until later...

This will have to hold you off for just a little longer! I have so many videos and fun things to tell, just not enough time in the day.

Here is a video from today of her throwing and playing with her toy and laughing hysterically at it. She has the squeaky-est laugh and I just love it!!

4+ months old

Emmy is almost 5 months old in only 5 days! I can't even believe it.  I haven't posted in forever because of school ending and having finals, so I'm gonna start from the beginning of July, but there won't be pictures because I'm feeling lazy--and it takes forever to transfer the pictures from my phone then load them here. Maybe I will edit later and add them!

Logan came home before the 4th so we could do something fun. We decided that Emmy probably would really hate the noise from the fireworks, especially because she has a bed time routine that if you get off of it even just the littlest bit she is a very unhappy baby. Every night between 8 and 9 she decides it is time to get ready for bed and gets fussy. She knows it is time for her bath! And she LOVES her bath time! She is also an angel and sleeps alllll night long, wakes up to eat around 7, then sleeps a little more with me :)
Anyways, on the 4th we went to the Westin, which is a hotel in Atlanta overlooking Centennial Park. One whole side of your room is a window, so we had a perfect view of the fireworks! We went early in the day to check in, then walked around Atlanta a little by our hotel. We ordered Hard Rock Cafe to go and Logan walked to pick it up--and it was FANTASTIC! Sooo yummy. Then we waited for the fireworks, watched TV, napped, gave Emmy a bath, then it was time for the fireworks! She stayed up for all of them. It was a great time.

The next day, Kevin, Lori, & Grandpa and Grandma Gray came to Georgia! We got to show them my home town/where Logan served and hang out. So happy they got to stop by on their way to North Carolina!

That weekend we got the opportunity to go to a hotel for FREE! So, we went to Chattanooga since it is fairly close and somewhere we have only driven through. We went on a river boat for dinner, and it was a once in a lifetime experience--meaning I will probably never want to or care to do it again. The river was pretty, but after the boat blew its horn within the first five seconds of going, Emmy was a very, very sad baby. She hates loud noises. But it was a very nice and relaxing one night stay in Chattanooga.

Also this month, I finished my fifth semester with good grades! I was so so happy to get that over with. I am now over half way through with school!

Random facts about Emmy Lou:

July was also the first month that Emmy got to go in the pool from her waist down! She seemed to enjoy it, but only if the sun wasn't in her eyes!

Emmy loves books. But she has a favorite and gets super excited if that book comes out.

Emmy also is obsessed with Micky Mouse Clubhouse. The theme song comes on and she just smiles. She hates car rides, but I have set up my iPad so that she can watch her show while she rides, and she stays quiet!

Emmy learned to ROLL OVER!!!!! I seriously thought the day would never come. She hated being on her belly unless it was to sleep on someone, and would just fuss if she was on her belly. However, she figured out she can get off her belly if she wants! So now tummy time is definitely mostly nonexistent because she will roll over almost instantly. I imagine she will never roll from her back to belly now.

She is a total screamer. When she plays she just screams and screams.

If there are loud noises, repeatedly, or just loud and scares her, she gets really really sad and cries. If someone talks to her that she doesn't want to talk to her--she cries! Pretty much, don't bother her. And if she doesn't like you, you will know!

She started foods! She hates the rice, but will eat oatmeal if it is mixed with something else. So far she has had, and seems to like: squash, sweet potatoes, and green beans.

She knows when it is close to bed time and will not let you forget it. She has her bath (which she loves) then a bottle, and goes to sleep! Usually around 9. Then she sleeps until 6 or 7. It is awesome!

Pretty much she is the perfect baby. (haha) And we love her to pieces.

Smiles & Giggles

Emmy is seriously growing in every possible way right before my eyes! I'm pretty sure everyday is a new adventure around here.

Last week we went to the doctor again. Not for more shots--that isn't for another month. I decided I needed to take her in because I decided something just wasn't right. She was doing mass amounts of spitting up (mouth and nose) along with arching her back and crying. It was obvious it hurt her and I was so done! I went in thinking they probably won't have much to tell me, and came out excited that my baby might be happier within only a matter of hours! Turns out she has GERD a.k.a reflux. So she now takes medicine in her bottle (because I figured out after she gagged herself into vomiting that it tasted HORRIBLE-I will from now on be tasting liquid meds before I give them to her I decided! what a mess it made!) twice a day. Also, they decided that maybe her other issues weren't truly an allergic reaction, but just from having reflux. She is now back on regular Enfamil formula that is lactose, but the A.R. which stands for added rice so she can keep it down easier. And guess what... IT WORKS WONDERS! She is a totally new baby. Hardly any spit up (one day she got to spend the WHOLE day in the same outfit because she only spit up ONCE!) and no more cries when she does.

