The Kissing Baby's Life, As Told By Her Mother

Whoa.

2011-05-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm just in awe of my daughter every time I look at her.

Like, when was she allowed to get this beautiful? She was a gorgeous baby, and an adorable toddler but now all I see is a beautiful young lady. Despite all of my efforts to keep her from growing up too quickly, she's doing it whenever I blink my eyes, I just know it.

I can't help but speculate on the person she'll become.

Will she be an academic, or athletic? Will she be popular, or the quiet kid in school? Will she want to be a mother, or will she want to be a globe trotter? Will she tire of the constant moving and upheaval of our lives and want to stay close to her mom and dad or will it give her a sense of adventure and let it take her away?

There are a few simple things I want for her.

1. I want her to find a lifetime partner. Whether it is a best friend, or life mate I want her to have a "person" she can turn to when I'm no longer here.

2. She should know how to cook one killer dish for each meal of the day.

3. She should be able to write a stellar thank you note.

4. I want her to know her passion, and go for it.

5. I want her to know the grasp of unmitigated true love being given by someone who didn't create her.

Grossly Neglected

2011-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

This poor blog. If it were a pet, it would have to go back to the shelter.

I have absolutely no excuses!

I am on the internet a good two house a day after Emmie goes to bed, and I have no reason why I can't update this silly thing with some pictures at least.

I guess I used to blog here for my grandma, and her friends at the apartments she lived in...and I still will...for them. They know who they are, and I will love them forever.

So, here it goes!

We are currently in Tennessee on our way to Virginia. My husband signed a lease on a house today, and that house is still occupied if you can believe it! The current occupants will be out and we will be moving in on June 13th.

Now, on to what you really want to see...pictures of my ladybug Emersen.

Emmie was extremely happy to have her daddy back, and now that he is in Virginia we have explained to her that he is simply finding us a "Princess House" and it's going to take awhile to get "sparkles" so we are going to stay with Great Grandpa and Grandma until the house is ready.

This is the day Paul got back from Diego Garcia. She just drooled over that dress in her closet. I made her wait until it was time to go get him to wear it!

Here she is with a buddy in Texas. We have Navy friends that moved just a few minutes away from Paul's parents in Forth Worth. So, on our road trip we stopped in Texas to avoid the tornadoes in Missouri and got to see a ton of family which was awesome.

This is in Arkansas, at a hotel. We stayed over night after leaving my in laws house on our way to TN for Emmie to meet her Great Grandparents.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'll be more diligent about posting pictures more often.

Lots of love,
Kaci and Emmie

Gabioli

2010-11-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

She has red hair. She wears a pink, blue and yellow shirt with gray pants. (Her style leaves something to be desired!) She has blue shoes, and a baby named Zachary.

Gabioli is a new addition to our household.

She just showed up today, apparently ready to play.

Gabioli is the first of I'm what will I'm sure become many many imaginary friends. Apparently this is the age of whimsy and creativity. I'm pleased to know I've nurtured a child who can manifest a friend!

I'm not sure I ever had an imaginary friend myself. I know I had a pretend dog named Butch that I walked on a pretend leash to school, but I was old enough to know he wasn't real. I was putting on a show for my friend! I knew early on I had a comedic gift!

Not to switch gears too quickly, but as Halloween was yesterday, I have pictures of my sweet ballerina!

There are more, but sadly I do not have those ones yet! They are all on two of my dearest friends cameras. So, they will wait. But, for now you get just this one. Want to know why? Because photographing ballerinas is very difficult. They jump and bounce and twirl everywhere!

See? Blurry! Grr!

I'm sure she'll want to wear this outfit 100 times over the next year!

Well, I pseudo-promise to update this blog more often over the next few months. We aren't very busy, which means there isn't much to post on here!

World Breastfeeding Week

2010-08-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Breastfeeding is one of my most passionate subjects to talk about. I could talk and talk and talk (I know that surprises absolutely every single one of the three people reading this!) about how amazing, how beneficial and how incredibly fulfilling it is.

However, in this post I'll be talking about my very own experiences nursing my precious girl.

Emmie's hasty arrival came as quite the surprise. However, I did the best I could by being as informed as I possibly could. I read blogs, books and asked moms who breastfed. I talked to nurses while I was at doctor's appointments.

The moment they handed my beautiful bundle to me, I felt the urge to nurse. To help her imprint. I just knew I needed to feed this little being, even though my nurse told me she wouldn't be hungry. However, that was next to impossible considering I myself hadn't eaten in three days. Yeah. Three.

The first nursing session went well, by anyone's standards. She latched! Her lips were both out and her jaw was moving instead of her lips! She ate for about five minutes, and then fell asleep. The poor little peanut was exhausted from her travels!

I didn't allow anyone to help me for our first try. I wanted to see if she and I could figure it out on our own. Turns out she and I were a really good fit. We got the hang of it rather quickly. My favorite nurse, Brenda came over and praised us for doing such an amazing job at our first attempt. That was all the accolades I needed to know I was doing my best. I did need some help latching on the right side, because my left arm/hand wasn't used to having such an important job. We finally figured out that the football hold was best for us. Emmie was so little, and my boob was so big...it was the only way I could maneuver everything at once! Even the boppy was a little rough to use, she kept falling into the crack between the pillow and my stomach. I used a pillow instead. (Eventually, she'd grow enough to be able to use the boppy.)

When she wouldn't latch on the left side a day later, the nurse was quick to offer a pump. I politely declined, knowing that once the pump was introduced...bottles couldn't be far behind. I knew my milk hadn't come in, and since she was so tiny my colostrum was plenty for her tiny tummy. Five long days later, at Emmie's two day check up my milk came in. I knew it from the hot and rock hard watermelons that showed up in my bra! One hot shower and two twenty minute nursing sessions later, we were in business! Emmie was content for a little longer, and I was so proud!

I exclusively nursed for six months. Emmie's first bottle of pumped milk was during my first time away from her. She may have had ten bottles of pumped milk in her infancy.

For me, nursing was down time. It was time to sit and relax and gaze lovingly into my sweet girl's eyes. It was time to catch up on bad television, and play guitar hero...which I attribute Emmie's love for music to!

Nursing is complicated, incredible, time consuming, life affirming, exhausting and wonderful.

Even if for six weeks, three months, six months...six years, nursing is something so special between a mother and her child.

This isn't a PSA, this is my story. My lovely memories and my special time with my baby girl.

Buffalo Chicken Macaron and Cheese

2010-07-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a hot mess in the kitchen. No joke. I can cook anything, anytime. However, I'm messy. My mom can't watch me cook without gasping about the gigantic mess I've made at least three times. She's right though, I'm a spiller. I splatter. The hand mixer becomes a weapon of mess destruction in my hands. Some how, the mess becomes a meal. I've discovered casseroles. Any meal baked in a dish with any kind of meat/noodle/veggie/cheese combo was strictly forbidden in my growing up home. Now that I am a single (for the next 46 weeks anyhow) parent, casseroles work nicely since it makes a lot and I can skip making a huge mess for at least two more nights with leftovers!

Not all of the ingredients to make Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Chicken, celery, onions and garlic with the Frank's Red Hot Sauce on top...simmering

Amazing how butter, flour and dry mustard along with 2.5 cups of half and half and 4 cups of cheese along with another half cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce can become the most amazing cheese sauce in the universe! Whenever I make a roux or bechamel, I always think first of my mom then of my great grandmother. I just feel like doing things the old fashioned way, instead of opening a can or bag puts a little extra lovin' in the dish you prepare. While I wear my cupcake apron (thanks Mom!) and whisk together that flour and butter, I feel like Donna Reed. My supposed chosen profession's unattainable ideal.

L to R, Top to Bottom:

My laptop, necessary for reading recipe! The cheese sauce. Then the chicken mixture and then the pan with macaroni and half of the chicken mixture. The lap top for recipes is awesome.

The pan, with the rest of the chicken and macaroni and cheese sauce poured on top. You can not imagine the amazing sounds macaroni makes when you pour thick creamy cheese sauce on top. Somewhere between angels blowing kisses and hundreds of delicious cheese bubbles sacrificing their very lives for your tastebuds!

With the butter and bread crumb topping. Of course. I think this recipe has seven tablespoons of butter, which is why you share it with friends!

What Food Network recipes can do to a perfectly clean kitchen in just two hours. Amazingly, my kitchen is clean again!

All baked and ready to eat!

My favorite thing to do is serve it up with blue cheese crumbles and a little more hot sauce! Everyone (five adults) had seconds, along with the two toddlers having one serving each and there are still leftovers!

It's so incredible. It's a TON of work, but I it is totally worth it!

Here is the recipe, if you want it.

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

And, of course this blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of Emmie:

Emmie wanted to "wear" her baby, so my friend Nicole folded her MobyWrap in half length wise and wrapped her up with her baby. Talk about precious! :)

Parade

2010-07-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Whaling Days parade in our town is pretty docile...but when you add in a two year old, along with probably four pieces of parade candy...this is what you get:

Bummed the Navy band passed...

But wait, she hears music...

Is that an itch?

no...

It's a fever!

A dance fever!

I am not sure who taught her how to break dance...

but this chick can move!

She absolutely KILLS me. I love it. She loves parades, we go to every single one we can find within a decent driving distance. She does it up right, waving and shaking hands. It's awesome.

Getting Crafty!

2010-07-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

First allow me to paint you a picture! Yay! You like pictures! Pictures make you happy, they tell stories and make things prettier. People buy pictures, take picture and use pictures to decorate their homes! Wheeeeee, pictures!

Having a two and a half year old is much like trying to put a leotard on a Tasmanian devil while your hands are covered in oven mitts that have been olive oiled.

Now, pretend you want to photograph said creature. You grab your camera. (Crap, you forgot to put the SD card in. Grab that out of your laptop and commence.) Take the lens cap off, get the settings correct and *click.* Review the screen, wait. Where is your ~~Tasmanian Devil~~ daughter? Okay. Reset. Coerce the darling thing back to the "set" and ask her to "Look at mommy's camera! Isn't it neat! Watch what's going to happen! I'm gonna take your picture!" *click* Oh great, her eyes are closed. Reset.

Picture painted? Yes. It's hard to take great photos of a two year old, but when you can capture your daughter in the sweetest of times it makes for great and amazing photographs you cherish forever. What? You want to see them? Oh, okay!

