23 Months Old

I realized that this is the last age that we will describe you in months. Once you are two it seems people describe your age in half years (two, two and a half, three...) You haven't been a baby for sometime, but I guess after you turn two next month you are officially a toddler. It is so hard to believe how much you have grown in these 23 months. You are amazing. So brilliant. I know I am your mother so I automatically think that, but so many other people are so impressed by how smart you are. You are so attentive to everything around you and you pick up things so quickly. Your zest for life and learning is contagious. Your verbal skills are far beyond your age and have been since you said your first words. I feel bad that I didn't do a better job recording all of your first words. But they all came at once! You started talking at one and have not stopped! There is nothing that you cannot say and the amazing part is that you comprehend it! You don't just parrot words, you understand them! Apparently this is not normal for under two years old. I have no idea what is "normal", but this is what I have been told.

You have so much energy and make the most of everyday. You rest hard so you can play hard. Watching you play and pretend is one of my favorite things to do. You really love to play with your doll house and your animals. Pretend play is so fun and I LOVE that I get to do it all over again with you. The past 23 months have been the best of my life, and I think the best is yet to come! And if I have issues and want to refer to you as 24 months (or 120 months when you are ten), then so be it! You will always be my first baby girl.

Miss Emma's FIVE month stats!

Weight: Don't know. Go to doctor next month for her 6 month appt! (hard to believe)
Length: LONG!
Hair: I think I may see a little coming in. Much lighter than Ryan's and may just be my imagination playing tricks on me.
Eyes: holding at blue, and a very pretty blue too!
Skin tone: Rosy cheeks! After spending time in the pool she got a touch of color on her cheeks! Eating: She is now eating 6 oz each feedings. She is down to 4 breast milk feedings a day (7:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.). She now goes 13 whole hours overnight in between feedings! (I owe it all to Baby Wise!) Emma now eats three solid meals a day. A normal menu for Emma is: Breakfast around 9:30: oatmeal and bananas, Lunch around 1:00: sweet potatoes or peas, Dinner around 5:30: squash or green beans. I am so happy that she is such a good eater. She has also tasted ice cream, apple sauce and whipped cream. She loved them all!
Sleeping: Bedtime for Emma has moved even earlier. She nurses at 7 and is usually out like a light by 7:15. She sleeps in until 7:30 or 8 a.m. and usually naps from 9:30-11, and 1:30-3:30 or sometimes 4-5:30 depending on what we are out and about doing.
Size: 6-9 month clothes for length, she can fit into 6 month onesies and dresses, size 2 diapers (I still haven't had to buy any diapers! Or formula!- Emma is a cheap date!)
Likes: playing on her play mat with Ryan close by, gurgling and talking, Baby Einstein play station (she can really play with all of it now), bananas, stuffed animals, putting things in her mouth, watching Ryan do anything (even throw a fit!), snuggling lambie at bedtime, listening to books at bedtime with Ryan (she really pays good attention), swimming in her floatie, jumping in her doorway jumper, being held in my lap while I do any and everything, flirting with herself in the mirror
Newest Accomplishment: blowing spit bubbles (Ryan taught her) rolling and turning all over the place (if you leave her for a second she will be on the other side of her playmat or upside down in her crib!), playing with toys on her belly, trying to figure out how to get her paci back in her mouth when she is on her belly, her feet both touch in the horse and the Baby Einstein play station, she has found her feet and likes to hold onto them and roll around

She flips over in the blink of an eye!
Sweet Punky girl

Always smiling

Loves her lambie!

I still have skis for feet!

In no time at all she will be crawling!

Emma LOVES playing with Ry

Waiting patiently for lunch

Everything goes in her mouth

Holding her bottle by herself! (only happened once!)

Two sweethearts!

Emma loves to look at herself

Emma bouncing and Ryan in the background with her golf club

Love her so much!

Spit bubbles!

Ryan saves the day with paci!

Long Hair

Ryan's hair is really growing! It is so pretty and in the bath tub or pool when it is wet it really looks long. She is getting so big and so darn pretty. Thankfully, we never gave in and cut bangs and her hair is almost long enough that it will stay out of her eyes. She has started brushing her hair out of her eyes with her hands when it falls in front of her hair clip. It is so cute to watch. Big eyes and long, wavy dark hair. Chris is gonna have his work cut out for him in a few years.

Houston for a night of fun!

We were unable to attend my good friend Sarah's wedding in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago, but we made it to Houston for the reception! It was our first night to go out of town together and leave the girls. Mamaw, Grandpa and Aunt Krishia took great care of the girls while we were gone and we had a fun time with good friends!

We stopped to eat in the middle of nowhere on our way.

Rebecca and her boyfriend Seth rode down with us.

We had a great time!

Newly weds! Jacob and Sarah Muller

Three years ago we were in Hawaii together!

Who let Chris and Seth get behind the bar????

Rebecca and Seth

Cheers!

Big Eyes

"Table for four: TWO Highchairs please"

Ryan doesn't sit in highchairs anymore, unless of course, Emma is! So cute to see both of them sitting next to each other at a restaurant. Even cuter when Ryan held Emma's hand.

Big girl eating dinner at the table!
No more bringing the car seat into restaurants.

She was eyeballing my turkey sandwich!

Quick Post

Ryan is at her fourth swim lesson and we haven't had to leave early since the first class. We have learned this year that she hates the noodles. Keep them away from her and she will only say "all finished" or "get out" a dozen times instead of screaming it 100 times. Last year, she loved the end of the lesson when each kid gets a turn sitting on a fish floatie in the middle of a circle while we sing the goodbye song. She always wanted to be first. This year, she still loves the singing part (saying "more" after each round), but don't you dare try to sit her on the floatie for her turn. She wants no part of that. Very interesting....... She does do really well with swimming after balls and climbing out and jumping in. She is the only kid who has gone all the way under water when she jumps in. So, she isn't scared of the pool. She is just being almost two. Let the power struggles begin.


One other Ryan update- she took a nap in her BGB (Big Girl Bed) at our house yesterday! We decided since she was doing it at Mamaw and Grandpa's house we needed to quit being lazy and start having her do it at home. (It is really hard to not do what you know works when it comes to getting your kid to sleep!) We pulled out the bottom twin of her trundle bed and she took a two hour nap in it! Well, I am pretty sure she did. When I opened her door to look in on her after two hours she was sitting on the top twin bed reading books. From the looks of her bed head she had napped and woke up and decided to read. I am very proud of her! Hopefully, in the near future, Chris and I will suck it up and try her overnight in the BGB.


And a quick blurb about my sweet Emma. She is rolling ALL OVER the place! She is amazing! She can roll all across her play mat and turn herself all the way around in her crib. She is really loving this new mobility! And I need to be careful and not leave her on the bed anymore.

Bouncing Around

Ryan making sure the horse is ready for Emma


Emma loving the jumper that Ashlyn loaned her!