Now onto the fun stuff.

Emmy loves her toys. Sometimes she grabs them and won't let go!

She usually either has them in her mouth, or is trying to get them in her mouth. She always puts her toy elephant's nose in her mouth!

I don't have a picture of it, but if she thinks the texture is weird of something that she puts in her mouth she will make a disgusted face. It's pretty funny!

Here is a video of her trying to get her dangling toy in her mouth. As you will see--this doesn't work out so well so she is fussy!

I keep finding her on her side--especially when she is playing on her playmat. So I am thinking it won't be long before she is rolling over on her own!!

And the BEST part about this update is that Emmy now GIGGLES! AND IT IS ADORABLE!

This video is the first night she started giggling. It was right before bath time and Papaw started playing with her tummy. It is kinda hard to hear her giggle because Kaillou saw that he was around her and is super protective of her--so he is barking at him. Unfortunately I caught it at the end right before she was done, so only about the first 10 seconds of the video are any good.

The next day she giggled even MORE!!! Apparently Emmy thinks my dad is just hilarious because he was just clapping and she started giggling away!



Notice the head fall back at the end---

(Also, those are not hiccups in her laugh. She just laughs like that.)

Here is a shorter one of her giggling. It's funny because at the beginning right before I hit record my dad clapped and it scared her then she started laughing hysterically!

Emmy has been a fairly good sleeper the last while, but the past two nights she has slept ALLLL night long! I kept thinking she was about to wake up then she would be out again. This morning I found myself waiting for her to wake up!

 She also seems to like to sleep with my all time favorite blanket. I think she has claimed it. :(

Oh how I love her.

Sweet Summertime

While Logan was here we did lots of fun things! The Friday after he got here we went on a date with our friends Matt & Laura to watch the Braves play the Washington Nationals!

It was suuuuper hot outside and we got there way too early so we decided to try to go inside, but had to figure out how since we had their tickets. Some how we got into the Delta Sky Lounge which was pretty fun--but we still don't know why they let us in!

It was a pretty packed stadium as you can see. And we had pretty good seats behind 3rd base in the 12th row.

The Braves lost :( and Chipper Jones wasn't playing because he was hurt :( but it was still loads of fun and we even got to see fireworks after!

Afterwards-we went to pick up Emmy Lou. She was going to spend the night with her aunt Lindsey, but Emmy was REFUSING to sleep. Lindsey said that she would only be happy if she was being held right in front of the TV so she could watch Despicable Me. She slept all night when we got home. :)

That weekend was Memorial Day weekend so we decided to hit the pool on Saturday.

Emmy was so funny in her swim suit, sunglasses, and hat.

Baby pool diapers don't fit her yet (they are HUGE!) so we could only dip her legs and feet in, which I think was OK with her.

Also, it was super bright outside so we brought an umbrella to shade her with. She just sat on my knee watching her feet splash around in the water. I'm pretty sure she liked it. :)

Then she got sleepy so ofcourse she had to take a little nap on grandma!

She passed OUT so we decided it was nap time for the baby and they went back to the house!

The next week we decided we wanted to go to the aquarium. I for one had tons of fun, and I think Emmy did too because she was awake looking around the whole time we were there! Usually she falls asleep when she goes for a ride in a stroller (this case wheelchair because the stroller was forgotten at home), but nope! She was wide eyed!

The picture on the right is of her staring at the fishies. I can't wait to take her back when she is a little older! Or when Jessie and Cody bring the kids down. Which will happen. I am determined. haha :)

Also while her daddy was here we bought her a play mat!

And she is soooo grown up now that she will even sometimes GRAB her toys!

She just does a lot of grabbing in general lately. Examples: grabbing my hair, grabbing blankets/burp rags, etc., oh.. and most importantly.. grabbing my skirt during church right before I stand up! I'm just thankful she didn't have it at the bottom or that could have been embarrassing!

She finally got to wear her cute robe that her aunt Lindsey got her!

Some other things:
-I am halfway done with the semester!! Whoo hoo! So excited to take some months off to just play with baby.
-I got called as a primary teacher for the funnest group of 4-5 year olds! They are a tad crazy... but I love them!
-Logan just left for another few weeks. We will miss him, but when he gets back we have more fun things on our list to do!!

