.  Today, she is a size 5.  SLOW THIS TRAIN DOWN.  I'm going broke.

Elyse has just started to try singing, and it's pretty funny.  She usually only gets a word or two out before getting all shy on me, but it's encouraging to know she'll try :)  She loves to wave her little "light" around in "This Little Light of Mine" and it looks more like interpretive dance.  We still deal with random tantrums, and though they're fewer now, they come like bolts of lightning: unexpected & deadly :)  God's been teaching me so much about his unconditional love for me as his child.  Seriously, I am reminded all the time of how rotten I am.  It makes me give Elyse an extra hug at bedtime as I'm reminded of how badly I want for her to know her Heavenly Father's unconditional love for her.  I'm learning to love everything about the way God made Elyse, even the parts of her personality that make some days difficult.  I see so much of me in her, it's not even funny :)  (Mom, quit laughing.)

Here are some of my fun's and not-so-fun's for this age.  I do love this kid so much- it's hard to pick :)

fun's:

* hearing more spontaneous "lie-love-lou"'s
* When I wear my glasses for the day, Elyse will go back and forth between pointing to "Mommy's goggies" and "Leese's goggies" over and over again.
* Elyse still waits up for Emily if I keep Emily up later at night.  If Elyse goes down at 6:45 and Em at 7:15, Elyse will pop up when I go in their room and ask to kiss Emily.  Almost regularly, they'll both fall asleep as soon as I leave.
* Getting Elyse up in the morning and hearing her say "Daddy work?"- and being able to answer "no!" :)  I love watching her face light up.
* Watching her scrape every smidge of peanut butter off her graham cracker.
* Trying something new with Elyse and seeing her enjoy it immensely . . . like the slides at a new park or tea parties with her tea set :)
* hearing Elyse point to her crib and say "sleepy time now."
* Elyse LOVES dogs.  If we hear a bark of any sort, "DOGGIE!!!!"  In fact, Jordan was outside cleaning the gutters, and he sneezed loudly.  Elyse jumped and said, "Doggie?"

not-so-fun's:

* If I turn my back at all while Elyse is eating yogurt, she'll look around sneakily and start smearing yogurt on her hands and over her arms.  If I'm lucky, she'll get her hair, too.
* Going to bed in a pack 'n play is NOT fun anymore at all.  I'm thinking we need to start working on sleeping in a sleeping bag, or something like that when we're out.
* The tangles in her hair are still giving me (and her) grief.  I feel so badly for her.  I always have to ruin bath time with the conditioner and the comb!
* hearing her change "nana" to "banana"  :(

 We love you, Elyse Noelle!

You sure do know how to make us smile.

Happy 22!!! 

5 MONTHS

Emily Mae is 5 months old today!  She celebrated by taking long naps and a long bath.  Pretty good day, right?  She is getting big, but not by packing on the pounds, by any means.  She is definitely our little string bean!  I keep waiting for those chunky baby rolls, but my wait might be for nothing.  I tend to think she has a super high metabolism like her mommy's family (notice I didn't say like her mommy).  Emily is reaching for toys and seems to really enjoy chomping on everything she can gets her hands on.  Her fingers are still her favorite toy, and you will be hard pressed to find her without her fist in her mouth during the day!  She loves taking walks and being outside, but her favorite entertainment is still Elyse.  Em LOVES the television, and it cracks me up to see her contort to get a glimpse of what's on (see picture below).  She loves to sit up (with help) and she's scooting all over her crib at night.  I get lots of questions from people about who we think Emily looks like, but we just really don't know!  I see everyone from my brother, Jordan's sister, my mom, Jordan, a bit of myself . . . ???  I guess she just looks like Emily.  It's hard to believe that I was pregnant just over 5 months ago.  This is definitely the craziest life has been for us, but it couldn't be more fun!  Not much has changed, but here are the "fun's" and "not-so-fun's" for the big 5:


fun's:

* Emily will NOT belly-laugh, but she "laughs" by breathing in loudly and making a funny gasping/cooing noise.
* She loves to clasp her hands together and try to fit both in her mouth.
* She does this funny move on her belly where she stretches out spread eagle and flaps around!
* Em gets so giddy in the morning when I pick her up.  She's almost beside herself with happiness :)
* She loves kicking around in the bathtub. Most of the time, she holds her breath and looks so surprised when she splashes herself!
* She's sleeping about 12 hours consistently, which is pleasant :)
* She loves to suck in her bottom lip and make a smacking sound when she pushes it out again.
* I love to cuddle this girl.  She loves to be carried around just about anywhere.
* Listening to Emily talk might be one of my favorite pastimes.  She cracks me up!
* Emily gets this wide-eyed crazy look when she plays sometimes- I love watching it :)

not-so-fun's:

* She's NOT a big fan of her car seat on long trips.  We found that out over the weekend.  UGH.
* Emily hasn't found out that it can be fun to switch over to a 4 hour eating schedule. :)  We're hoping she'll figure that out soon...
* She's getting big :(  I wish I could keep her this size forever!!!  (Okay, I don't mean that, but it still doesn't have to go so fast!)