Because

2010-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Milestones are something most people on the younger side of fifty look forward to. They are something mother's count off among their mommy friends, proud of their children.

I've counted teeth, and how many words Emmie can say. I've spent hours pouring over studies and research about mental, emotional and physical milestones. When is she supposed to jump with two feet off the ground? How old is a toddler before they can reason?

Today (and a few days ago) a new milestone showed up.

Emmie now says "because" to connect two thoughts. These two thoughts don't make sense to me yet, but to her they do and I suppose for now that is all that matters.

"I like babies because boys and girls."

Now, I'm not going to break down the structure or grammar. She's saying because! She has two thoughts she wants to express in one sentence!

My baby is so amazing, so thoughtful, and so not a baby anymore.

My beautiful girl.

2010-04-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

Little girls pretend their dolls are their babies.

Many young women contemplate the kind of mother they will become.

Mothers sigh heavily in one moment, and smile with tears in their eyes the next.

Grandmothers reflect back on the times they had with their children.

Every mother has had a moment during her child's life where she had two different thoughts at the same time.

I CAN'T TAKE YOU ANYMORE and not one person could explain to me how much love I would have for you before you were born.

Being a single mother, sucks. It sucks even more because I'm not really a single mother.

I have a husband. A husband who is currently "serving our country" sitting on a ship. A ship that is in dry dock, in another state. Yes, he can drive home in a few hours, however their duty schedule prevents that from happening more than once a month.

And, as if this wasn't enough.

Pretty soon, he'll be so far away the flight is more than 18 hours, not including layovers/delays/connections.

Strip away my needs. My need for intimacy, touch and laughter. All of which Paul gives me in spades.

Cut back the extra help he is in chores, like dishes and laundry, mowing the lawn and walking the dog.

Peel away the fact that I am the sole provider for our daughter, kissing every boo boo, nursing every illness and deciding when enough is enough and it's hospital time.

It's overwhelming at best.

All I can do is take each day, one step at a time. One action at a time.

Every morning, we say good morning and how are you? Did you sleep well? (me)

The answer is always "How are you? I want to bring my blanket." (her)

Every night we stand at the window to the left of our front door and say good night to the day.

"Good night day! We will see you tomorrow, and it will be a great day! Good night trees, cars, grass and birds."

Always said in a whisper.

She already misses her daddy, so much that randomly every day she says "Daddy has to work."

I agree with her, and she moves on.

Some days, she asks to call his phone and we always do. I'm certain she wants to do it to hear his voice, even if it is just "Paul S*****" that gets played when you reach his voice mail.

62 ingredients

2010-03-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have never in my life cooked a meal that had 62 ingredients.

Why, oh why on earth is it okay/normal/acceptable for schools to be serving pizza with 62 ingredients to elementary aged children. On Jamie Oliver's new television show "Food Revolution" his cameras pan to six year old children eating (probably) the same pizza for breakfast.

I'm outraged.

I understand the draw of pizza. Every kid likes it and it reheats well. I remember a time when pizza was a treat. Growing up in my household most pizzas were either on boboli crusts or bagels with fresh mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, made at home. Delivered pizza was a treat saved for slumber parties, the rare friday night we didn't go out as a family or if mom was sick. Even then, it was usually take and bake pizza. (True story eh mom?)

http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/

The link above is an amazing look at real school lunches. "Mrs. Q" (not her real initial) has chosen to eat the lunches served by her school for an entire school year. (Brave Soul)

Mrs. Q is unveiling a very serious problem with our school lunch programs. This food is barely edible by an adult's standards. I realize these kids aren't paying money for this food, but it is costing them dearly.

This could be the only meal for some kids, shouldn't it be as nutritious and fortified as it possibly can be? Shouldn't we be putting all our money and effort into meals that feed our children both physically and mentally? Don't they deserve to feel taken care of, and cared for? Slapping a plastic-y looking cheese sandwich on a tray with broccoli that has been cooked within an inch of it's life (probably devoid of all nutrition it may have once tried to provide) is not serving a child lunch.

I literally remember my school cafeteria lady's name. Theresa. She was tiny, she was Filipino and you didn't mess with her on Chicken Nugget day. I think she would probably appreciate that I remember her. I remember she would always keep a secret tray of nuggets for those of us that volunteered to help serve lunch. Yeah, those were the days. Fifth and sixth graders taken out of class (GASP!) a full fifteen minutes before lunch time, to help get lunch out to their peers. We served our friends. They ate their food, usually all of it. Then we got to eat together in the cafeteria with Theresa. It was a huge honor, bestowed only upon the students whose teachers trusted them to be responsible enough to get the job done.

Do we really have so little faith in our children? Do we put such a small amount of stock in them that we have to result to these novelty foods just to get them their daily nutrition?

On Jamie Oliver's show, he showed some 8-9 year olds how to break down a chicken to get all the real meat off the bones. Then, he took the bones, the cartilage and all the yucky parts and put them in a blender. (I don't recall if he added anything else.) Then, he cut it in to a patty shape and breaded it. A few minutes in the hot oil and it was golden brown. He then asked the kids if they would eat it, even though MOMENTS before they had all been saying "Ew! Yuck! That looks nasty!"

Guess what? They all raised their hands in favor of eating the disgusting offal patty. He had the presence of mind not to serve them chicken bone shards and kidneys.

Oh the frustration.

I'm at a point in my parenthood that I have to figure out how Emmie needs to be educated. This school lunch deal is going to be a big check on the home schooling side of the debate. (Along with all the other lameness that is public schools like 40:1 ratios, no books, violence, teacher and student apathy etc.)

This was exhausting.

My interpretation of 'red'

2010-03-26T00:28:00.000-07:00

We really need this camera bag...that way I can continue to document the curliest red hair ever created. That's why I'm entering the contest! :)

2010-02-21T14:54:00.001-08:00

Affectionately, a good friend has nicknamed Cooper, "Grandpaw Dog."

Our seven year old Golden Retriever is definitely starting to look his age, which gets Paul and I thinking about mortality and pets. We don't like it, but it's inevitable. Paul has never really had a "family pet." His family had pets growing up, but he never really considered them his. Cooper is Paul's first "in the bed, on the couch, in the car and everywhere" dog.

Cooper is a gorgeous dog, and he wouldn't show his age save for the white fur on his face. I feel like getting some doggy fur dye to help him look younger!

He's always been a precious boy. He has a total golden retriever temperament, except for his lack of love for other dogs. He'll walk on a leash with other dogs just fine, but he likes his personal space. (Can you blame him, I wouldn't want someone sniffing my nose either.)

I had the rare opportunity to take pictures of him because Emmie was entertained and Cooper was just laying on the picnic table.

He always looks forlorn. Kind of like Eeyore. When he's running around like a crazy dog outside he has joy on his face, but he doesn't really like to run all that much. He prefers a steady paced very long walk.

I love his nose the most! It's so perfectly black and has the cutest "Rhett Butler" style mustache underneath it.

Lately Emersen has taken an interest in Cooper, wanting to help me brush him and making sure he's "okay."

Some Emmie-isms I've heard about Cooper lately:

Emmie: "You okay Cooper? You hurt your toes? I kiss it."

Emmie: "Good night Cooper [hug] Mmm"

Emmie to a friend of mine: "My dog is so shiny!"

Emmie holding his chin up with her hand: "You need a snack Cooper? Okay, I get it for you."

Paul and I always look at each other and snicker, because she's already become such a little mama. Taking care of every little thing. This morning, Cooper's nose brushed her face, and it was clear he needed it wiped because it was wet. She grabbed a paper towel and started wiping his nose with it! Completely adorable. I mean, seriously! When I told her his nose was supposed to be wet, she started wiping his feet and his fur. He is so patient with her, never once has he even thought to look at her crosswise. Even during the "lets crawl all over the dog" phase she and her buddy Jordan went through around 14 months ago!

The same day I took the pictures of Cooper, I took a few of Emmie playing on the playground just outside our home.

I think I caught her mid-sentence!

Here she is marching to the stairs!

She loves to drive the playground! This day, just like the day outside right now is absolutely stunning. The sky is clear and a perfect blue!

She loves going down the slide too. She'll only go down the left side, because the right side is for Jason. I think she's still waiting for him to come back. It's so sad to hear her talk about Jason being in Caro-whine-uh. (South Carolina) She misses him something fierce.

Well, this episode must come to an end. It's about time for me to wake up the kissing baby from her nap and take her on a good walk in the sunshine.

Happy Sunday!

Edelweiss

2010-02-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

The Sound Of Music is my absolute favorite movie of all time.

Wednesday night, Emersen had a tough time going to bed. This happens once every six months or so, when she feels like she needs just a little bit more snuggle time.

I got her out of bed, because after two attempts per parent...sleep was not being achieved.

(Without going into a diatribe about any certain parenting style, we do not let her cry in her crib. Her crib is a safe place, where she can fall asleep safely with her zebra and her sleep sheep and her blanket. She has never had to "cry it out" a training tool some parents use to help their children learn to self soothe. We know our daughter, and know she doesn't cry unless something is actually wrong especially in her crib.)

She hadn't eaten much dinner that night and was probably hungry. I got her a milk and sat her in my lap. Paul was in the shower, and I was flipping through the channels on the television for something other than Caillou. We came across The Sound Of Music. Swoon.

The Lonely Goatherd was on, and it was so awesome to watch her watch it! She was genuinely interested in the puppets and the singing.

My favorite part was coming on, where Captain Georg* is begged by his children to sing for them (amongst other guests, including his love interest and Maria). He sings Edelweiss. I love the song, I love the lyrics. I sang it softly to Emersen while she lay her head on my chest and sweetly listened. I mean, she was still. (She's two, this does not happen!)

I have a fear, that netbooks and e-readers and mp3 players will take over the universe and that so many people will have the means to get "their stuff" out there that the truly amazing works will be lost or even worse, unappreciated.

Sharing this sweet unexpected moment with my daughter, all the frustrations of her not going to bed drifted away. I now understand why my mom pulled me out of school once in a while to go shopping, and spend the day together. It was the best day, and if it had just been another regular routine day we wouldn't have had the moments we did.

If Emmie had just gone to bed and I had just sat here played on the internet while Paul took a shower, I wouldn't have gotten to experience my daughter watching The Captain (Christopher Plummer) and Maria (Julie Andrews) waltz with each other, and realize they were in love as evidenced by the gaze with which he bestows her, and the ruddy pink her cheeks turn.

