Much About Nothing

I finally got my minivan back, the one without the DVD player. She doesn't even ask for it or miss it! Bad news is the CD player is broken and she doesn't ask for that either but it would keep her quiet if I had it available. Toyota is sending us a new one soon. Great - welllll I think Santa is bringing her a DVD player anyway.

Just a couple of weeks until Christmas and I am way behind. I haven't decorated the house yet or taken a picture for the Christmas card. And we haven't taken Emma to see Santa yet. But I am almost finished my shopping! Big relief!

Emma was sick a couple of weeks ago. She was throwing up in her crib for about an hour, then went back to bed and was over it quickly. I on the other hand seem to have contracted a 24 hour bug. No fair. Old people take longer to get over sickness I suppose. And yes, I am old. I turned 29 a few days after my sickness. It was proof. Old.

Haven't even taken any pictures lately. I'm so behind and this is so unlike me. Any days I've had to myself I have spent Christmas shopping or been at at a tax conference. I haven't even been trying to find furniture for our new house. Tax season will be here soon so I won't be searching much then either.

Emma has not shown any more interest in the potty but this spring I will start encouraging her and by the summer we will try no diaper days at home. Plan!

Potties and Sentences

Emma has had a fast-paced couple of weeks. At least it seems that way to me. On Wednesday, November 3 she went pee-pee on the potty for the first time! Then she did it again on Saturday! Ever since then she's been telling me when she goes "poop-poop" but she doesn't want to sit on the potty anymore. I am somewhat relieved, I was not prepared mentally to potty train her. Now that this has happened I have had time to process it and I am ready whenever she is!

Last weekend Chucky, Emma and I went to the Oyster Festival in Urbanna. The weather was beautiful. We ate and ate some more, then went to see Maggie crown the new Little Miss Spat. We stayed for the fireman's parade but Emma was so exhausted I don't think she enjoyed it very much.

She has started to say everything I say. "Closet?" My favorite thing she says is still "I TUCK!" That means "I'm stuck!" Sunday night she said "Odie did it!" Monday she said "I'll hold it!" and "Come on mommy!" I was flabergasted but I guess it's time - she can say any word so it makes sense that she would put them together.

Saturday we went to Norfolk to visit my friend from college, Kristyn. We had a good time shopping and eating and Emma loves her dog, Grady. He's a labradoodle and very big compared to our two pugs that she is used to. We hope to visit again soon - hopefully there will be no firemen needed on the next visit!

Funny Bunny

Emma's new love is the DVD player in the rental van. Before I can get her buckled in, she is pointing to the ceiling and saying "see?" And if the screen is not flipped down she says "ah-pin!" That means open! the whole time the movie is playing, she is like a drugged zombie in the backseat, staring at it with her mouth open. Nothing I do can make her look away. It's heavenly. Why did I ever stick a movie in there? I asked Chucky what am I going to do when I get our real van back and there's no DVD player in it? He said drive straight to Circuit City!

See? Not even a flashing camera will take her eyes off of the movie!

Emma is officially not a baby any more and hardly a toddler. She's a kid. A kid who likes candy. Yes, one of those kids who gets it all gooey in their hands and all over their faces doesn't care because it's so good but doesn't usually want one crumb on one of her fingers. Darned Halloween. Emma had an exciting weekend. One filled with junk.

Friday Chucky and I took her to the Fall Festival at the YMCA. I attempted to dress her up in bunny costume #1. After a slight hesitiation she was okay with wearing the bottom part. The headpiece was not allowed to touch her head all night long. So she was half-a-bunny. There she ate chips and a hot dog and cheerios for dinner.

Saturday John and Sharon and Linton came over for dinner. She ate french fries . . . only. The next day Chucky pulled out a piece of leftover cake and she screamed! A scream that means, I want some, is that for me? and I'm so exicted!

Sunday we went to church . . . where she ate cookies and cheerios. That night for dinner we went to Nannie's house, where she held on to a chicken leg and ate the yummy greasy fried skin off of it. That was cute even though it sounds gross. And she ate a cupcake and a miniature chocolate bar.

