Hands on, Feet forward

Emma, enjoying her pillow pile

Crawling through the caterpillar at the museum

The ball pit!

Today Emma and I went to explore the Hands On Children's Museum for the first time. Emma had so much fun that I'm sure it won't be our last! The museum has about 15 different exhibits geared toward exploration and imaginative play. Emma's favorite? The ball pit! She also enjoyed playing in the veterinarian's office and with the trains. Emma made a new friend in the playroom today and it's neat to see how well she interacts with other kids (well, most of the time!).

While we were at the museum, Emma was also showing off her newest skill--walking! Emma took her first independent steps last week and is now starting to toddle around with increasing confidence. Yay, Emma :-)

Summer Break is Over

School has started, Pumpkin Spice Lattes have reappeared and I feel like summer is just about over. But I won't be completely convinced until the temperature dips below 90. I have been such a lazy blogger this summer. I need to post more often because Emma is changing so fast and I can almost feel the moments slipping through my fingers.

This summer has been filled with many beautiful memories. Teaching Emma how to blow a kiss, watching her explore every new sound and sight she comes across, reading stories together, playing in the pool, hearing her belly-laugh in the midst of a tickle attack. I love the way she wakes up in the morning, talking up a storm, excited to begin a new day. I love the way that peek-a-boo never gets old and no matter how many times she sees me peek around the corner of her room, she's always as surprised as the first time we played hide-and-seek. I love the way she crinkles her nose when she says "no," like she really means it.

The challenge of the summer has been Emma's picky eating habits. She used to eat anything we put in front of her. Remember that, Emma? She now determines how much she's going to like a food by touching it with her finger. If the food passes, she'll put it in her mouth. If it fails, the food will either be ignored or thrown on the floor. Right now Emma's diet consists of oatmeal, fruit, cheese, peanut butter, green beans, black beans, and yogurt. Oh, and cookies. I did manage to sneak some extra veggies in by baking her zucchini and carrot cookies. But how do you hide chicken in a cookie? At least she likes Pumpkin Spice Lattes. That's my girl :-)

Fun in the Sun

Emma took her first beach trip of the season last week and she had a blast! I'm not sure which she liked better--the sand or the water. She crawled all over the beach and tried several times to crawl into the ocean. Maybe she was excited because she thought I was bringing her to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Emma kept stuffing sand into her mouth by the handfuls! I loved watching her enjoy herself (and the 2-hour post beach nap wasn't bad either).

Yes I Can!

Overnight Emma has turned into a traveling toddler. She is crawling all over the house, no longer afraid to travel into a room without Mom or Dad there with her. She has become quite the explorer! I'm not sure why her favorite thing to explore is the trash can. Let the baby-proofing begin!

Her new found independence is not limited to her mobility. Emma has also realized that she doesn't have to eat what we offer her. There are all kinds of ways to avoid the dreaded vegetables that are trying to make their way down the hatch. Turning of the head, clamping down of the teeth, and yes, even spitting food out are new skills that toddler Emma is mastering. Apparently, Emma would like to become a carbeterian. Our little carb-lover would be so thrilled with us if we would feed her only oatmeal, cheerios, and crackers (oh, and ice cream). As frustrating as it can be at times, it's also completely amazing to watch Emma grow and make her opinions known.

Sadly, I think the days of cute bows in Emma's hair are numbered. Last week she discovered that Mommy and Daddy have been putting toys on her head! She will now pat her head a few times a day to check for "toys". If she finds one, she'll promptly pull it out to play with it. Even putting her hair in a pony tail with a rubber band will not deter her. Our girl is growing fast!

Happy First Birthday, Emma!

What an amazing year it has been! I am incredibly grateful to be celebrating Emma's first birthday. She's healthy, she's growing, she brings us more joy than we ever dreamed. Looking back at pictures from when she was a newborn, it's already hard to imagine her being that small. We love you, sweet Emma! Thank you, God, for blessing Emma this year and for blessing us with such a wonderful miracle.

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 :-)