It's so easy to get disrupted by an errant blip in the routine. I am still learning to cherish these moments because they are heavenly instants once they come and they as fleeting as they are rare.

What's This Mommy?

2010-01-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the bath tub, my inquisitive little girl plays with her foam bath letters.

She's working on her second set, as the last set was handed down and was getting grimy. That set also bore the marks of two mouths with sharp baby teeth exploring what the letter Q tasted like.

I'm kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the toilet thinking "Ah, the joys of having a husband. I get to scrub pee stains off the rim of the toilet, because my husband won't sit down to pee in the middle of the night."

Then, my little WonderKin asks me "What's this Mommy?" I look at her, "That's the letter A."
She replies, "This is the letter A, you're smart Mommy."

I say to her, no she is the smart one and I continue my bathroom cleaning ritual. Scrub the toilet, wet the sponge, wipe the floor perimeter, rinse the sponge, scrub the sink, get the bathroom wiping clothes and wipe the faucet, the counter and the back of the toilet.

All the while, my baby girl is playing with the water and bubbles in her tub.

"Baby, can you find the 'w' for mommy?"

"This is 'W' mommy!" She says, holding the correct letter. "And this is 'O' mommy!"

Yes, I think to myself. Those are W and O. (The feminist in me resists thinking she is trying to spell WOMAN! Because she's going to make an incredible woman, I can feel it in my soul.)

I can't help but wonder if my life had taken a different path, would I be watching my daughter literally learn right before my eyes? Would I know if I was missing it? Would I realize that she, while I was working, was learning and processing and becoming able?

I just love knowing that I can be here with her, helping her become able to do...everything.

Emersen's Closet, First Edition

2010-01-15T19:43:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Lifestyles of the Adorable and Cuteness!

In this new segment of TheKissingBaby, I will be featuring Emersen and her most adorable fashions. I would be remiss if I didn't focus at least a few blogs each year on her ever growing wardrobe.

Those of you with daughters know, that dressing a girl is so much fun! Each outfit is carefully hand selected by a select few highly trained fashion experts. (Okay, it's my grandma, my mom and myself.)

This edition of Emersen's Closet will feature our newly acquired pieces thanks to Gymboree's Gymbucks sale.

It is all about spring with the new lines out!

Here is what promises to be her Easter dress:

As you can see from her expression, she absolutely loves it! Flowers really are her deal right now! Of course, she's also trying to bring back the 'fro and I'm not sure it will catch on again!

Here is another look, with the precious sun hat!

Here is Emersen again, modeling the latest in adorable baby swim wear! As a pale skinned person, with a pale skinned child, I appreciate the 50+ SPF swim suit!

So, that was it for this edition of Emersen's closet. I'll be doing more as her closet begins to take over her room, our home, the neighborhood and the world!

-Kaci-

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

Ringing in the New Year with girlfriends was quiet, in like a lamb...hopefully out like it too.

2010 (Two thousand ten, is the only way it should be said...) is going to prove most challenging as Paul and I embark on a marriage separated by thousands of crystal blue ocean miles.

So here's to you 2010, I'm not going to like it but I'm going to live it!

Happy New Year to you and yours

Love, me and mine!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Smith family!

We decided to forgo the irritating portrait studios and the stiff collared shirts this year (again)!

So, this is Christmas 2009's family portrait!

There are more pictures to come later, we have an appointment to do Emmie's 2 year portraits at four today. Hopefully she is amenable and we get a bunch of sweet ones. We are also going to decorate the tree, put up some Christmas-y things and get the house in order for our (military) family to be here on Christmas day. I'm so excited about our secret santa gift exchange this year!

Well, I'm out of here for now. I have to get some things in order so we can be ready for the portrait session!

Sesame Fabulous

2009-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

In addition to all the amazing things we did on our recent trip to Pennsylvania, we decided to pay a visit to Sesame Place.

Knowing that my mom, myself and now my daughter have Sesame Street to file in our memory banks as favorite childhood memories I knew we just had to visit.

The park itself was closed, save for the dining hall, the merry go round and the gift shop. Of course, this wasn't ideal in my mind.

We went for Breakfast With Elmo instead of the full park experience. I joke that it was the best worst food I've ever eaten. In fact, I only vaguely remember eating the "eggs" and half a sausage link because we were working that time with the characters. It turned out that Big Bird, Elmo, Ernie, Bert, Telly and Zoe came to eat breakfast too!

The day after Thanksgiving was the perfect day to go. I assumed there would be a zillion people there, what with kids off school for break. I couldn't have been more wrong! There may have been 12-15 other families there. Not more than 20 kids total. Talk about a dream!

Emersen met Big Bird first. She was terrified! I thought to myself "Grand. We paid all this money, drove all this way and I had so many hopes and she's going to be freaked this whole time." It was about that moment, Elmo came out from the doors behind Big Bird. Emersen practically threw herself at him, talking a mile a minute about his eyes and nose and ears. (She's very interested in body parts right now!) A rush of relief fell over my whole body! This trip was worth it! I cried. I was so relieved!

A mother has certain hopes and dreams for her child. Some may be fulfilled, many will not. One hope I've always had for Emersen, was that she would have the opportunity to have a dream of hers come true. I know she is only going to be two this year, and that she couldn't say "Mommy, I really want to meet Elmo!" However, her face and that day and her experiences and how she still talks about meeting Elmo and friends tells me that she had thought about how cool it would be to talk to them and see them in person.

As her mother, I want to show her that I am her most powerful ally in helping her achieve life goals and dreams. I was the proudest mama there. My baby was polite, she was respectful and AND! she was having the time of her life. Yes, all two years of it. My child's dream came true, and I made it happen. (With so much help from Aunt Traci, Uncle Joe, Nana and Papa. A huge heartfelt thank you to you guys. You rock!)

She beeped each character's nose. She tied Ernie's shoes. She danced with Ernie and Elmo. She got a jumping party started with all the kids and the characters. She clapped along with Ernie while Elmo sang a Christmas carol. She had a very passionate conversation with Zoe.

This is my 2 year old! She's incredible. I thank my lucky stars we live in the "Information Age" and can have things like YouTube to post videos that she still watches with utter glee.

We have probably no less than five hundred pictures from three different cameras on that day alone. I will pick my favorites, and post them to picasa soon. Right now, you just get these teasers!

In Celebration Of Emmie's 2nd Birthday

2009-12-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

1. How long had you been married at the time of the birth? 4 years, 1 month and 13 days.

2. What were your reactions when you found out that you were pregnant? Over the moon excited, elated, worried, happy, concerned and just surprised!

3. How old were you? I was 24 when I found out and 25 when she was born.

4. How did you find out that you were pregnant? I took a series of home pregnancy tests, followed by two tests at the Naval Hospital.

5. Who did you tell first? Since I was out running errands when I found out I called everyone I knew except for Paul. I wanted to surprise him! (Funny story, Mattie and I were out and she practically dared me to take a test so we bought one at Dollar Tree and I took it in the Tuesday Morning bathroom. The employees did look a bit concerned when she and I started jumping up and down like idiots and crying!) I ended up bringing him a chinese food takeout box purchased at a craft store. Inside was a teeny tiny t-shirt with the test wrapped in it. I told him I brought him some leftover lunch, and when he looked inside he was shocked!

6. Did you find out the sex? I had to! From the very beginning, I knew in my heart of hearts that this baby would be a girl. So, if the baby ended up being a boy I would need time to adjust. Plus, I had to shop! What else was I going to fill my days with!

7. Due date? January 20th, 2008

8. Did you deliver early or late? Quite early. My body decided it could no longer agree with being pregnant and decided to shut down. Emersen entered this world 3 weeks and 2 days early.

9. Did you have morning sickness? Not so bad, only for about a month but I quickly learned that eating small amounts of food before I got hungry to eat would stave off the sickness.

10. What did you crave? Sandwiches! Any kind of sandwich anytime! I most craved Quiznos but if I would eat it I would feel sick! So, I stuck to homemade sandwiches mostly!

11. Who irritated you most? I didn't spend a lot of time irritated, but one day I did throw a box of ziploc bags at Paul for being sassy!

12. What was your first child's sex? The most girly of all girls.

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout your first pregnancy? Not much at all. The first half of the pregnancy agreed with my body and I actually lost weight and grew a healthy baby at the same time!

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? None during the pregnancy, unless you count the delivery!

15. Where did you give birth? At Madigan Army Medical Center, which was one harrowing fifty minute ride in the snow, in an ambulance with the lights on. Yikes.

16. How many hours were you in labor? I'd been having some major contraction/liver failure pain from the 21st through my hospital admittance. I remember spending Christmas on the floor with pillows everywhere and a heating pad on my belly. In hindsight, I should have seen the clues! The hospital paper work says total labor was 80 hours!

17. Who drove you to the hospital? Paul drove me to the Naval Hospital, and my fabulous ambulance driver Mitch and his sidekick Dave flew my chariot to MAMC.

18. Who watched? Um, pretty much everyone was an active participant. Nicole F. held my hand through the crazy contractions. My mom massaged my poor super swollen feet and hands, and provided chapstick....a vital part of labor! Paul was there for moral support but the poor thing looked like a lost dog!

19. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? Yes I did. Paul and I had planned for a drug and medical intervention free birth, but that plan went out the window when I was diagnosed with Pre-Eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Having to be strapped down to a bed with countless monitors for me and the baby, it was quite painful. I resisted medication to ease the pain, thinking I could do it myself. However, when the contractions became to painful to breathe through and since breathing was all I could do (could not walk around, take a bath etc) I decided it was time to get an epidural.

20. How much did your baby weigh? She was just a little peanut at 5 pounds, 1 ounce. The doctor's had estimated seven pounds, but that was strictly by my weight gain, and I had gained an extra ten or so pounds in fluid alone those last couple of days.

21. What did you name your first born baby? Emersen Lynn S****. Her middle name is after my mom, as my middle name is after my mom's mom. I'm hoping she'll continue that tradition.

22. How old is your baby today? She is a bouncy 1 year, 11 months and 16 days.

Apparently, photographing babies is a lot of fun!

2009-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

This last week, I've had the pleasure of photographing Logan, a sweet patient baby boy who has endured a lot in his few weeks on this planet. He was an awesome little trooper, he let me move him all over the place! A select few of my favorite can be seen here.

This is week four of Miss Makenna's portrait "study." She was much more alert and aware of things going on this week! My favorites are here.

