2 Months Old

Just as it did (and does) with Emma, time is flying with Miss Abby. She's growing so quickly and it's moving way too fast for her Mama. We just had her 2 month pediatrician's appointment. She weighs 9lbs. 13 oz. Emma weighed 12lbs. 4oz. at the same appointment!! She is 22.25 inches. She is in the 10th-25th percentile for weight, and 25th-50th percentile for height. She's long and lean! She got 2 shots and SLEPT THOUGH THEM! She fussed for about 10 seconds and then fell back asleep on the exam table, without me picking her up. She's just such a sweet heart.

She's a good little eater, but spits up a TON. The doctor says that it's considered reflux, but because it doesn't cause her any discomfort, there's no reason to treat it with medication. She'll likely grow out of it by 6 months or so. In the mean time, she's just a messy girl! In fact, when Brad picked her up out of the bed last night, she spit up SO much and so fast, that I could hear it splatter all over her co-sleeper and the carpet. Fun times. Particularly at 4:00 AM. I can't begin to tell you how many times we've had to change the sheets or her entire outfit SEVERAL times a night. It's no fun.

Abby is such a good little sleeper these days! We had been waking her up one last time before we went to bed to eat. She has been going down to bed around 9:00PM when Emma does, and we are putting her in her crib in her room for the first stretch. After her last feeding before we go to sleep, we put her in our room in the co-sleeper. Well, one night we decided to let her sleep and wake up to eat on her own. Ever since then, she sleeps in her room from 9:00-4:30AM, and then wakes to eat. She then goes back to sleep in our room until around 8:30!! It's awesome. Now if WE can just get to sleep a little earlier.....

She's started to really smile and coo lately. She's such a sweet heart. She loves to just be laid down on a blanket and play. She doesn't mind tummy time at all, which is not something I'm used to! She adores her big sister and will look around until she finds her. She's great in the car, unless her passy falls out and she's hungry.

Abby is still in a lot of newborn clothes. She also wears a lot of 0-3 month and a few 3 month onesies, though they are pretty darn big on her. I still can't get over what a peanut she is.

She looks SO different from Emma to us both. Her hair is so much darker and her face is just different. She looks a ton like her Mama, and just about everyone who sees her mentions that. I certainly don't mind. ;) In fact, she really looks a lot like my Dad. She has his blue eyes, his cleft chin, and pretty much his entire face. It's a bittersweet blessing to me.

Emma is such a sweet big sister. She will get down in Abby's face and talk to her. She knows that Abby can't talk back, so she carries the entire conversation. It sounds something like this. "Hi Abby, whatcha doin Abby? You want some mango juice, Abby?" It's just precious. There doesn't seem to be a mean or jealous bone in her body. They both adore each other.

Brad went back to school today for the first day of pre-planning. It's my first day at home alone with both girls. It's been interesting! I'm trying to get Emma down to 1 nap a day. Emma's gotten used to having everything she wants given to her as soon as she requests it because we've had 2 sets of hands here all summer. Well, times they are a changin. She's a whiny mess and we've got to work on that. Abby is also used to being held whenever she wants to. Don't get me wrong, when she's in a good mood, she'll sit contently for a good chunk of time in her bouncy seat. But if she's hungry or sleepy, she's not a happy camper unless she's in my arms. It's tough to figure out what to do with one while I'm "doing" with the other. That's the biggest challenge of having 2 so far. Emma's a great helper though, and is a pretty good sport.

We've also discovered our love of "the sling." I used one with Emma from very early on and she adored it. Abby is exactly the same way! She immediately calms down if she's upset. She's had a rough couple of days because she got 2 shots at the doctor yesterday, and the sling has been the only way I've been able to "put her down" for a majority of the day. It's SUCH an awesome thing - a definite 'must have' for any new mom.
I'd better run. I can see Abby squirming on the video monitor, and I'm pretty sure I just heard Emma talking as well. So much for a long nap!!

Abby Dabby

I've been writing this post in my head for 5 weeks now, but have just gotten around to putting it down in words. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about my sweet Abby. Before I do, let me talk about Emma for a minute.

Emma is the best big sister in the entire world. She adores her baby "sisser." She lights up every time she sees her and has NEVER shown aggression or jealousy when Brad or I are with Abby. It's like they have always existed together. With that said, we have taken lots of care to make her feel included and indulge her whenever she wants to "hold it" or kiss on Abby so that she doesn't feel left out. I have fallen more and more in love with Em as I have seen her become a big sister. I've been SO impressed with her acceptance and happiness with her new role. As much as I wanted a baby, the main reason that I wanted Abby so badly was for Emma. She may not understand now, but she will one day.