Monday was Halloween so we went to our Halloween playgroup party at Julie's house. I dressed her in bunny costume #2 for this and she didn't mind it, even kept the hat on! The cape kept getting in the way of her getting her hands out, but she didn't get too frusterated about it. There she ate cookies, chips and orange koolaid. Great healthy lunch.

That night Chucky and I took her trick-or-treating. In bunny costume #2 of course. First I tried to fill her up at home with something decent to eat: raisins and yogurt. First stop: Ghee and PopPop's house. Ghee brought out Emma's bag of goodies and SCREAM! How did she know it was for her and that there was yummy food in there? She's so smart! She gobbled down the bag of chips but saved the apple and Reese's cup for later. Next stop: Beverly and Tuna's where she got animal crackers and bananas. She also showed off her new word: "Ready?" Next stop: MomMom and Daddy Willard's where she got more animal crackers and had some of Daddy's pepsi. She also found a really neat talking fish on the wall that kept her giggling. Last stop: Nannie's house where she got a dollie! And some more chocolate candy . . that she got on her pretty little tights and shirt. Wouldn't be Halloween without a little chocolate goo, I guess!

EMMA IS 19 MONTHS OLD 10.31.2005

Emma says: u-som (I want some), pukin (pumpkin), Odie (she says it clear as a bell now and calls for him when she wakes up from her nap), ah-pin (open), ready? and just about any word you ask her to say.
I told Chucky something was not funny, and Emma said "Not Funny!"

See?

Emma is talking a lot these days. Too much. I can understand her. So . . . I have to do what she says! Can't deny that girl something when it is not just whining and crying for something and I don't know what it is. Now she points and says "PHONE!" or "SEE!" That means I want to see that, mommy! I know what she wants, she knows that I know . . . so I have to do it. Wonder how long I'll feel this way. She's very demanding and I'm getting tired of it . . . but will never get enough of it, either. Make sense? Emma, if you are reading this you just won't understand that until you are a mommy.
Emma still really loves Kindermusic. She gets very excited when she hears her favorites on the CD I have in the car. And she says "Jennie" when it first comes on.
We went to the Pumpkin Patch, Emma, me, Susan and Chas. It was a busy day there, but very nice weather for an afternoon outside. Emma just like watching all the kids, and she did go down the slide a few times. After tearing her away from the pigs and bunnies and chickes she enjoyed the hay ride, too. Chas found her a special pumpkin just her size and he found himself a very large pumpkin! Susan had to carry it all the way back to the cashier and then to the car.

We moved. OK enough about the moving but DirecTV couldn't come for 2 weeks and I just have to say that TV is great. We missed it terribly. I usually watch LOST and now I am truly lost - don't know what's going on in the show. Lost. Without tv. Lost. AND more about the moving - having a second story is not fun. Emma and the scary steps and the shoes are up there and the jackets and the diapers and I am not liking it.
Emma says SEE!, clock, bus, Su-su (for aunt Susan), Chas, Ghee, Pop-Pop, Nannie, boy, man, pum-pum (pumpkin), da-chew is thank you, and she says the Kindermusic teacher's name, Jennie.

Moving On

Emma is 18 months old now. Very hard to believe. Monday I took her to see Dr. AB for her check up and flu shot. As usual she cried the whole time we were in the exam room and when Dr. AB touched Emma to do the physical exam, Emma cried out between her sobs, “ALL DONE!” It was sad and cute all at the same time. And as we were walking down the hall to leave, she said loudly between sobs, “BYE-BYE!” She’s doing great, is in the 25 to 50 percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height. Her head is still small but it has always been small. Steady growth! If you ask me she’s a little short and fat but I love it, I couldn’t picture her any other way – just cute cute cute. We don’t go back to the Dr. until she’s 2 – we have been going every three months so it will be weird . . . although I’m sure we’ll be back for some cold or something . . . we always are!

We went to our second Kindermusic class on Wednesday. Emma loves it. I think she loves it too much! Is that possible? When it is time to put away the instruments she cries and when we stop one fun thing (because we are getting ready to do another fun thing) she gets upset. She doesn’t understand yet that the fun just keeps going on and on!