Pee pee on the pott-ay! I know one day, she'll probably hate me for putting this picture in the blog-o-sphere but I couldn't help it! Reading on the potty, she's totally taking after daddy and papa!

Seattle Aquarium

2009-09-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

I found Nemo!

He was here the whole time, at the Seattle Aquarium.

With a gorgeous day set before us, my little family and some close friends went on an adventure! We caught the 12:35 ferry at 12:33...just made it! Otherwise we would have had to wait until three o'clock and then it would have been pointless to try and go.

The ferry ride was uneventful, and I found myself wishing wishing WISHING that I had a telephoto lens for my camera. Ugh, photography is going to be an expensive hobby/career.

You can find more pictures from our day at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thenavywife21

Pregnant bellies, newborn babies and adorable toddlers beware!

2009-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Armed with only my Canon Rebel and Picasa, I've set out to capture this moment. The elusive, beautiful, safe moment when a mother holds her baby before anyone else can for one of the last times.

And this moment. The one where the brand new mama lets her baby's father in on the secret she has shared with her son for nine months.

This is another one of my favorites. This little boy has no idea how much his new sister is going to change things. Although her existence will show him how much his parents loved him when he was born.

And this one, when splashing in the bath tub is second only to mommy and daddy kisses.

I love my camera!

Congratulations have been in order...

2009-08-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my sister, and her wonderful fiance David. They are officially engaged! I'm so happy for them, because they fit each other perfectly.

Along with their enormous brains, they share a home in Boston, MA where they have amassed many friendships, books and one big ol' kitty.

I got the chance to use my new camera (you'll soon be tired of photos, I swear) and took a photograph of her gorgeous ring.

Nicole and I also had the chance to do some wedding talk, which gets me all atwitter and excited about Brides magazine, colors, themes, venues, flowers, dresses, food, music...I could go on forever!

But I won't. For now, this is for Nicole and her amazing engagement ring and for David who is the second luckiest man on earth. He gets to marry one of my parents daughters! (My husband is the luckiest, because he's the father of my daughter!)

My Review of Princess Cozy Coupe® 30th Anniversary Edition

2009-08-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

LIttle Tikes

Little girls will beam behind the wheel of this smiling new redesign! This cozy features colors and styling to please every little princess.

Features include a removable floor for foot-to-floor powering or protected feet while an adult pushes the car with the cut-in handle.&#...

Adorably obnoxious!

seriouslymommy Silverdale, WA 8/11/2009

Pros: Fun, Durable

Cons: Difficult To Assemble

Best Uses: Toddler, Outdoors

Describe Yourself: Stay At Home Parent, First Time Parent

This is an awesome toy, and the fact that it is harder to put together than a scale version of the Eiffel Tower using silly putty and carpet fibers didn't matter once I let my 20 month old daughter loose on it.

The front posts are extremely difficult to put in. Following the advice of another reviewer, we heated the ends of the posts with our hairdryer for about thirty seconds. It worked, and went together quite easily after that.

()

Picture-Palooza!

2009-08-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

So, instead of trying to remember all the things that have happened since I posted pictures on this thing, I'm going to pick random pictures from the batch I uploaded today and write about them. This should be good.

Oh yeah! We took a road trip to California, with our friend Kim and her daughter Annabelle. We pit stopped in Rogue River, OR to see Uncle Dave and Aunt Lisa and the kids. We also stopped at every.single.mall.playground from Portland to Chico because while Emersen did handle the drive beautifully, it was taxing on all of us.

While in Napa, we ventured out to PB&J's for some awesome playtime. Emersen LOVES this place so much. I thought it would be intimidating, because every bounce house in there is so enormous, but not so much for her! Even now when she sees an air mattress, she bounces on it for dear life if she is allowed! (Clearly, she's tortured here...)

Here, Emersen is getting ready for the Vallejo farmer's market. She always looks like a tiny celebrity with her sunglasses on. She even wears them in restaurants. When waiters/waitresses comment, I always say "Oh, you didn't know you were serving a celebrity today did you!"

They laugh, and she gets a kick out of it as well. She asks for her sunglasses in the car, at the mall and it's truly hilarious when I'm strolling her around the mall and she's talking to Nana on the phone with her sunglasses on.

Here we are on the fourth of July. This was before the barbeque we were invited too. I love this, because it shows how much she and I look alike! I believe those are my eyebrows, my nose and my cheeks!

In this picture on the right, Ben is riding in his kite buggy, while Emersen pushes him. It's only fair, I mean she gets to ride in it all the time! See!

We drive the twenty minutes it takes to get to Bainbridge Island all the time. They have a super clean park with a huge field for Paul and our friend Ben to fly kites while the kids play!

Eventually the sun hides behind the trees and we must gather the troops and head out, all of us starving because we've played so hard! Everyone sleeps so good on those nights!

Here we have Emersen and Jason, sitting down on the main road in Silverdale. No, they aren't being punished, we are waiting for the Whaling Days Parade to start! Emersen had such a good time watching everyone go by, and grabbing candy when it was thrown. Also, when the marching bands would go by, or anyone with music for that matter she would get up and start dancing! Shaking that cute booty all over the place! Completely, and totally adorable.

Well, that's about it for now. I have some other pictures as well, and they'll be on Picasa (and I'll post the link) if Paul lets me put the program on his laptop. SO much more comfortable to sit on the couch and write while watching Hell's Kitchen or what not.

A pirate says "ARRR"

Patience is a virtue.

2009-07-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah I know.

"Kaci, it's been so long since you bestowed upon us your wonderous prose!"

"Kaci, when do we get to see pictures of that model-perfect baby of yours?"

"Kaci, WRITE IN YOUR BLOG!"

I hear you, I hear you. I do.

Things have been hectic around here! A visit to California, and a precious (read: precocious) 18 month old don't make for a ton of time to write eloquently for longer than a minute, two minutes tops. What some people don't realize is, these things take time to write!

So, I leave you with this.

Emersen has now entered the potty training phase of life. Even though her doctor promised me it was too early!

Yesterday, she found Paul making his coffee. And this is how the conversation went:

"Daddy."
"Yes Emmie?"
"Toilet!"
"Okay..."

Followed by Paul setting Emersen on the big people potty and nothing happening.

We figured it was time to get her a potty. Her very own pink princess throne. (No, it does not have lame Disney princesses on it, although the seat cushion is so incredibly squishy, I'd like it for my own bum. It's no wonder she begs to sit on it.)

So, yesterday after nap we tried out the potty. She sat down for a good ten minutes, with her juice and the water running. (Hey, I wanted this to be successful!)

I was getting ready to leave for a baby shower, and when I absolutely had to leave she still had not gone. So, I kissed her good bye and left.

Paul says not five minutes later, she peed. ON THE POTTY!!!!!!!! (Excuse the over use of punctuation, I can see the light at the end of my diaper changing future!)

Not only had she gone the first time, but two times after that. AND, this morning when she woke up she asked to go potty and did it! She's amazing, incredible and has the brain capabilities of a genius.

So, I must bid this entry adieu because we have company coming and I still have to get the snacks together.

Please stand by for the next potty filled installment! *wink*

Where have we been? OUTSIDE!

2009-04-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone!

So you can understand why this blog has gone unnoticed for the last couple of weeks, I decided to post a few pictures of my sweet girl outside!

It's been gloriously sunny out these last few days, and we have been taking advantage of it! I even got a twee of sunburn on my face and arms. (Emersen was inside, taking a nap during peak hours so she was spared!)

This is her decidedly adorable wimple style bathing suit. Her Gigi and I thought it would be perfect, since the material has a sun protection factor of 50 and it covers a whole heck of a lot! I decided she would wear this one outside, and her bikini (adorable period) to the indoor pool here on base. I still slather the sunscreen on allover her body, but this gives me the feeling of having "insurance" in case I miss something, which happens to the best of moms. It even covers her ears!

Here she is playing with some buddies in the pool. They all had a blast. The huge bummer about it was the weather changed right after we got everyone swimming ready. It got windy and cold and all the moms had to run in and grab sweatshirts and hats for the kids. It was sweaty hot literally one minute, and the next it was fleece and boots cold. Washington, give us a BREAK!

This is Emersen doing her new favorite activity. She grabs the small boppy, intended for propping newer babies up for tummy time, and her baby. Then she pats the baby, and tries to give it the bink. She'll kiss it, rock it and give it a squeeze (hug, if you aren't familiar).

My heart just swells to a million times its size when I see her do this, completely on her own with no direction from anyone.

She's so sweet!

So, that's what we've been up to. Playing like crazy outside!

The night before I left for Napa, we decided to make our own cheese filled burgers. They were a hit, and this was the result:

Paul's burger had freshly sliced jack cheese in the middle, and my burger had bleu cheese!

They were so tasty, I've already had redo requests!

California Bound!

2009-04-09T07:56:00.001-07:00

Exactly one year ago today, this is what Emersen looked like! She's still so cute, but man she was an adorable tiny baby!

This afternoon we are leaving for California! I super can not wait to be home, and in the sunshine! Apparently I will have to wait a day or two for the sun, but I'm okay with that! As long as I get some of it, that is okay with me!

We had an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday with a bunch of the neighborhood kids. This is Emersen's "practice" Easter Dress. I didn't want to get her fancy one dirty before the actual day! She loved it, and now has one practice egg hunt under her belt. She had the best time putting eggs in her bucket and saying "Thank you!" She's so polite, even to Easter Eggs!

I can't wait for everyone to see her, and see how amazing she is. She's still pretty shy at first, but now that she can run around she warms up to people a lot more quickly.

Well, I hear her stirring in her crib so I'd better get ready to start my day!

See you Napkins so very soon!

Kaci

Little girls and girls dresses from Shabby Baby

2009-03-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Emersen is such a girly girl. She loves chapstick, tights and hair bows. She literally asks for me to put bows in her hair. That is why I think she would look absolutely stunningly girly in this gorgeous green dress from ShabbyBaby.

Here is the link to the dress: http://www.shabbyapple.com/p-305-jardin.aspx. Oh, little girls and girls dresses from Shabby Baby are so cute!

If it's pictures you want, it is pictures you shall have!

2009-03-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

Despite the sun on this day, it was still very cold!

Hats, mittens (and no, her thumbs are not in the thumb holes!) and jackets were a total necessity!

I know this is not of the baby, but I had to share our burger night feast! Sweet potato french fries and a mushroom swiss bacon and onion burger would be my last
meal!