Now onto Abby. We often call her "Abby Dabby" and Emma's version of that is "Abby Abby." She's got plenty of nicknames already.

She is an OK sleeper. Some would say great. She sleeps great when Mommy's holding her! She sleeps 3 hour stretches at night, and is falling back to sleep right after eating during most wake-ups now. She has had the occasional 4-5 hour stretch, but it's been rare, and I've feared she was dead on more than one occasion! Luckily, she sleeps in the co-sleeper, just beside my bed. Her Daddy doesn't deal well with a lack of sleep, but he's getting better at it. He is awesome - when she wakes up, he gets her, changes her diaper, and hands her to me to feed. When she's done, he re-swaddles her and hands her back. It is SUCH a help!



We often put her down around 11:30-12 at night (after we've given both girls baths, put Emma down at 9:00, and then showered ourselves, finished cleaning up, etc.) She typically wakes around 3-4, and then 7-8. As sleepy as I consistently am, I am actually getting more sleep than I did when pregnant with her!

She's a snuggle bunny. She seems to form perfectly to the curvature of my body - whether over my shoulder just in the crook of my neck, or into the bend in my arm. She's just precious to hold.

She's started to make lots of eye contact, and smiling is just around the corner. I can feel it!

The poor girl has developed TERRIBLE baby acne. It started on the day of her 1 month check-up and the doctor told me that it's caused by her hormones from my body that were left over from pregnancy. The poor girl looks like she's about to go to prom. Brad says she needs Mama to call and get her some Proactiv. ;)


Speaking of her appointment, she's a growing girl! She was 8lbs 0.5oz! That's up from 6lbs. 13oz at her last appt! I'm one proud Mommy. Emma was over 10lbs at her 1 month appt, just to compare. Wowza.

She loves her paci. She uses the same kind Emma did, MAM. She doesn't particularly like the swing, but seems to enjoy her bouncy seat. She sits in it when we eat mostly. She PREFERS to be in my arms, but settles for the bouncy. ;)

She's the most laid back baby I've ever seen. She's SO happy and content. I had no idea how high-maintenance Emma was as a baby (and STILL is!) until we had Abby. I think that's best though. God knew what he was doing. If we had a laid-back baby first, and THEN Emma, we would have died. As it was, we just adored every single second, even of the crying, not knowing it could be any other way.


She's a great eater. She's breastfeeding solely, and is awesome at it. She hasn't had to supplement with formula since the day of her last pediatrician's appointment when she was about 10 days old. She caught on SO quickly once my milk came in, and we really never had any issue. Whether that was because I was more relaxed this time around, or because she was just brilliant, I may never know. I was prepared for the nightmare that it was the first time around. Emma and I had a HARD time. She would scream at the top of her lungs when I would try to latch her on, and we would both cry together. It has never been a source of stress for either one of us this time around. A blessing!

We've pretty much graduated to completely cloth diapering Abby. However, Brad still uses disposables at night. He says that he is pretty much asleep while changing her overnight, and it's just a little less complicated to use disposable. We're nearly out of those though, so he'll convert pretty soon! She's still in newborn diapers, though she could use a size 1 now. She is still wearing newborn clothes, and probably will for awhile. 3 month clothes swallow her. My friend Amber saved our butts with the clothing - she let us have several of her daughter's newborn outfits. We barely had ANY with Emma because she was in 3 month clothes nearly from the start.

I have a really special bond with Abby. I had an incredible bond with Emma as well, and still do. However, Abby and I are on the same wavelength. Emma and I often butted heads (on nursing, sleeping, swaddling......lots of stuff) and still do! I think I'm gonna be in for it when she's a teenager!

Abby and I have just never gone there. We agree on things. We just are, existing on the same plane. She's very "go with the flow" and relaxed. Being with her physically relaxes me. There's no stress, no rush, no sense of urgency. Just calm. I have known what her cries meant from day 1, and she's really not had much reason to cry because I SWEAR I can read her mind. My mom told me the other day that we reminded her of a mother monkey and her baby. I was only SLIGHTLY offended, until she explained. When she looks at me holding her, it seems so natural. Like you would never see one without the other. That's so true. It's like I physically NEED to have her near me. It's very strange, and probably something only understood by another mother.