Wednesday – the day we moved. Susan and Chas came over to help us move. We moved most of the clothes and all the kitchen things except for the food. That took most of the day! Then Ghee and Pop-Pop and Joe came and Chucky got off work. Some of Chucky’s friends helped and in a few hours we were officially living at the new house. Boxes were everywhere and I couldn’t find my clothes but we were in! We brought the dogs over around 7:30 that night and they have been ok. The cat came over around 10:00 and she is still acting strange. She won’t go outside so we are back to the disgusting litter box. And it’s in our bathroom to try to keep the dogs out of it. What a pain. These animals own us. I still haven’t found a good place for the cat food (it’s on top of the dryer now). I need a place that she can go but the dogs can’t. I need my baby gate! Oh and about the new washer and dryer. Strange and loud. Thank goodness there is a door that separates the laundry room and the kitchen. All these buttons and beeps . . . I’ll figure it out later. Now I just throw things in there and hope for the best. Already had to throw one quilt out and almost had a soap overflow.

Sunday we got some stuff done! Real progress! All thanks to Amy, Chucky’s sister. She and Maggie came over and while Emma slept we got the dining room organized, a few things in the garage organized and made piles for thrift shop and for sale. After lunch, Nannie came over to play with Emma while we worked some more. We got the office organized which was my biggest headache, so I am really happy. We got the bed in the guest room made up and all my fall decorations out. Amy is like a whirlwind, just zipping through boxes and placing things where they go and washing this and trashing this and piling that. I think she could make a real good living off of this skill! Thank you Amy, for the help and your time and for just getting it done.

Emma says: “I’m silly!, rain, go!, frog, ear, eye, teeth, phone, sock, that"

Either she wants to move . . . or she doesn't . . .

The State Fair

Last week we went to the state fair in Richmond. Ghee, Pop-pop, Susan, Chas, Emma and me all piled in the rental mini-van. In the morning it was windy and we thought it was going to rain. But after a light sprinkle, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Emma loved the pig races! Chas liked the rides and I liked the food.
Friday I moved lots of things and unpacked most of it. I felt like it was a productive day. Chucky is in a golf tournament for the next two weekends so this weekend I have been taking care of things at home, not really doing much at the new place. The baby shower I am hostessing is in three weeks so I got the invitations ready. The weather is cooling off so Emma and I have been outside a few times and she doesn’t want to come back in! I dress her in her bunny costume about once a week, trying to get her used to it so she won’t freak out Halloween night. It’s not going well. The bunny cape is okay but if I try the fuzzy slippers on her she has a melt down! And no way are the cute little bunny mittens going on. She says “NO!” when she sees them!
Emma says “buddies, woods, pig, sheep, outside, inside, Dot’s food, diaper!”

More About The Moving

Yesterday, I tried to go to the new house to unpack some kitchen boxes. Got Emma and her snacks and me over there and Emma clung to me and wrapped her legs around me like we were chimps or something. Great - I thought I was going to get something accomplished. Emma has other plans. Ok plan B. Go spend money! We went to get Emma some new shoes in Kilmarnock and had lunch with PopPop, Susan, and Joe.
In order to move, we have to leave Emma with someone while we pack and move and unpack. She doesn't like the new place - it kind of scares me too, with the steps. I hope everyone likes it there. I know Chucky and I will, I'm just concerned over Emma's reaction and all the animals, too.
With the move, we will be bringing our three pets. Shelby, female fawn pug - 6, Odie, male black pug - 11, and Dot, our calico female cat - 3. I am concerned about how they will behave, where will we put the dog crates, how will we keep them in the yard and not in the nearby-road-where-cars-go-fast? Emma LOVES the animals! She tells them "aht-aht" when they are bad. Odie is older and keeps to himself. He's pretty good about tolerating Emma but he doesn't seem to love her the way she loves him. Shelby still acts like a puppy when given the chance, so she loves all the activity. Emma brings her bones and balls and pulls her fur and Shelby tolerates it all very well. When they play together, Emma is the one who gets upset when Shelby takes a bone that Emma was not ready to give her yet! Dot is another story. If Emma can get her hands on the cat, Emma is lucky. Dot doesn't tolerate too much from anyone, but is good about just walking away when she's had enough instead of scratching. Emma is most enamored with Dot these days. Maybe it's because Dot is mysterious and is outside most of the day. Or maybe it's just because little girls are supposed to like kitty cats. Dunno, but it's sure cute. "DOT!"