.

If you click the picture, you can see the star border a bit better. Keep in mind, it's my first cake!

This is Emersen, sharing her lunch! She's such a great eater, and always has been. I really appreciate how well she eats, since I have a few friends with picky babies.

She just shovels in all the tasty morsels I've prepared for her!

Here she is, modeling for me! Just before her bath, I put her robe on and had her go find daddy! He thought she looked so cute, I had to snap a few pictures!

Where is my grace?

2009-02-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

Something I've struggled with in my life is grace.

I never know who deserves it, who I should give it freely to and who to hold back on. (If such a person exists.)

Instead of saying "I don't have grace for _____," I've decided to say/think/do "I want to have grace for _____." Because right now, there are a few people in my life who could use my grace and I want to have grace for them, but it feels like I don't.

I have miles upon miles of grace for Emersen, yet not nearly as much for Cooper or Paul.

I have almost no grace for people who speed down my street, but when I'm in a hurry I hope someone (namely police officers) have grace for me.

I have marginal grace for parents who don't teach their children right from wrong, as evidenced in the previous entry.

Should I have grace for the parents who don't stop their child(ren) from terrorizing the playground?

This is where I am conflicted. I don't understand Grace. I want to, but I don't. Up until I became a Christian, grace meant poise and balance. Now it's a whole other ball game.

Did someone cut in the grocery line? Give them grace. They must be in a bigger hurry than I.
Did someone cut me off in traffic? Give them grace, they may not have seen me.
Is someone consistently taking from me? Give them grace, they need it.

The list could go on forever.

Now I'll ask the forbidden question.

Who gives ME grace? Well, the simple answer is, God. He should be providing all the grace I can handle. Some days I wish it were enough and some days it is.

http://picasaweb.google.com/thenavywife21 for new pictures of Emersen.

Kaci

Motherhood Diatribe Number One

2009-02-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Mall Playgrounds.

Now, I will be the first to admit it. I take Emersen to the mall playground because it's the only indoor play area and it rains here a lot! It is also a wonderful place to let the kiddies get their energy out before having to sit still in their strollers while the mommies do their shopping!

However.

There are quite a few drawbacks to the mall playground. And of course, since you all know me, I know you know I'm going to list them:

1. Cooties. Lots of cooties all over the place, especially during the winter/flu season. Runny noses, coughing and sneezing. Not enough hand sanitizer in the free world.
2. Psychotic children. I've only been there a handful of times, but I can tell you with some authority that the kids can run amok. Especially all hopped up on candy from the Sweet Factory or an Orange Julius.
3. Lazy parents. ("Ashawanda! Git over here...don't make me git up!") *die*
4. Unobservant parents. I had this experience today. A little blue shirt wearing boy was running around terrorizing the whole place. Now, typically you know which kid belongs to which parent but I was looking around and couldn't find this kid's mom for the life of me. Until he tried to escape the playground and his mom stopped him. No reprimand for terrorizing all the other kids, just "Don't leave the play ground." After the second time I personally told him not to push (In my mommy voice "Do Not Push Him") someone else's child I looked over at one mom and said "If I have to tell him not to push one more time, his mom's going to get an earful from my mouth and it's probably not going to be censored."
5. Parents who bring their sick kids. At one outing, Nicole and I were playing around with Emersen when a little girl started spanking a bunch of other kids. Not only did her mom perform number 3 on this list, but she committed the cardinal sin of bringing her daughter to a playground with a full blown rash all over her body! Now, I might have excused the incident if the little girl wasn't running and scratching at the same time. This gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies! I informed the security guard of the situation, and he was shocked. He had to get on the walkie talkie to find out what the protocol was. They'd never had this situation before!
6. The Bribing Parent. "If you play nice, you can have a smoothie!" UGH! Shouldn't the reward be the act of playing in the mall to begin with? It's not a right, it's a priviledge. One that can and should be taken away at a moments notice. THE MOMENT the behavior becomes unacceptable, the child should be removed and reprimanded.

Those are just the basics. I could get in to the "Toughen up" dad or the "Cell phone" mom not to mention the mom who brings all her kids, despite the fact that three of the four are six inches too tall to play there anyhow.

Of course, these things demand a certain level of manners and courteousness out of the parent. Notice each type of downfall is really the action or inaction of the parent which causes the problem.

Parents I see around town simply don't pay enough attention. These kids grow up thinking it's definitely okay to push boundaries and limits.

It is definitely okay to allow your child to push their limits and boundaries when it comes to success in life or achieving a goal.

It is NEVER okay to let your child push the limits of socially acceptable behavior.

Here are my rules for Emersen: (None of which she has ever attempted, but once she does she'll know where I stand)

1. Never ever touch another child without their permission. (This regards tag, hugs goodbye and what not)
2. No bodily fluids will leave your body in the playground. (This is in regards to spitting and peeing your pants!)
3. If you hurt someone by accident, you must apologize and ask if they are okay without whining or an attitude.
4. Absolutely no crazy screaming in the playground. It's rude and no one appreciates it.
5. When it is time to leave, you will put your shoes on and walk out yourself without crying, whining or screaming (see number 4). I say how long you will be allowed to play, you determine whether or not you will be allowed to play for that time.

Kids need to know where they stand, and what to expect. If you can't predict the outcome of your actions, how will you know what is appropriate and what is not?

This concludes Motherhood Diatribe Number One!

Questions, comments and constructive critisism will be generously accepted!

We're so busy!

2009-02-08T12:15:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been so incredibly busy! Flying home from Texas on the 4th, we got home and went to bed immediately since Paul was not granted an extra day off to recuperate from traveling. He went to work the next day. Friday was the 6th, and our tax money was deposited in to our bank account. (WHOO HOO!) I went to work researching and pricing out a new washer and dryer, since ours are just not good. The washer will only wash clothes in water a polar bear would shiver in, and the dryer's sole heat setting is "The Sun." Seriously, it melts buttons. (Sorry Nicole!)

So, now we are the proud owners of a matching set of Kenmore appliances that I will be recieving a whopping thirty percent off of, due in part to good timing and well applied research. (And some sage advice from a man on his lunch break in the middle of a hectic work day and who has been buying appliances for a good thirty years. You may know him as Ben but I call him Dad! Thank you Dad!)

While in Texas, we had a total blast. Emersen had a second 1st birthday and it was wonderful! Tons of family came, and we were very excited for Emmie to meet all the relatives who could make it! I know I had fun seeing how much growing my neices and nephew have done in the last few years. Emersen also met her first first cousins! Paul's brother Jamie had come to town, and his daughters stayed the weekend. Seeing him with his girls makes me want to have a few more of my own! We also got to go out to dinner with our friends, Jeni and Chris! They are so much fun! Jeni used to be Emersen's teacher at MyGym here in Silverdale. Since they moved to Texas, we decided it would be fun to hook up with them. The night went by way to quickly!

Okay, I got off track! Friday was the big purchase, plus our Secret Santa gift exchange between Paul and I and two other couples our very best friends. Ben, Nicole, Valerie and Mick came over for pizza and the gift exchange. Since everyone had pretty much figured out who had whom, we just handed each other the gifts and went about opening. My gift was the game Mad Gab. It was hysterically funny. Any game that can simultaneously make six different people laugh has got to be a good time, and it was! Paul got a movie and a t-shirt with a skull and crossbones on it that read "The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves" just in time for him to be assigned to the USS Emory S. Land! He can't wait to see the guys' reaction to that one!

Saturday was spent low key, and at home. We needed some rest from all the busy! Last night, Paul left here at six o'clock to get to the airport. His flight left so early in the morning, he made the decision to spent the night in the USO so he wouldn't have to get up at 2 a.m.! He slept well last night, and is officially headed to Jackson, MS where he'll drive the two hours to Meridian, MS and attend his school for three weeks. I can't tell you how happy I'll be to have him back home!

The pictures in the entry were taken by Paul's family friend Brandy. She was responsible for our wedding pictures, and now she's done Emersen's 1 year portraits. They are fantastic, I love them and I'm so glad she could capture my sweet baby's personality in just a short time! Thank you to Brandy for my wonderful keepsakes!

Finding my way

2009-01-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

Taking time for yourself as a mother is a conflicting act. On one hand, to be a balanced person you must find more than one thing to fulfill you. On the other hand, you don't want to miss one minute of your sweet baby's life! What if she does something new, and you missed it!? This is something I used to wrestle with, but now I understand my time away from her helps me appreciate the time I do have with her, and I can focus on my self and my soul. It is perfectly acceptable and encouraged even to have interests outside of your spouse, and your children. So, I've found two things! One is painting pottery, and the other is baking! (Of course, the latter may have to go hand in hand with getting out to the gym three times a week too!)

Here is just one picture of the Cupcake Pops I attempted last night. Trial and error tells me that they need to be a lot smaller, and I needed to leave them in the freezer for at least an hour. (I could not stand waiting any longer than fifteen minutes...blast my impatience!) I will definitely try them again, as they taste DELICIOUS and are so very cute!

Every other Wednesday, my girlfriends and I try to get out and do something girly where we can talk to each other like adults! It's lovely, and I cherish those few hours I get! Of course, on the odd Wednesday the husbands typically will get together and play in a poker tournament.

My latest pottery piece is not done being fired yet, but I will show off the piggy bank my grandma bought me to paint! It turned out so cute, and I'm glad I had a while to think about what I wanted to do before I actually put paint to pottery.

There was one stipulation put on this pig, and it was the fact that she definitely needed a lady bug companion since Emersen is called LadyBug by her Gigi (great grandma).

As always, you can click on the pictures to see their full size. If you notice, this little piggy got into some mud, and now has some dirty playfully smudged on her little feet!

Now, for the pictures that I know you all come here for. Baby pictures!!!

This is proof positive that boredom plus stickers plus a curious baby equal hysterically cute pictures, every single time. We (Nicole, Paul and I) were all laughing so hard because she looked so cute, that she thought it was funny and started laughing uncontrollably too. It was so much fun, I can't wait to blackmail her with it one her first date. Although, that might be when she's thirty if Paul has anything to say about it!

This morning Emersen had somewhere to be! She grabbed her sunglasses and her Elmo purse and walked around the house for the better part of half an hour. The cutest part was when she would pull the sunglasses half off, like sliding them down her nose as if to say "Yes, can I help you?" Oh well, I can't describe it as well as a picture can show you!

