Will Crawl for Piano

This month Emma started crawling with more proficiency. She still doesn't seem to want to travel more than what is necessary. She has to have a goal in sight or she'll just be content to sit and chill where she's at. So I have to clear away almost all her toys and put just one out for her to actually go for it. Here's a video of her getting motivated to play with her piano.

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter this year. As I went through the day I was constantly thinking about Easter last year when Emma surprised us by coming into the world six weeks early. I think Easter will always be extra special for me because of that. It's amazing how much she's grown and changed since that day. I love each stage as it comes, and I miss the old stages when they go. Well, I miss some things. I'm pretty happy to say goodbye to multiple night-time feedings! But I do miss the days when she was so cuddly. Now she's too busy to cuddle!

We started the day with cinnamon rolls (Emma's a fan!) and church. After church, Aunt April and Uncle Steve came over to celebrate with us. We had a great dinner together and then the big kids played games while Emma napped. Later in the afternoon we went to the park to enjoy the amazing weather.

I posted some pictures on Facebook but thought I'd put some here too. Included is a picture of Emma unwrapping her gift from Aunt Lynnell. Nelly has decided to give Emma her birthday gifts on Easter so here's Emma unwrapping her quillow. It's a quilt that you can fold up into itself to make a cushy pillow. Emma loves it, it's so cozy :-)

Pics of the Week

Emma and I are loving this warm spring weather and are taking opportunities to play outside whenever we can. She loves to play with grass. Seriously, one blade of grass can occupy her for a good 10 minutes. Emma also LOVES to play with Dan's iphone. If you haven't checked out the "zoo sounds" app, it's pretty entertaining. I am actually pretty surprized by the sound a zebra makes. It's more of a donkey sound than a horse...who knew?! Anyways, all that outside play gets her pretty worn out...

Rolling Right Along

With Emma's first birthday less than a month away, I'm beginning to wonder where my baby went. Emma is getting to be such a "big girl" now. A few weeks ago I went shopping to buy her some clothes and got frustrated because I couldn't find anything that was size 12 months. Then I realized I was looking in the wrong section--I have to look in the toddler area now instead of the infant area. WHAT?? When did that happen? Although it's sad to let that infant phase go, it's also a pleasure to see her develop in new ways. She now says about four recognizable words (hi, mama, dada, up) and is starting to make her opinions known with gestures, grunts, and the occasional screech.

Just Fortin' Around

I love that time of day when Dan comes home from work. It's a great time on many levels and I breathe a little easier knowing that I am no longer the sole responsible person in the house. It's also one of Emma's favorite times of day. She and Dan share some daddy/daughter time and regularly create forts out of the pillows on the bed (giving me a much appreciated "break" I usually use to work on dinner). Emma giggles and seems to love being "trapped." I smile and enjoy the moment...

Look who's 10 months!

Ok, so I know it's been FOREVER since I posted! I decided I need to start blogging again so here we go. Tonight I'm just going to post some pictures but be on the lookout for more posts in the future. I can't believe that Emma is 10 months old and her 1 year birthday is just around the corner. She gets more and more amazing every single day.

Aunt Nelly

Last week Lynnell came to visit and meet little Emma Lynnell. We had an amazing week together. Emma and Aunt Nelly hit it off right away and traded countless smiles and kisses. It was such a blessing to spend a week together, catching up and making memories. Nelly is a recent Jazzercise convert so we went to Jazzercise just about every day she was here. Dan took Tuesday off and we all spent the day in St. Augustine. We also went shopping, watched movies, and drank more coffee from Starbucks than was reasonable. The funny thing is that it felt like normal to have her here. Being apart is what seems odd! We miss you, Nelly!