I think a very real part of this connection is because of all that we went through together. I was pregnant for ALL of the bad stuff with my Dad. Finding out the chemo didn't work, trying his last round of oral chemo drugs, getting sick. All of it. She was literally what kept me going. I couldn't sink completely into the depths of my sadness and grief because I HAD to keep going. I knew that Abby would suffer if I gave into that. I often wonder what effects my sadness and grief DID have on her. Is she so relaxed because I was such a wreck for 9 months? She was with me when I held my Dad as he took his last breath. She was with me when I literally clung to his casket. Did she know? Did she have a clue? I think she must have.

I think God knew what he was doing when he made her look just like her Mama. This girl looks SO much like my Dad. She has his mouth, chin. It's a daily reminder that he's never completely gone because he lives on in my girls. And my goodness, he would have eaten her up.

I know that it's going to tear my mom up, but I have to post this picture. It's of Emma and Dad. I know that he would be doing the exact same thing right now if he could.

Emma's 2!

I'm pretty late in posting about this, but I guess that you can say that we're quite busy these days. My spare moments to upload pictures (or even to TAKE them!) are few and far between, and I prefer to spend them with my girls.

Emma turned 2 on June 22nd, but we decided to celebrate on Father's Day. This year I planned a tiny little party for her. With a newborn at home, and a girl in the midst of the terrible 2s, a big party just wasn't a smart idea. We had Brad's parents and sister and my mom over to grill out. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and had lots of great sides.

Emma's favorite part? Her Elmo Airplane cake! The girl is obsessed with airplanes. She's also obsessed with Elmo, so it was a perfect combination. All of the attention was on her, which was exactly as she wanted it! She had the best time. She got a trampoline from her grandparents, and my mom got her a toddler slide. She was in hog heaven.






Of course we couldn't let her actual birthday go uncelebrated. We had her favorite meal (jambalaya!) and cupcakes on her special birthday plate. This was the first year that she was able to blow out her candles! She's so proud.





Ever since her birthday she's been saying "happy birthday Emma!" and asking to "blow" out candles. I, of course, have been giving in and lighting candles for her to blow out after her Daddy and I sing to her. I can't help it - the bashful grin that she gets afterwards just melts me.

She's here!!

She's here!! I can hardly believe that our newest little angel is 2 weeks old today. The days have flown by so far. I'm pretty late in updating the blog, but I have had NO time to do anything other than be a mom and recover from surgery, so I have an excuse! Let me back track a bit...

On Monday, May 30th around noon, I started to have contractions. They weren't very regular, but they were consistent. We had plans to go to Brad's parents' house for dinner, but he was nervous to do anything with me in possible labor. I called the doctor on duty and she assured me that we were safe to leave the house, but to call her cell phone if the contractions became regular or stronger.

We went to their house and had a nice meal (steak, baked potatoes, etc.) and then came home. Brad bathed Emma because, by then the contractions were somewhat stronger and more frequent. I read her bedtime stories to her, said prayers with her, and put her to bed. We slept fairly well until about 4:00 AM when I woke up with even stronger contractions. I timed them - every 3 minutes. They still weren't as strong as I knew they needed to be, and I convinced myself to try to sleep. There was NO way my body would let me sleep through contractions if they were strong enough to warrant me going to the hospital, right?

I had an OB appointment already scheduled the next morning with the same doctor that was on duty the night before. I took Brad with me and we had the bags in the car, just in case. My NST (non-stress test that I've been having twice a week) showed strong contractions every 3-4 minutes - a definite labor pattern. The doctor checked me and I was 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. We were off to the hospital!

We drove straight across the street to the hospital and got checked in. The nurses took turns stabbing and poking and prodding me - 3 needle sticks to try to start the IV. Needless to say, it hurt like hell. We got to the hospital around 1:00 and I was in surgery by 3:30! It was the most surreal experience ever. It was also slightly scary. Once my epidural was placed (and worked like a charm, thank GOD!), my heartrate dropped. So did Abby's. They had me switch positions a few times and started me on oxygen. A few medications later and all was well. When my doctor came in to check on me before surgery I asked her about the decelerations in Abby and she said it was no big deal and not bad at all. I felt much better.