Accident Update

Today the nice-rental-car-guy found me a minivan, so I traded in the mini-Jeep. Now that I don't have too much more to move, it's great. Just great. At least I should be able to pick up my new table and chairs in Newport News tomorrow . . . that is . . . if we go. We are going because Emma has a dentist appointment, but she has been sick with a runny nose and cough this week that seems to be getting worse. Emma's upper left front tooth came in with a brown spot patch thingy on it. We went to the dentist right away, before the tooth was all the way in, just to make sure it wasn't decay or disease or anything. It's just a fault in the enamel and it's been six months since our first visit, so now that her tooth is all the way in we are going bakc to see if there's anything they can do for it. Some of it has chipped off so it's not as dark.
Emma fell over in her booster seat last night after dinner. BOOM! She was "all done" and wanted to get down. I asked her to sit until mommy and daddy were all done and she calmed down and was playing with crumbs. I got up from the table to get some rolls out of the oven and heard a loud boom! Chucky reacted slowly and after figuring out what happened rushed over to pick her up. The whole chair fell back with the booster seat strapped to it and her strapped in the seat! She pushed back from the table with either her hands or her feet and went too far backwards! We don't think her head hit the floor or the wall, though. There are no bumps or swollen areas and she didn't cry too bad, I think it just really scared her. It really scared me. I don't want to put her back in that chair! Now how am I going to feed this child? The highchair is in storage and anyway that's going backwards. She still doesn't understand about climbing and falling and steps and couches and things like that. I wonder when she'll get it, I will love that day.
Emma says: all done, thank you, love you, buddies, boom, bug, outside, and BYE-BYE really loud!

The Accident

It has been an interesting few days. Thursday morning while getting ready for work, Chucky goes out to his truck to leave but comes back inside to tell me I have a rear tire very low on air. I’m supposed to take Emma to Urbanna, then go to work in Kilmarnock, then come back to Urbanna to get her, and return to Hardyville that evening. I don’t know if it has a leak or what so we decide I should take it to Chucky’s uncle, Tuna, who has a service shop. I drive it down there with Emma in tow (it’s early in the morning so she’s in a great mood) and Tuna declares there is a leak. He patches it up and we are ready to go! Thanks Tuna for fitting us in without an appointment and not taking our money. So we head to Urbanna – we are almost to Ghee and PopPop’s house when we slow down in front of the Exxon station because someone in front of us is turning left. The BAM – we get hit in the rear. I am momentarily in shock and surprise. I look around to see what happened and can see the lady that hit me in her minivan clearly upset. Emma is screaming so I jump out of the car and head around the back side to get to her door on the other side. The other woman is out of her car and asks me if I am okay. I am on the verge of tears now (Emma is still screaming) and without slowing down my run, I say to her “MY DAUGHTER!” – I get to Emma’s door and after making sure she’s not clearly injured I pull her from the car seat and hold her tight. She stops crying quickly and I just know she is okay. I apologize to the other lady for my crying and she apologizes for hitting us. We are all okay and she calls 911. I tried to move the van out of the road but the tire (yes, the tire that Tuna just fixed) goes flat because the rear bumper is all mushed up on it. I call Ghee and PopPop and they say they are on the way. After calming down some more (Emma is now playing in some rocks in front of the thrift store) I call Chucky and tell him we are okay and he doesn’t need to come. He sounds like he is in shock and also like “Geez, what else is going to happen today?” He also sounds like this is typical Kate which I guess I do always have a lot going on. Anyway, the ambulance shows up and we don’t need them but they stay until the state trooper gets there. We call a tow truck and line up a body shop and move all my stuff from my car to Ghee’s car. We go back to Ghee’s house (after stopping for juice and milk for Emma) and then I decide I need a rental car. So I try to track down the woman that hit us and get her insurance claim number and try to find a rental car (scarce in this area). I will say that the woman that hit us was very nice and very upset and it totally could have been me in her situation. I work a while at Ghee’s house and we all go to lunch, then I ride with PopPop to work in Kilmarnock – where I pick up my Jeep Liberty rental. Great. We are moving this weekend and instead of my roomy van I have a mini-Jeep. That day I was happy – we were both okay and I got my work done. The next day I was irritated about the van being messed up. The appraiser is coming Monday to check out the damage to the van. I hope it’s totaled so I can get a new one!Saturday we moved stuff and more stuff. PopPop, Joe and Ghee came to help and Nannie came to play with Emma. Sunday we moved more stuff but only in the mini-Jeep. Nannie came over again! Emma says “pocket-book, outside, no, blueberries, snack, lunch, cereal, tractor!” She gives high-fives, hugs, kisses. She says trash and mess and likes to clean up messes with napkins. She does not like to pick up toys!

