The Rooms

Here are some updated pictures of the rooms:

UH-OH!

UH-OH. In the mornings, Emma has always stayed in her room, in her bed. Just a few weeks ago, she started calling my name. I used to just go up and get her when I heard her rustling around for awhile through the monitor. Now the monitor may be ready to be retired. SHE CAME DOWN THE STEPS. Yup, she woke up, got out of bed, opened her door, shut the door behind her, and came down the steps! Chucky was about to tell her that was a no-no when I told her good job! I thought it was great - hey, one less step for me, especially when the baby is born and I don't want to or can't climb steps 5 times a day. Chucky stopped short so as not to confuse her (what a good dad) and later told me we were in big trouble because she was going to do that not just in the mornings, but in the evenings, too - when she is supposed to be sleeping. UH-OH. She will scare the tar out of me if I am relaxed in the chair watching TV one night and she appears in the room. Aaaaggghhhh! No, I really hope she doesn't try the slippery wood steps in the dark. Ugh.

The Daytona 500

Around our house, the Daytona 500 is bigger than the superbowl. We usually have a big party with lots of food, noise, people and beer. And lots of work for me. This year we decided the party was too much work for an almost 7 months pregnant person who delivered her first baby early, so Chucky went out to someone else's house to watch the race.

"Go, Junior, go!" (A direct quote from our 2 year old. We are so proud.) Meanwhile Linton shouted "Go, Stony Stewart, go!" And back and forth they shouted! I even got it on video. When they are older and we play it at their graduation they will love us.

My friend Sharon and her two boys came over to our house to play with Emma. We ordered pizza, tried to watch the race, tried to talk, and tended to the children. More than once, I wondered what happened to our old selves. Here we were, quickly shoving pizza into our mouths and cutting up pizza for the kids, and listening to a crying baby and whining older kids who didn't want to share. Did we used to go out to dinner with our husbands and look at families like ours are now and shake our heads, declaring them crazy? Then did we go bowling or to a movie and actually talk? I think we did. And I think we were wrong about them being crazy, and I think we probably talked about stuff that doesn't matter now, like shopping and who's dating now . . . Now it feels like a race every day in our house, a race with people, noise, food and beer juice. And it's bigger than the superbowl and the Daytona 500. It's life and I love it. But sometimes, I just want to watch the race dammit.

Linton plays

Emma feeds baby Garrison

Everyone feeds baby Garrison!

Milk time for everyone.

6.5 Months

Valentine's Day

A note to Emma:

Happy Valentine's Day! It's a silly holiday I don't like to make much fuss over, but of course we sent little valentine's to school with you this morning for all your buddies. And since Valentine's day was yesterday and you weren't at school, Miss Julia gave me a bag filled with all the Valentine's you received yesterday. Being a good mother, I went through the bag and pulled out all the candy I don't want you to have, like anything chocolate (messy) or a weird peanut butter taffy stick (too chewy). And here is the good mother part: I did find a piece or two for myself in there.

Sunday at church you passed out valentines and again on Tuesday to Ghee and PopPop and Chas. You seemed to understand the whole process and especially liked it when Ghee gave you a whole box of candy rolls.

Yesterday we made a card for Daddy and you held a crayon while I moved your hand to make the letters E M M A. You also wanted a Q on there so we drew that, too. Daddy left you a card and a big box of M&M's on the counter this morning, which you and I ate for breakfast along with a banana. When he came home for lunch you met him at the door and gave him his card, hugged his leg and told him "Happy Valentine's Day!" You had to keep telling him that until he said it back to you. Every day you tell us "I wuv you!" and yesterday you told me "I wuv you to pieces, too." It was a great Valentine's Day.

Here is a list of things you "wuv:"
Shelby, Odie and Dot (the pets)
Diego (AAY-GO, GO!)
NOT wearing clothes
Chocolate, spaghetti, strawberries, juice, donuts, plums, lollipops, noodles, cabbage, rice, green beans, breakfast bars, bananas, and more juice.
Going to church as long as Nannie is there
Helping daddy do anything (except the trip to Wal-Mart he tried to take you on Saturday morning to give mommy a break)
Books
Play-dough
Puzzles
The mermaids blanket
Your ceiling fan and lullaby CD at bedtime
There are many more things I could list, and even more material for a longer list of things you don't like, but at this time in your life (2.5 years-almost 3!) - this is what you love. I love you to pieces!

The Tent

Chas came over last night and he and Emma played in the tent before and after dinner. When it was time for Emma to go to bed, we lifted the tent up off the floor to move it out of the way, and underneath we found no less than 100 toys. Little junky toys: stocking stuffers, miscellaneous stuff like plastic eggs, a naked doll, one of her shoes, paper, tissues, stickers, plastic food from the plastic kitchen, balls, baskets, bears . . . heaven for the preschool age bracket.

The Beds

Last week we switched Emma's furniture. She now has all the freshly painted white furniture in her room. The bed is a double bed and Emma looks so small and so big in it. She's just a tiny girl, but she lays her head on the big pillow and pulls the covers up like a big girl. The first few nights she slept fine but I woke up a few times in my bed downstairs, listening to the monitor for her breathing, and for her to fall out of the bed. Now Chucky has put a rail up on the side of her bed to prevent any falls. So I am sleeping better, really. Although now she sleeps mushed up against the rail, which might be more dangerous so maybe I should lose some sleep over that.

Last night Chucky put the crib together in the nursery, and took Emma's little toddler bed apart and put it into the attic. Goodbye little bed, see you in a couple of years. Moving her from that little bed into the big bed has been harder on me than her - she's just so big, it makes me sad and proud all at the same time. I think the only reason I didn't cry when I saw Chucky putting that little bed away is because I know we have another little girl on the way who will sleep in it. If we were putting it away forever it would be very emotional for me. I am a hormonal basketcase, yes.

3D/4D

I had my 28 week ultrasound yesterday and we got to see the baby in 3D and 4D. I don't know what that means - but I do know the baby has one cute ear. She wasn't in a great position for a good picture of her face or profile, but we brought home a picture of her face - from an angle above it - and a picture of her right ear, arm and profile. The ear is all Emma can see. I guess she thought she was going to get to see a picture of the whole baby - like an actual photograph. She was fussing through the whole procedure - hold me mommy, no daddy I want to stand, I can't see, mommy hold me. Chucky had a hard time paying attention but I enjoyed it anyway! They aren't planning any more ultrasounds or unusual tests, so we got a good report and a few weird pictures - it was a good day.

Ready for Church

Here she is in a dress - I had to take a picture because it's not often I choose to fight the battle and wrestle her into a dress. The only reason she is smiling in her dress is because Nannie showed up to take her to church. But isn't she pretty?!! In two months she will be three years old - I can hardly believe it.