I was wheeled into surgery and Brad met me there. It seemed like just a few minutes and we heard the most beautiful sound in the world - Abby's sweet little voice. I cried like a baby before I ever even saw her. The doctors cleaned her up and wrapped her in a blanket and brought her straight to me. I was worried that, having a c-section, I wouldn't get to hold her at first. I was wrong - I was able to wrap my arms around my sweet girl and kiss her all over. The nurses took Abby and Brad to the recovery room to give Abby a bath and weigh her while I was being stitched up.



Within 30 minutes we were back together again and I was able to nurse her for the first time. It was then that I heard her weight - 7lbs 11oz and 19.5 inches long!! She was a peanut! She was born at 37 weeks and 3 days on May 31st. They checked her blood sugar (because of my gestational diabetes) and she got 2 consecutive scores that were too low, so they had to give her a bottle of formula and take her to the nursery for a few hours. I was crushed, but knew that I had no choice - I asked. My heart rate was too high in recovery, so they kept me a little longer and consulted my OB. More on that later.


We were brought to our room, where my mom was waiting. We got to visit for a little while and they finally brought Abby back to me. She was the tiniest little thing I've ever seen! Her feet are honestly like baby doll feet - I don't think that socks exist that would stay on her. Have I mentioned, she looks JUST like her mama?? I've got to scan my hospital picture from when I was born - we look like twins. I must admit, it's nice that I finally have one child that resembles me ;) I got to nurse her again and just hold her and bond for a long time. They checked her blood sugar again and it was fine, so she was off the hook!

Brad stayed with me each night. That wasn't our initial plan, but it is what ended up happening. He went home to put Emma to bed each night, but then came back to the hospital to stay. Emma got to come the next day to meet her new baby sister. It was the most precious experience, getting to see her face light up - she was BEYOND thrilled! I am so happy for her and for what she has now in Abby. They are both such blessings.

Emma kept saying "I hold it?" and looking at Abby, so she got to hold her baby sister right away. I think she's as much in love with Abby as we are. Brad and his Dad and sister took Emma down to McDonald's for her first Happy Meal while the girls visited. My mom took Emma home that night (to our house) and got her to bed - the only person EVER to do that other than Brad or I. Brad was a tad bit sad. He was struggling with feeling very torn between needing to be with Emma and needing to stay with me and Abby. It all worked out well though. His sister took excellent care of Emma at our house while we were gone.




As I mentioned before, my heart rate was a little high in the hospital. My OB contacted my cardiologist (that I saw only when pregnant with Emma and having the same issue). He came twice to the hospital to check in and run some tests. He doesn't feel that it's anything to worry about, but wants me to have a follow-up EKG in a month or 2 to compare.



We were sent home on Friday around lunch time and were SO happy to go! Abby was down to 7lbs. 1 oz. and had a touch of jaundice. They kept checking her jaundice levels and scaring me to death, but they let us go anyway. Emma was overjoyed to see her sister again! She calls her "baby sister" and lights up every time she sees her. Not even a hint of jealousy so far!! Emma unfortunately got a fever of 102 a few days ago, so we had to limit their exposure for a few days. She's back to her old self now though!

Abby is such an angel baby. She's laid back and easy going. She only fusses when her diaper needs to be changed or she's hungry. She seriously never cries. She's the perfect baby! She's an excellent nurser and loves to eat, now that she's coming out of the "sleepy slug" phase. She scared us a bit at her doctor's appointment. She dropped down to 6lbs 11 oz and her jaundice wasn't going away. Luckily, one more weight check and a heel stick later, she was gaining weight.

I can't express in words how tiny she is to us! Maybe it's just because Emma was such a big girl (9lbs at birth), but she's so small!! She's like a little baby doll. We have to fold down the front of newborn diapers! Lots of people have asked me about my recovery. After experiencing a 4th degree tear with Emma, and a scheduled (somewhat!) c-section with Abby, I have a bit of "birth experience." I can now verify, the recovery this time around has been MUCH better!! I was off of all pain killers by the end of the first week, and am now only slightly sore when I move. I would do it again in a second. No doubt about it.

Abby's been sleeping on my chest as I type this, but is starting to wake up, so I'll end this with some pictures. More later!!

36 Weeks

36 Weeks with Emma/36 Weeks with Abby

9 months today. I'm nearing the finish line - yay!! I adore being pregnant. I love feeling a baby kick and move, adore watching my growing belly stretch, and am beyond amazed daily with what a woman's body can do. I mean, do you REALIZE that it grows an entirely new ORGAN to sustain the baby??? Incredible. With that said.....I'm miserable. I can't lie.