Is that not so adorable? I'm also so happy she's walking around for the majority of the time. Why you ask? Because now she can wear dresses again! Crawling babies and dresses just don't mix!

So on another note, Paul (I know, I never write about him!) is getting ready for a couple of work related trips. He will leave Wednesday with his Chaplains and they will travel to Great Lakes, Il to the Naval Training Command. Once there, they will educate the Chaplains stationed there on how to run a Spiritual Fitness Center, like the one they run here. Then, a few days after he gets back, we'll take a trip to Texas, for Paul's family to meet Emersen! Then, just a few days after we get back from Texas, he'll fly to Meridian, MS to partake in some further education for his rating. They call it "F-school" and it's basically leadership training. Teaching him how to teach other Religious Program Specialists how to do their job, and do it well. That trip will take about three weeks, which will put us at the end of February! Phew, 2009 is already flying by!

I hope everyone has a nice holiday off tomorrow, and that the inaguaration goes smoothly on Tuesday! It seems like the whole world has put extreme resposibility on this one man's shoulders. It's a lot to expect of one man, but as long as we can unite as a country I think we'll be just fine.

http://picasaweb.google.com/thenavywife21/01172009

The Long-Awaited Posting

2009-01-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

Being the mother of a one year old is strikingly different than being the mother of an infant. Before one year, my child was malleable, and willing to do the things I wanted her to do because she didn't know she could do something else. Now, she has her own opinion about what to play with next or whether or not she should get out and off of (she climbs the inside!) the fridge. She also goes and gets things to play with, instead of having me dump a bunch of toys on the floor next to her. She can even go and get a book she wants to read, or her Tupperware shape sorter because she's really into that right now.

Now as a first time mom, part of me wants to dig my heels in and tell her "Mommy said so!" The other part of me, the part knowing about child development and process wins out and I remember how absolute things feel to a child. When I take a toy from her so we can go change her diaper, it is like I've taken it from her forever. So when she throws a fit and I start to get impatient, I have to relax and think about how it looks from her perspective.

Her first Christmas went very well. We were practically snowed in, because on Christmas Eve we got a good six inch smattering of powdery snow. Nana and Papa got here around four o'clock after a harrowing drive up. We appreciate them coming up here to share in all the Christmas wonderful! Emersen was gifted many many wonderful toys, including Elmo Live! She loves that toy, and even signs please when she sees him. She knows he has to be turned on before the fun can begin!

Her birthday was fantastic as well. We had a houseful of people who love us, and have helped in more ways than I can imagine this last year.

She really loved digging into her cake, although the angel food was a little hard to get her hands on. She played in the Dream Whip we made her (I didn't even know about Dream Whip until my mom mentioned it!) and I was happy she didn't get sick from all the sugar. I wanted her to have a nice experience with her first cake, rather than having a sugar high, sugar low and then an upset stomach and diaper troubles!

The rest of Nana and Papa's visit was filled with fun stuff like Emersen's first trip to go bowling, and roller skating! The bowling alley was fun for her, she loved the colorful bowling balls and all the other little boys that were paying attention to her! The roller rink was fun at first! The roller skates may have been a little too heavy for her to enjoy herself. She went around the rink once and was done. So, the rink provides strollers for babies to be strolled around! She sat in the stroller and had a BLAST!

Nana also got a chance to stroll Emmie around so I could go faster around the rink. I loved
rollerskating as a kid, and it turns out I still do!

Emmie also got to know and love her Papa! (Of course, who doesn't love my dad...I mean, he's my dad!) They bonded over Clementine oranges, which are her favorite fruit! They read books, they played on the floor and they walked. It was so stinkin' cute, I wish everyone could have seen it!

Well, my super big One Year Old is awake from her nap. I hope this update is all you wanted and more! :)

Kaci

Coming Soon To A Blog Near You!

2009-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

I swear I'm going to write an entry soon. One that regales you with the wonderful Christmas and very happy first birthday Emersen had. However, since turning one, Emersen has decided that mommy has better things to do than write about her! (Mommy begs to differ, this is fun!)

Pictures and prose to come,

Happy New Year!

Kaci

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

We finally bought our Christmas tree, last night. It was freezing cold, and Emersen cried the whole time in our dear friends' Jeep...but it was worth it. We brought the dvd recorder, so we definitely have footage of our baby picking out a Christmas tree! A big shout out to our most amazing pair of friends in the universe, The Smiths. Without them, we wouldn't have a Christmas tree. Their jeep saved the day! (Thank you both from the bottom of my heart, you are both incredibly and wonderfully amazing family to us.) They also forced Paul to listen to Christmas music, which he hates and I absolutely love. I don't blame him for not liking it though, quite a few years working the holidays in a grocery store where the holiday music starts before Thanksgiving and doesn't stop until after New Years would drive anyone crazy. However, I did get a giggle from him while I lip-synched the words from the Alvin and the Chipmunks rendition of Christmas Christmas.

So as I sit here typing these prose, just having finished re-decorating the tree with some incredibly sentimental ornaments I dug out of a box I can't help but feel excited about Christmas again. As your grow up, your imagination falls by the wayside to more realistic ideas and (hopefully not) pessimism about certain things like paying for Christmas, waiting in lines at the grocery store that would rival a ride at Disney World and the like.

Although there is no love lost between Santa and I. No one ever spoiled the surprise for me, and I'm sure my sister figured it out way before I did she didn't say anything either. It definitely was not some tramatic childhood incident. I think it was the year I was old enough to recognize my dad's handwriting that did it for me. It was a present that said "From Santa" in my dad's tell tale block handwriting. He tried to convince me that he was just the "writer of labels" and Santa had actually dropped the gifts off that night. My parents did an excellent job each year, making sure we made Cookies For Santa, and left carrots for the reindeer. Sure enough, the next morning the cookies and milk were gone and the carrots had been eaten. (Cookies and carrots?! My poor dad...)

I love Christmas, I love helping out a less than fortunate family and making sure they have dinner and benefactors for gifts. Last year, we went shopping at Toys R Us for gifts to give to Toys For Tots. I was hugely pregnant, and we had three huge bags of toys to give but the bin was gone! We hunted down the person responsible for making sure the donations got where they needed to be and donated them. This year, God pointed me to a woman who's misfortune was just too much for my tiny budget to handle and so I sought out the help of my husband and his Chaplains. They figured out a way to give this woman and her family of eight children a Christmas dinner and gifts for all the children. What a blessing, and true miracle for them.

Emersen's first Christmas is going to be huge, over the top and out of control. Her first birthday is going to be the same. But hey, if forty year old men get earrings and fifty year old women get tattoos because "they are only that age once" then my baby can get all the things I want for her because next year is not her year of firsts this year is!

Thank You, Baby!

2008-12-15T11:11:00.001-08:00

Thank you baby, for helping Mommy!

This is what happens when you leave your freshly laundered clothing on the floor for your precocious eleven month old to explore.

Having the laundry on the floor would seem like a bad idea, but it makes me fold it faster knowing she'll be 'round to destroy it if I don't get it folded and put away!

We still haven't gotten a Christmas tree, and that may seem like a bad thing but let me tell you I am not anxious to put up a tree with ornaments and pine needles all over the place with my one year old toddling around. However, some things must be done, because the happiness will out weigh the inconvenience...right?

This dog, and this baby are in LOVE with each other. She laughs when he kisses her, and he loves that she can rub him in all the ways he wants! This is what I walked in on after I'd left the room for a moment!

This past Thursday, my two favorite neighbors and I decorated Christmas cookies! Emersen got to help, and Jason did too! (Jason lives next door, upstairs!) We had a bowl of flour on the table to coat our rolling pins and mats with so the dough wouldn't stick. Well, to Jason it looked like snow (because someone said it did...ahem...me...ahem) and everyone including Emersen got a hefty dose of "snow!" (Maybe some of Emersen's snow was her mom's doing...) Each kiddo had a blast, and when all was said and done we had some glorious cookies...that we didn't end up taking pictures of because they were eaten too fast!

Nunchuck baby! This is one of her favorite toys at Mattie's house! They are foam, and apparently lovely for chewing! She loves their house so much, because Jason has all these toys that aren't technically for babies, but fun nonetheless! Little matchbox cars, nunchucks, train sets and the like are all fair game at their house!

Mommy says "Emersen, show me your teeth!"

Emersen says ":P"

So cute!

Okay, so the point of this picture was to show you her cow outfit! I couldn't resist. It was on sale on Black Friday and it's just so adorable!

Well, that is all for this installation. Emersen is napping and I want to take advantage of that fact!

Laid back weekend!

2008-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Paul has been gone on a retreat. It was his turn for duty...major bummer!

So, Emersen and I have been hanging out playing with her toys and generally just passing time! We did go do some Santa shopping last night, and we shared a Subway sandwich. She loves to eat! It's hard to believe she can eat pretty much whatever we eat, and she only has one tooth!

She's getting closer and closer to being a walking baby! She will take a maximum of two steps toward something, like the couch. Sometimes if she's in a good mood, she'll take five steps toward me if Paul sets her up just right. Although right now she mostly just tries once, and if she falls she sits down, puts her head on the floor and whines. It's her brand of throwing a fit! I think it's very cute, at least for now!

One night this week, Paul and I made baby back ribs for dinner. (Our favorite) Only, instead of using store bought sauce, we made it from scratch using his grandmother's recipe. It was delicious, and my house smelled like a smoke house for days afterward. Emersen also equally enjoyed the ribs, as evidenced by the huge amount of grease on her face from me letting her chew on a bone. (Just like the dog!) She had a grand time just licking the goodness off of it. At one point, she was so excited about the rib bone she started jumping up and down and dropped the rib. Well, Cooper immediately sensing something delectable was on the floor bounced over and ate it in a half second. Emersen saw this and just teared up and started wailing. Before one tear could drop, I had another rib in her hand and she was just jolly as can be! This whole cycle happened two or three more times before I had to cut it off because the dog didn't need any more rib bones!

Sharon and Jordan came to play the other day, and Cooper was in heaven! He's definitely the kind of dog that wants to be pet constantly, and the babies crawling all over him are like a doggy massage! In this picture, Emersen is desperately trying to get at Jordan to kiss her! She's the sweetest baby, always wanting to kiss and snuggle. I love it so much! Of course, Jordan was having none of it! That just egged Emersen on even more.