Music In My Life

Today was Emma's first Kindermusik lesson. I expected clingy Emma but was delightfully surprised at outgoing Emma! She danced and squealed and smiled and laughed and enjoyed every minute (except when Miss Jennie turned the music off). She even surprised me by not throwing a fit when it was time to put the musical instruments away and tell them bye-bye. Phew. I was prepared for a crying fit then. Early in the morning is always her best time so having class at 9am is definitely in our favor. Yes, OUR - not her. Her moods are my moods, didn't you know?
Emma is going to be a bunny for Halloween. I've gotten two different costumes and tried them both on her. They both fit and look adorable and she doesn't want either one on for more than 5 minutes. Halloween should be such fun. She says the word bunny so cute! "Bu-eee!" She has a lot of words now and will try to say almost anything. Another of my favorite words is bug. "Buh-ckkh!" She says juice, mickh, down, no, ma-ma, da-dad, stroll, rock, roll, open it, shoes on, shoes off, bath, brush, spoon, night-night, elmo, baby, push and lots more I can't think of on demand. When she is ready for bed she says "mickh". Once she gets her milk, she says "rock-rock." Ok of course I will rock you! As long as you want. 'Till your 20. Don't you know you are my music?

Trying To Move

We are in the middle of a move. We bought a house not far from the one we are in now, it's just bigger with more land. We have had the inside of the house painted and this week a gentleman is building cabinets and bookshelves in the den. There is some fungus under the house because apparently the drain in the downstairs shower was never hooked up and all the water and gunk has just been pouring into the crawl space. Lovely. Also we had an electrical problem to fix. Chucky has been painting the room over the garage and installing light fixtures in the house that I've picked out and hasn't been home much. That's why I have time to write this tonight! I am supposed to be packing up this house but somehow I am finding more interesting things to do. It's hard to pack during the day with Emma at my feet and besides, there aren't enough boxes for all the JUNK in this place. There is no microwave or washer and dryer at the new place. They've been ordered, but will they be there in time?I've been trying to pick out curtains - I feel like that's all we'll be missing when we move the rest of our stuff. Of course I can't find any curtains I like. Not online, not in the stores or the malls. It's a big hunt and a frusterating one. I am giving a baby shower at the new house in one month. So I would like to have some curtains up. But I am willing to wait for the perfect curtain. So I am searching, and searching. Oh yeah, oh yeah, the most stressful part - we have not sold the house we live in now and we have bought the other one. Yup, we have two houses.

First Entry

It's my first entry in my first blog ever! This blog will be used primarily to write things about Emma that she may find interesting when she's older. And to jog my own memory about all the things she does that I'll probably forget about when she's 16 and in big trouble. I'm sure I will also write about other things but mostly it's All About Emma. She's 17.5 months now and I am way behind but I'm just going to start from here and go forward.