I've reached the point where everything hurts. Parts I didn't know I had hurt. My back is in constant pain. Flipping over in the bed sometimes requires 2 people - THAT's how worn out I am. I have heartburn almost nightly. It hurts to pick Emma up out of her crib, put her on the changing table, or even into her high chair. Brad has 1 day of post-planning and then he's home for the summer so I'm SO happy! Not a minute too soon.

I had a pretty productive doctor's appointment yesterday. I saw a doctor that I really don't care for. The only other time I've seen her was the day that I found out I was miscarrying our first baby. She was insensitive, had a poor bedside manner, and was very "by the book." She was just...... a bitch. There, I said it. Having these twice a week visits though, and trying to work around other people's schedules so they can watch Emma, means that I don't really get to pick and choose who I see every time. I also know that I should have at least one visit with each doctor there because you never know who will be on call when you deliver.

Well, I still don't like her, but she was productive! We discussed my NST (non-stress test) results. Abby was looking VERY healthy. In fact, maybe TOO healthy. She wouldn't hold still and kept getting mad at the monitor, so a 20 minute test took over an hour. Little booger. She had great heart accelerations and movement, and the doctor was very happy with that. I didn't have any contractions this time, so I was happy too. She asked about my "plan" and whether or not I wanted a vaginal birth or c-section. As I think I've probably mentioned several times before, I had a terrible tear with Emma. She was 9 lbs and it took 4 hours in the OR to stitch me up and, let's just say, things will never be quite the same. After discussing that with this doc, she told me that she thought that was a prime reason to get a c-section (my insurance company won't cover an "elective" c-section). She said that she wouldn't even want me to labor with a 6lb. baby, much less one "this big."

After spending a bit of time feeling my belly and the baby, she made a guess on her size. 7-7.5 lbs!!!!! ALREADY! AT 36 WEEKS!!!! Do you realize that most babies weight that much at 40 weeks?? Average for right now is around 6 lbs, if that gives you any idea. Yeah, she's gonna give my 9lb, 38 weeker a run for her money. So the doc emailed their surgery scheduler and now we wait. She said that the woman would be going back and forth with my insurance company and would likely call me sometime next week with their decision - AND likely to schedule my surgery!! I'm crossing my crossables that it works out. I know it sounds strange for me to be excited about surgery, but you just.don't.know. I'd so much rather be cut open and have Abby arrive safely than risk shoulder dystocia (google it!) or the long-term damage that I would likely suffer from having such a big baby.

Emma's been so sweet and funny lately. I honestly can't wait to see what she thinks of being a big sister. The only thing in the world that concerns me is the thought of being away from her for that long. It terrifies me. We've never been apart for a night, much less several. Our plan is for Brad to be with me in the hospital during the days, with his mother watching Emma at our house. At night, he'll go home to bathe and play with her and get her to bed. My mom will come stay with me in the hospital because I'll likely need a little help getting Abby and changing her, etc., after surgery. I think the most important thing is for Emma to be at home. Her whole life is going to change and I think it's really important for her to be in her own environment. We'll see how it goes!

I've got the nursery almost completely ready. I want to wash the curtains and the dust ruffle from the crib. I also have to wash her carseat cover, swing, and bouncy seat. Brad's already re-raised the mattress. I've washed and put away all of the newborn clothes and diapers. Emma's all settled in her big-girl room and loving it. I can hardly believe that we'll likely have a new baby girl in our arms within about 3 weeks....or less. I'm so excited!!! I can hardly wait to hold her and see who she looks like. I'm over the moon. SO in love with her already.

35 Weeks

That's right. I'm 35 weeks pregnant. I can hardly believe that the time has flown as fast as it has. With the whirlwind of a crappy year that we've had, it's so nice to have something so happy and joyous to look forward to now. It's incredible to think that I will be holding a baby anytime from tomorrow until 4 weeks from now. It's been a really smooth, and really pleasant pregnancy so far. I've felt pretty good (up until the last week or so), haven't had the re-occurrence of morning sickness that I did with Emma, and have had really great doctor's reports and ultrasounds.