As you can see, Cooper's bum is still a bit shaved from his unfortunate bum illness. I've talked to the vet and his bum is healing nicely. There aren't any residual effects from the infection he had and he's looking great. Although his coat could be a bit shinier...the vet recommended Salmon Oil capsules. We'll try brushing him more often and getting him groomed first...then we'll start with the stinky fish pills!

This baby makes me so happy, I just want to squeeze her! When she goes to bed at night, usually around eight I stay up and spend some time with Paul. Then, around nine thirty I start thinking about her and how much I miss her...even though she's only in the next room! It's crazy to think how fast a year can go by. It's like blinking! The first week, we weren't sure if she'd come out of the hospital because of the jaundice...now we are watching her walk! It's a feeling of accomplishment, and of sweet memories. I want to keep her in my arms forever.

Parenting is a wonderful job, but to do it well is to watch your children walk away from you secure and content. I just didn't think it would happen so fast!

Too funny not to share!

2008-12-05T11:57:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving and Black Friday!

2008-11-30T12:44:00.001-08:00

"Come near this turkey leg, or I'll go ninja baby!" is definitely the quote for this picture!

She had a blast with all the fun and colorful foods on her little tray. I have to give my bestie Nicole a shout out because she bought that little blue high chair specifically for Emersen so she could sit at the table with us on Thanksgiving! I nearly cried, and realized for the millionth time this year that it is my friends who I am truly thankful for. They've supported me in more ways than I can think of. It's not easy having a baby while away from your family! My friends have stepped up and become my family, taking on Emersen as their own surrogate niece! Playing with her so I can just take a shower, or fold the laundry! This Thanksgiving, I am truly thankful for all the people in my life!

Here she is actually eating the whole shebang! She liked my stuffing the best, and of course the sweet potatoes. The turkey was a close third and for some reason mashed potatoes are not her favorite. She'll eat them, but not as willingly as sweet potatoes!

This is baby and daddy after a bath at Nicole's house! After being so in to her dinner, she definitely needed hosing off!

The whole day was awesome, we had a great day and for the first time in awhile I felt like I wasn't missing out on anything at home, because I was spending time with people who we love and who love us back!

On Friday, Nicole (the brave soul that she is) and I went shopping! We hit WalMart first! I couldn't believe the things I saw once five a.m. hit. Video game consoles flying through the air, and a rush for digital picture frames that would have the people in the running of the bulls screaming for sanctuary. It is all very disheartening when you think about all the poverty in this world, while you are watching others around scramble for the last V-Smile baby video game console. However, I kept my head down got what I wanted (A newborn cabbage patch doll) and we got out of there by five after five. Next we hit up Toys R Us, Gymboree, JoAnn Fabric and the Navy Exchange. We were home by eight! Paul and Emersen were both still sleeping soundly!

All in all, we had a blast and I ended up getting all the things I was really wanting for Emersen's first Christmas and birthday.

Here is Paul and Emersen getting some much needed housework done on Friday morning! She loves doing anything she thinks she isn't supposed to, so helping daddy do the dishes was a huge treat for her! (Or so she thought!)

Emersen's buddy Jake came over on Friday night because his daddy was playing poker with Emersen's daddy and some of their friends. They both gave me the same look when I said "Hey Babies!"

Well, this is all for now. I have some house cleaning to avoid and some laundry folding to procrastinate on doing!

Everything will be better soon!

2008-11-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

This has been a week of "mommy can't fix it, but it will feel better soon." YIKES!

Emersen acquired her first bruise by trying to reach for a toy, and since her whole body followed behind her as she reeeeaaaached when she missed her forehead smacked into the toy. It was so sad, and I felt so awful! She just fell to the floor, and cried with her head down on the floor. Had I the presence of mind to grab the camera, I would have. The way she just lay there was so pathetic, it needed to be on film (well, you know what I mean). I scooped her up (instead of grabbing the camera) and cuddled her to me. I said "Mommy wants to fix it, but I can't! It will feel better soon, I promise!"

You can kind of see the remnants of the bruise on the right of her forehead. It's all but gone now, and although I'm sure she's forgotten how badly it hurt. I'll never forget the look on her face when she realized it hurt!

Cooper has also had his fair share of the down side of life lately. Suffice to say, and to save you a lot of rather gaggy moments...he's going to be fine but is on antibiotics and prednisone along with the rather fashioable cone collar he has to sport until his bum is healed. The most pathetic portion of this whole episode is the fact that he won't even move an inch without one of us helping him. He will stand there until I lay him down, or if I send him out to pee he'll just walk around trying to sniff the ground and getting his conehead stuck face down. Life can teach some pretty cruel lessons! Something both baby and dog have learned this past week.

If you click on this picture, you should be able to see Emersen's first tooth! It's so tiny still, and hasn't really stuck all the way out yet but it is definitely there! If I tap my finger nail on it, it makes a sound! That qualifies it as a definite tooth!

We've also learned the joys of a diaper box...thanks to Nicole S.

I love all my friends so much, they don't mind entertaining my baby while I shower! Of course, if I don't shower and we go out in public together the smell may get to them...so it's most likely in their best interest to let me bathe!

You can't really see it in the picture, but her shirt says "Miss Behaving!"

Father Daughter Moments

2008-11-21T10:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Paul came home for a minute to look for something he thought he left at home.

I was holding Emmie, and she lit up when she saw him! She knows what time he usually comes home, so if he shows up any other time it's like Christmas to her! (Even though she's never had a Christmas!)

I know Paul appreciates these precious moments as much as I do. When your baby just throws her arms around you as far as she can and lays her sweet head on your chest ten seconds longer than you think she will it's heartwarming!

That's it for today, short and sweet! :)

Happy 5th Anniversary...To US!

2008-11-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

That's right folks, we have been married for five years! It's a huge milestone! We "celebrated" by spending yesterday completely separate from each other! Actually, we did not celebrate but we each did something we love doing. I painted ceramics with Nicole S. and Paul went to play poker! It was so nice to be able to get out of the house without Emersen. I love that baby, but once in a while I like to relax and paint and get involved in something that is not baby.

Paul did get me five gorgeous red roses, one for every year we've been married. They are so pretty and smell fantastic!

Speaking of the center of my universe, here she is getting into some crazy mischief! She is standing on her car seat, trying to get at something I told her she could not have on the ottoman! The look on her face says "What mom? I didn't do it!"

Lately she's been getting more and more confident with standing and trying to walk. She does not yet want to stand up on her own, but she has taken a few practice steps toward something. I'll count her first steps when she takes them in the middle of the living room!

Lately these two have been inseparable. Although, that cup does have some baby treats in it, and wherever the treats go...Cooper's nose is sure to follow! She will lean over to him and try to give him an open mouthed kiss, and he licks her first then she giggles! It's so adorable!

I love it every single time she laughs! It brings the happiest tears to my eyes. Our baby laughs! Our baby is happy! Whatever we are doing, we're doing it properly because she seems very secure in who she is.

Her hair is starting to have the most curious wave to it! Am I going to have a curly haired red head?!? I hope so, because that face could only be made cuter with curls! I guess we'll have to wait and see! Her hair is getting thicker by the minute, and it seems like every morning I pick her up and see more hair!

This video shows just how many faces she can make in 25 seconds!

Short (But Sweet) Visits From Grandma

2008-11-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Dena (Paul's mom) came to visit! We had a great time. It started off with the Chaplain Corps Anniversary Dinner on Friday, and not only did it mark the 233rd anniversary of the Chaplain Corps but it also marked the first time I left Emersen with a babysitter who wasn't a relative! Nicole Smith (I know, but still...no relation!) is a very dear friend of ours and she was Emersen's first babysitter! I was naturally nervous, more so because I wasn't sure how Emmie would handle having someone else there to comfort her. Someone who wasn't Paul or myself. Turns out, all concern was for naught. She did really well! Nicole played with her, and had a grand time. She was upset after Valerie left (she brought my dress and stayed awhile) but all was okay after Nicole fed her one of her favorites foods...a pickle! I don't yet have any pictures from the dinner, but it was a fantastic night. We met Admiral James Simons, and his Chief Of Staff! Chaplain Brown ( a man near and dear to our hearts, we were stationed with him at Cherry Point) met Dena and insisted she and I meet the Admiral. What an honor! This is not normally bestowed upon sailor's wives and moms! Shortly after dinner, there was a cake cutting ceremony and man the cake was tasty! Once we had eaten our cake and made the rounds, I was ready to get back home to my sweet girl and my feet were KILLING ME! Stay at home moms don't typically spend the day in four inch heels you know! Although, I was feeling like such a lady in my dress, heels and freshly manicured fingernails. (Thanks Mom!)

Saturday we spent shopping! Well, at least a little bit of shopping, and some printing of portraits for Mom to bring back to Texas with her.

We also found a skosh of time to spend hanging out on the floor with everyone's favorite tiny friend. She was more than willing to ham it up for the camera! I know that doesn't shock a single person out there who also knows this baby's mom! Emersen really took to her Grandma! It wasn't long before they were hanging out, laughing and playing with her Elmo that she loves more than any of the other thousand toys she has! (Although my old cell phone is a close second.) We went to lunch at Famous Dave's where Emersen ate and ate and ate! Apparently, she really likes barbeque! Hmmm...there must be some of Paul's genes in there after all!
On a completely different note, Emersen has a deep love for Arrowroot cookies, and since we ran out before Nana could ship us some...I broke down and bought her Biter Biscuits. (They have a few too many chemicals for my liking, but hey...they keep her entertained for about twelve minutes!) Although Nana did save our lives a couple days ago by shipping two boxes of the naturally made practically chemical free Nabisco arrowroot cookies. (Thank You Nana! Even though you are in Cabo San Lucas right now, swimming up to a bar in a pool and we are freezing our bums off in the rain!) As you can see from the grime on her face, she had a great time with the biscuits, chemicals and all...and I had a "great" time scrubbing her cheekies!

It's that time again! Most of you will remember that every so often I take Emersen's picture with her Build-A-Bears. The most recent addition is Chilly The Penguin and his little friend. Build A Bear sends coupons, or we'd never even entertain the idea of purchasing these overpriced, but incredibly adorable and soft friends. I believe this is the fourth or fifth picture in the series so far. I can't believe how my tiny baby has grown! Those bears used to be bigger than her! Then there was the picture where she looked like one of the stuffies! I'll continue to mark her growth with these bears as long as she'll let me!
Now, I know you can't see her precious face in this picture...but her face wasn't the point! The purpose of this photo was to show you her first pair of shoes! Real shoes, with rubber soles and velcro (God Bless the inventor of that stuff!) to keep them on! They are precious, and just a size two! They were also on sale, so I bought another pair in the next bigger size! Nothing like the realization of your little girl growing up than watching her walk around a store with her shoes on! My how time flies when you are having a blast!