Blogging from Bed

Yep! Because there is now an app so I can do it from my phone! We are now in Georgia :) and getting school work done is a million times easier with a mom willing to take over baby at night. Emmy is doing GREAT! Sleeps pretty good at nights and is growing like a worm. She is now 11 weeks and 3 days old. At 10 weeks she had her 2 month appt. Shots and all. She hated them! They shined the light in her eyes and I guess she decided it was too bright because she immediately started crying. Doc said that was the first time she had ever had that happen! Emmy is 10 lbs 8 oz and 23 in. Later in the week she started to get really fussy, spit up constantly, broke out all over her chin, and bad diarrhea. After a couple days (thinking maybe it was just a fluke because she has been on the same formula for a month) I finally called the doc. Next day they called and said she seems to have milk protein soy intolerance. She is now on alimentum which is a hypoallergenic formula. It is so gross but she eats it like it tastes delicious! Immediately all of her problems went away and she was a happy baby. Good news though- I did some research and this usually only lasts the first year. When I was a baby I couldn't have milk, only soy, but now I can! So no worries there. She is now holding her head up by herself, trying to pull herself up, and loves if you let her stand! And she doesn't care to be laying down, unless she has her mobile on in her crib! I have lots of pics.. but since I'm doing this from my phone I don't know how many I can do! Here ya go!

Playing Catch up

I'm obviously not doing so great at this whole blogging thing. Emmy is  now 8 weeks old.. it is going by so (TO) fast!
The last few weeks have been so busy.

I started school. Yes, school. I am taking a full load of classes and doing the best I can at keeping up with all of the work.

The weekend before I started school it was sooo pretty outside. It was so warm and the sun was shining so we decided to go to the park so we could just be outside! Luckily I had a blanket in the back of my car so we laid it out and relaxed!

Emmy got blessed!

It was such a pretty day. The dress she has on was made by my grandma DD and my friend's sister made the bow! I loved them! Emmy was a doll the whole day. She slept through the blessing (thank goodness) then was awake for the whole party! I'm pretty sure she was soaking up all of the attention.

She is so loved!


My grandparents, DD and JJ, came out for the weekend, too!



We had so much fun. (I don't know how I forgot to get a picture of Emmy with DD.)

One of the days was pretty cold so we decided to do some sight seeing from the car in Yellowstone. One of the other days, the girls all went shopping while the guys went up to the ranch!

Then after this fun-filled weekend and Emmy's blessing, we finished moving out of our apartment at the Village that we had been in for a whole YEAR. Record for us.

Oh, have I mentioned Emmy is starting to be a big girl? (kinda.)
Well she now smiles. And HUGE! However, she is super sly and only seems to do it when I don't have a camera handy. Luckily Logan caught it on the first day she started smiling while she was awake.

She is also getting better at neck control!
At 6 1/2 weeks:

At 8 weeks:

Emmy went on her first plane ride:

And was such a good girl! She slept THE ENTIRE TIME! That night, however, she was definitely having tummy issues.

So we are now in GEORGIA!! WHOOO!! The weather is sooo nice. And it is nice to be able to completely focus on my school work at night and get to play with Emmy during the day.

When Aunt Lindsey was suppose to be changing Emmy's diaper, instead she took this super cute picture (I'm not mad at her!):

Ever since we got here Emmy has been getting spoiled rotten. She now has a nice crib with a super fun mobile that she just loves to stare at, TONS of clothes from everyone (Mimi :), Aunt Lindsey, and Aunt Teetah), and mommy and daddy FINALLY got to get her this awesome swing that she just loves:

She is CONSTANTLY getting loved on by someone. She will never have to worry about not getting any attention! :)



EMMY LOU'S BIG DEBUT!