The tentative "plan" is to wait until I'm around 38-39 weeks pregnant and do an ultrasound. It will likely show (or they'll MAKE it show!) that Abby's huge and recommend scheduling a c-section around week 39. I had a really hideous tear with Emma and the doctor has informed me that, while it may not happen again, the damage is cumulative. My insurance won't cover an "elective c-section," but we're trying to make it work. Particularly because it looks like Abby's gonna be a big girl too. My gestational diabetes diagnosis also means that she has a much higher risk of being big.

Abby looks gorgeous in her ultrasounds - and looks NOTHING like Emma did! The ultrasound tech even told me at my last appointment that she appears to have a full head of hair! I can't even IMAGINE what that would be like. I can barely get bows to stay in Emma's hair now, even if she would let me!

She's a big girl. She was in the 67th percentile at my last ultrasound and likely now weighs in around 6 lbs. According to my pregnancy journal from Emma's pregnancy, by next week, she was registering at 6lbs. 13oz. Abby has been almost the exact same size that Emma was at each ultrasound, so it will be curious to see how big she is at my next ultrasound appointment.

I'm now going twice a week to the doctor. Yep. Twice a week I get to find someone to watch Emma, drive 30 minutes in traffic to the doctor's office, be hooked up to a non-stress test machine for at least 20 minutes, and then have an appointment with a doctor. It's not pleasant. I know that it's important for Abby's health though, so I do it anyway. The reason for such frequent visits is my gestational diabetes. It's very well managed right now, but around the time that we lost my Dad, the doctor thinks that stress caused it to get a little crazy.

They look for fetal movement, elevations and dips in her heartrate, and contractions. I DID have a few contractions at my last appointment, but the doctor said that it didn't appear to be a "labor pattern," and wasn't too concerned.

Abby's so precious already. She moves a TON. She never stops. She's head down and gets the hiccups a lot. She is so much more well-behaved than Emma was in-utero! Emma used to keep me up all night kicking, and hated it if I laid on my left side. Abby hasn't done any of that. She DOES wake up a lot right before we go to bed, but she eventually calms down and I don't feel her the rest of the night. Her kicks still creep Brad out pretty bad. They're VERY strong and you can really see them through my clothes. She's reached the point where you can feel a foot/knee/leg, etc. as it moves across my belly. Sweet, but a little creepy!

She kicks Emma's butt (literally) every night. After Brad puts her jammies on her, she sits in my lap for stories and prayers. Abby has a pretty good sense of humor because she will wake up and start kicking Emma HARD in the booty. I don't think Emma has really noticed it yet though - that night time diaper is pretty darn thick!

She's very high in my belly, and I got my first case of heartburn today. Emma was usually considered to be fairly low throughout my pregnancy, causing a ton of hip and pelvic pain. **knock on wood** I haven't had any of that with Abby. It's really been a very different pregnancy. My face hasn't broken out as it did with Emma, my heart hasn't raced, I'm not out of breath often, and though my back hurts like HELL, that's really my only discomfort.

Since we moved Emma into her big girl room, we've been working to clean out the nursery and get it ready for Abby. I've already washed all of the newborn clothes (was Emma EVER that small??) and have even started washing the newborn diapers. They're SO cute!!

We plan to use disposable diapers only as long as we feel like we need to. I've got infant prefolds and covers, and borrowed some newborn diapers from a really sweet lady that we met in Helen, GA on our last vacation with Emma - we bonded over cloth! I've got a case of newborn diapers, but don't plan on needing much past that point. I feel like we are already doing the laundry with Emma's diapers, and some extra isn't a big deal. We're already in the swing of things.

Just as soon as Brad gets done with school (Monday is post-planning and then he's DONE!) we're going to get the co-sleeper, swing, bouncy seat, etc. out of the basement and washed and ready to go. It won't be long now!

I can't wait to hold this sweet little baby in my arms. I also can't wait to see how Emma is with her new sister. I'm so incredibly happy for both of them and the bond that I know they will share as they grow.

The first picture is 35 weeks with Emma. The second is 35 weeks with Abby. I think they look darn near identical - including the fact that I look and feel like a cow in both of them!! ;)

Happy Times

I haven't blogged lately because, to be honest, I've felt like I was under a rock. I'm slowly starting to emerge and get my feet back under me. I PROMISE to be a better blogger very soon. It's certainly not been for a lack of hysterical new things Emma does! I thought I'd take a minute to jot a few funny things she says/does down so that I can remember them in the future. She literally says something new every.single.day. She keeps us amazed.