So before I forget all of the little details of the arrival of Emmy, I better blog about it!
Sunday evening (March 4th) Logan and I went down to Blackfoot to his parent's house for dinner. While we were watching tv after, I had some cramping, but nothing to make me think "HEY! I MIGHT BE IN LABOR!". We left a little after 8 feeling exhausted (and I was still cramping). We got home and Logan went to bed and I decided to take a hot shower thinking I'd feel more relaxed after. As I was showering, I noticed the cramping was now combined with tightening and happening for a certain amount of time and stopping for a little. So, I got out and turned on the tv! Then decided, hmm... maybe I should be timing these. They were about 10 minutes apart and I figured there was no way I was in labor because I didn't feel like screaming and they weren't that close together. By midnight they were about 8 minutes apart. Then about 1 they were 5 minutes apart. But I was still skeptical because I didn't feel the need to scream or moan and groan and the last thing I wanted to do was go to the hospital and get sent home! So I waited and counted a few more and decided maybe I should wake Logan up and see what he says. Well... he looked at me and said, "Just lay down and try to go to sleep." So I tried, but still counted them, and realized I could not sit still to save my life. I told him I really think we better start to head (since the hospital we chose is atleast 30 minutes away). And started to finish packing my bag, all while he was still laying in bed wondering if this was for real I'm sure. :) We took our time getting out the door, hit every red light, and the contractions started to be 3 minutes apart.
We finally got to the hospital sometime after 2 a.m. and I was already 4 centimeters and 100%! I was so amazed because I thought for sure it would be way more painful! By the time the anesthesiologist got there I was 5 centimeters and just squeezing my face some. No screaming or crying or moaning and groaning! Where as with my twisted ovary just 4 weeks earlier I was doing all of those I think! Got the epidural and just kept progressing. Side note: the epidural definitely made my whole right arm go numb and I didn't notice it until I went to scratch my face and ended up punching myself. Such a weird feeling! Logan slept and I honestly don't know what I did for the next few hours. That morning he decided he was going to go get a burrito and was gone for what seemed like an eternity because I thought for sure he was gonna end up missing it or something. He got back though. And I was a 9. Then two seconds later a 10. Then the doctor came in. Said let's go. Asked Logan if he wanted to deliver. And we started! And I didn't feel a thing! And yes, Logan delivered her! The doctor stood back, was texting, and just told him what to do! It was so fun to watch him get to do that. I would definitely suggest it. Otherwise he would have been holding one of my legs, and what fun is that? So over all I had a really fun, enjoyable labor! I'm not sure why on movies and tv and everyone makes labor seem so horrible?? Pregnancy-sucked. Labor-fun! Emmy Louise was born at 10:45 a.m. on Monday, March 5th, 2012. 6 lbs 9 oz 20 1/2 inches long!



Logan caught this picture. I have no idea how because I have yet to see her make this face!!



Heading home!! Look how teeny!

The next few days were kinda rough. I just wanted to sleep but I couldn't! Luckily my mom was here and took some night shifts when Emmy was just plain not happy. There were a couple nights that she was up all night then up all the next day. How did she do it? I dunno! But I am definitely thankful for her and all she does.

While she was here we just played with Emmy and decided to take some newborn pics by ourself. Turns out they aren't the easiest thing to do! When we were positive she was sound asleep, we would lay her down and BAM she was straight awake. But even though in some of the pics she is screaming her head off... I think they are absolutely priceless.

Emmy is already such a character. She loves to be held, loves laying on our bed (with careful eyes watching), and the best of all-smiles allll the time. It makes it all worth it.

She is loved. 



Ready, Set,...

So I was lucky enough to have my mom come out for a few days to get all SORTS of things done so that baby can come! I now have a [mostly] spotless apartment, stocked fridge, and empty clothes hamper! Whoohoo! But most importantly, my baby stuff is all organized and my hospital bag is almost packed.

Here is baby Emmy's "area":

Because we are stuck in a one bedroom apartment until our lease is up the end of April, we only have the small space at the end of our bed to work with. So, we decided on a play pen that has a bassinet instead of a crib for the time being.

And here is her temporary storage area! Since we have limited space, we decided to only have accessible the things she would be able to use as a newborn. Everything else is hidden til then. :)

MY LONG AWAITED DIAPER BAG. After anxiously awaiting its arrival for days and avoiding leaving the apartment  as to not miss its delivery at all costs (kept RedBox movies extra long)... it finally arrived!!! And it is already packed and ready to go. I love it! Thanks Lindsey!

Also while my mom was here, I had my 37 week doctor's appointment. IF they induce me, the earliest would be March 7th, but to ease my nerves of going into labor without Logan being here, he's now coming home the first couple of days of March! Yay! But as if Emmy hasn't been difficult enough already, the doctor thinks she may be laying sideways. So cross your fingers that she either isn't sideways or that she decides to head down! We will know more next Wednesday at my next appointment, though!

I am so lucky that my mom was able to come and help me get ready. I know the apartment would not have been anywhere near ready without her help. And the carpets would not be so clean without her insisting I buy a new vacuum cleaner (that cost more than $30). I'M SO LUCKY!

Now all that is left to do is finish sewing my baby blankets and some burp cloths. Emmy can come in a week- after of course Logan gets home and my mom gets back. :) I'm ready!!!

So I decided that since our little Emmy is sure to shortly arrive, it's probably time we get a blog to record all of the adorable things she is sure to do!
There are only 3-4 more weeks until she will be here, and I feel like there is still so much to do-even though we are probably prepared enough for now. However, after my surgery and having that little fear that she would be here weeks before we planned, I now feel even more unprepared. Luckily, my mom will be here in just a few days to help me clean and organize this miniture apartment of ours!
Even with how unprepared I feel, I sure am excited for baby Emmy to be here finally! I mean, who WOULDN'T be excited to meet this pretty baby!?!

I feel like I have been pregnant for an ETERNITY. And it will be fun to have Logan home for longer amount of time than usual. Can't wait!