She's in her new "big girl" room now (still in a crib, but in her newly-decorated room). Her grandmother and grandpops gave her a ladybug that projects stars and the moon (some of her favorite things) on the ceiling. She's in LOVE. When Brad puts her in bed at night, she gets to request which color she wants the lights. It's usually "ba-loo." She loves baloo.

Her newest favorite show is "ba-loos ba-loos." AKA Blue's Clues. She's so funny. She has really been paying attention and comprehends so much of what she sees. She loves Sesame Street (mostly Elmo), Blue's Clues, Peppa Pig, and, of course, Yo Gabba Gabba. I try to keep it educational!

She gets VERY concerned if anyone cries - particularly any animal noises. She says, "she CRY!" I can't wait to see how THAT goes once there's a crying baby in the house!

She calls me "mommys." I'm not sure why. It's precious.

She calls Brad "Daddy" or "Pappy." If she hears me call him, she'll also call him "Bad" (Brad). Cracks me up. He doesn't particularly think Pappy is as funny as I do, but I don't really care. ;)

She adores air-pains. She will drop whatever she's doing to stop and listen to them or look for them when she hears one. She'll put her hand to her ear and say "listen! Hear it?" If you ask her where the airplane is going, she'll say "air powt." It sounds British and is HYSTERICAL.

She loves to boss the dogs. She'll say "come OWN Lucy!" Yesterday she said "HUSH Bailey!" and "get down Lucy!"

She pronounces nearly every word perfectly, with the exception of the word "spoon." She says "boos." No matter how many times I try to get her to say it the right way, it is always a boos. We just go with it. She'll repeat anything you ask her to, and even some things you wish she wouldn't. ;)

She has incredible manners. She says "thank you" and "you're welcome" perfectly without prompting and knows what they mean - she always uses them appropriately. She has also started to say "puh leeeese?" when she wants something she knows she most likely shouldn't have.



Her improved language skills are a double-edged sword. She now frequently requests chocolate and ice cream for breakfast. If I tell her she may have them after dinner, she says "puh leeeese?" Um. No.

She's in the midst of the terrible twos. Her language skills have helped somewhat lately, but she will still get VERY angry over small things. She usually just screams, but has been known to very delicately sit down on the floor. She REALLY wants to lay down and beat her head on the ground, but knows it would hurt. If we ignore her (which we always do) she stands right back up and is over it. She's a mess.

She's gotten to be a picky eater. What's funny is that she doesn't like most "kid friendly" foods. She's not really big on chicken nuggets (unless they're from Chick-Fil-A). She HATES macaroni and cheese, soup of any kind, and most noodle dishes. Her favorite food in the WORLD is Zatarain's Jambalaya with Cheese and turkey smoked sausage. She also adores hot dogs (nitrate free), PB&J, pizza (sometimes), and anything I'm eating.

Her usual breakfast these days consists of waffles, oatmeal, cheerios with milk, pancakes, or Mama's cheese eggs. She always has fruit of some sort - bananas or raisins, usually. She loves PB&J or grilled cheese for lunch. On Fridays we go get Chick-Fil-A as a treat. She calls it "pillow" because she's decided that the "C" on the sign looks like a pillow. I have no clue why. She adores most fruits - particularly mangoes, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, pears, and GRAPES!



She still takes 2 naps a day. Her first is 2 hours after she wakes up, and she usually sleeps around an hour and a half. Her second nap is 2 hours after she wakes up from the first, and is anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. She also still sleeps through the night - 12-13 hours or so. She usually wakes up around 8:30 AM. She has also fairly recently gotten VERY attached to her lovies. She's got one that my aunt gave her as a baby shower gift, and another that my mom got her for Christmas when I was pregnant with her. She loves them equally.

She knows all of the essential body parts and can point to each of them. She knows where baby Abby is if you ask her. She likes to lift my shirt up and say "open" to my belly. She doesn't seem to "get" that it doesn't work like that!


She adores Lucy - they are best friends.

We're starting to experiment with potty training. She seems interested, but doesn't mind having a wet or dirty diaper, and WON'T sit on the potty for more than 30 seconds at a time. We'll get there, but I think it will be after Abby gets here. It's not like I'm wasting money on diapers after all!


My goodness. That's all I've got time for. She's dancing in her crib as we speak - I'm watching her on the video monitor. More later!