Well, it's this mommy's bed time! I have to be careful with bedtimes because I never know when my little monster (sweet baby girl during the day, monster at four a.m.) will wake up!

The Stanly Lane Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-04T20:28:00.001-08:00

I've always known that babies enjoy making fools out of their parents. Mom says one thing, baby does another. Dad claims one thing, baby proves him wrong. Well Emersen does this to me constantly! I thought taking her to the pumpkin patch would freak her out. I thought being put down around pumpkins would be something she'd absolutely hate! Boy was I wrong. She loved it!Here we are sitting on this huge pyramid of hay, in front of some corn. What you don't see is the fact that there were almost fifty kids jumping up and down on this structure! It was totally insane. I don't know why we thought going to the pumpkin patch the day before Halloween was a good idea! Of course, it's been awhile since any of us (Mom, Dad, Paul and myself) have been students at a school that took field trips! Regardless of all the mayhem, we had a wonderful time.
I know the sign says no climbing, but the employee said we could sit her in it, I swear!

That day we also went up valley to see Grandma Neuman. We stopped at Dean and Deluca to show Emersen some of the finer things in life! She enjoyed smelling the cheeses, and picking out honey with Papa.

And here is one last picture, because there are so few of Paul and I being affectionate toward each other!

Back from Papa and Nana's house!

2008-11-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great time! Fortunately, Emersen's rash didn't stick around too long. Here is one picture to satisfy (most of) you.You must click on the picture to get the full effect! Her face is PRICELESS!

More tomorrow because right now I'm just so exhausted! I'd go in to it, but then I'd end up staying up for another hour and I don't want to!

:)

Mommy Life Lessons

2008-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Never in my life have I ever felt so helpless as I have in the last 72 hours. My baby has been sick. Apparently when a stomach virus takes over your baby's immune system the effects can last and last and last. Emersen started this whole nightmare with a fever on Friday. I thought she may have started teething (finally!) so I gave her cold things to chew on, Tylenol and tepid baths (which she let me know she could have done with out thank you very much) and lots of mommy snuggles.

Turns out, when your baby has had a fever for two days and then starts throwing up, your mommy instincts kick in and says "Emergency Room, Now." Unfortunately, two a.m. Sunday morning is when those instincts kicked in for me. Paul and I took Emersen to the E.R. and we were seen fairly quickly, considering we were the only people there. (Praise God) The doctor there examined her, and told us that 102.5 degree fevers where typically indicative of viral infections and there were no medications we could give her to cure it. We'd have to wait it out. He prescribed us some Tylenol so we wouldn't have to stop and by any and sent us on our way.

After a full nights rest, and some Pedialyte she was looking much better. (Here's where life and lessons go hand in hand.) So, I decided to nurse her for a little while because she had to be hungry, she hadn't eaten in almost twelve hours! As soon as I stopped nursing her, every single drop of milk was soaking my hair/shirt/shorts. She threw up, again. Lesson Learned.

So, continue that day of packing and cuddling because the next morning we are to fly to California to see Nana and Papa! Emersen was doing fine, the fever was under control and she was playing normally.

Cut to Monday morning. I called our pediatrician, just to be on the safe side. I let him know we were getting on a plane in a few hours, and I wanted to be absolutely sure we weren't doing something horrible to our baby. The pediatrician told us as long as she was keeping fluids down and having wet diapers without a high fever we were good to go.

And we were! Emersen made it through the flight with little fan fare. Of course, this is her third trip and fifth time flying so this is old hat for her. The little varmints sitting behind us however, were obnoxious and their parents were even more so for not doing something about it. I mean, I even let one of the little ones play with Emersen's toys. (When I pulled them out of the diaper bag to organize it, his eyes got as big as saucers! Other babies toys are like manna from heaven! The mom didn't even acknowledge my efforts to help make her life a bit easier.

So, the drive home was also uneventful, thanks to Darlene and her giant SUV! After getting lost for a few minutes in the airport trying to find our luggage, we get to the vehicle and are on our way. Emersen did quite well our first night home. It was rough putting her in the play pen since her crib is at a different level, she wasn't too sure about being put down so far!

Last night was a different story. Emersen's whole torso was covered in a rash! During the day it didn't look so bad, but when we were trying to get her bathed that I felt the need to take her to the emergency room here in Napa. The rash was creeping up her face! Her FACE! We don't mess with the face! Dr. Sprinkle was awesome. He walked in, and officially declared her rash "something everyone gets when they are a baby" and gave us benadryl to ease her itchiness. Another mommy lesson learned. When your baby has a fever for a few days, she's most likely going to have a rash afterward! B

Phew. Emersen is much happier today, less clingy and warming up to her Nana quite nicely! I'll be updating again soon, probably from home with plenty of pictures!

Today, the leaves fell...

2008-10-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Fall has fallen all over our front lawn!
Today we spent the better part of an hour playing in the leaves outside. The fall colors here are so amazing! Growing up in Napa, we saw plenty of "seasons" but here in Washington there are definitive seasons. You know when spring has sprung and can hear the quiet calm of winter.
Emersen was so much fun to watch in the leaves! She thoroughly enjoyed being sat in the middle of the leaves, and having the other kids throw them on top of her! I thought for sure she would be terrified, but then again babies are constantly making liars of their mommies and daddies. We spent the afternoon walking to the grocery store to get pepperoni, and playing with the neighborhood kids. The weather was not nearly as biting as it has been lately. The sun was shining, the clouds were wispy and the kids didn't really need their hats.
Although, Emmie in a hat is one of the cutest things I've ever seen so of course she had to wear it for a couple of the pictures I took! She's really such an amazing baby. Not really one to explore the taste of things like carpet lint and sticks, I usually don't have to worry about her putting things in her mouth which is such a blessing. However she does love clothing tags and definitely puts those in her mouth whenever she can find them! (Which I'm sad to say is pretty often...but I know that shocks none of you what so ever!)
This face and gesture is most commonly seen when someone says "Hi Baby!" She reaches that chubby little hand out and smiles big. It's absolutely precious. (But I'm 100% biased!)
We've all trampled through fall leaves, seen the colors and heard the crunch under our shoes but experiencing Autumn through my daughter's eyes is such a miracle. She crawls away from me, to get to a tiny pile of leaves she can call her own. Away from the other kids, and from me. Just to shake a leaf and see it fall after she throws it on the ground. Knowing she is secure enough to move herself away from me swells my pride. Seeing that she has the confidence to navigate between two kids that are light years bigger than she is, through a pile of leaves much larger than she is lets me know I'm doing the job the right way. I love raising my baby!

Something as small as shoes.

2008-10-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

During my last visit home, Pete (the pastor of CrossWalk if you don't know!) and Rodney (the youth pastor of CrossWalk) were about to make an important journey to Nairobi. Pete talked about the needs of all the orphaned children, and how most teenage girls don't have feminine products because they can't buy them. He also talked about the raw open sewage running through the streets, and how at best the children have flip flops to cover what...? Their feet? I don't think so. In lieu of making a cash donation, I decided to run out to Target and buy three pair of boys shoes and three pair of girls shoes. I also purchased about ten or so packages of assorted female products. This little boy on the right hand side of the picture could be wearing shoes that I bought! It's an incredible feeling knowing that ten dollars could change someone's life. These days, people say they "can't afford" something. Guess what that means? It means they don't want to. For me, spending the money wasn't the hard part. Shopping DEFINITELY wasn't the hard part. The hard part was thinking about the kids who needed the shoes. They needed the ability to walk to school without getting their feet covered in excrement. Having done this felt amazing. Just one sliver of time, and one fraction of the money I have and someone's life is completely different. What a rush!
Okay, on a completely different subject! Lately, Emersen and I have been doing tons of reading! She is into "kissing" the characters after each page I read! Right now, her favorites are Sesame Beginnings books. They have baby Cookie Monster, baby Elmo, baby Big Bird and baby Zoe. Talk about adorable! I say "Kiss Elmo!" and she leans over to give Elmo a great big (read: wet) kiss! She never misses either. She knows exactly where each character's face is. She also loves books that rhyme, or books that have us point to body parts. Most of her board books (books that have hard pages so they don't tear!) are from Target's 1.00 bin. $1 is practically nothing, so each time we visit Target we have to look and see if they have new books. I buy them when we do, because one dollar is such a small price to pay for how much fun she has!

We have also been trying new foods this week! She's had a blast with everything from English cucumbers to homemade chicken noodle soup. Tonight we had meatloaf, but she ate so fast I didn't have time to take a picture before she was begging for me to give her more. To end this post, I have a couple of pictures of her eating! (Beware, it gets a little messy!)Cucumber Bliss!

Chicken Noodle Nummy!

And of course a bath after all that food because she was super messy!

A Hot Bed Of Germs

2008-10-14T09:07:00.001-07:00

So, we have the sick...again. For some reason, it's hitting us hard this year. Short of keeping the "shut in" lifestyle, I don't know what to do! I really loathe being sick. Especially since it's just a regular, run of the mill no big deal can't exclaim anything like "my leg is haunted" cold. There is nothing special about a cold, just the copious amounts of slime running down Emersen's face. (Yeah, I didn't want to know either.) Although, through it all she remains slightly(majorly) this side of adorable. Despite not taking a nap yesterday afternoon, she went to bed at eight and woke up before five. Now, I don't know about all the other mommies out there but five in the morning is simply not an acceptable time to be awake. So, after about half an hour we tried to go back to bed. Well, we tried anyhow. She was talking and wiggling the whole time. So, around six thirty we got out of bed for good. She made it almost all the way through Sesame Street and then passed out for an hour. Long enough for me to eat breakfast, and starting typing this out!

Yesterday we kind of lazed around the house since Emersen and I were trying not to get sick. I made Paul cinnamon rolls for breakfast, since it was his day to sleep in. (Colombus Day and all.) We did all the laundry, and Paul organized the DVDs. Normally, this wouldn't even recieve a blip of notice on the radar but since Emersen was "helping" I snapped a picture. Yes, all those binders are full of DVDs.

We did manage to get to the exchange to purchase some much needed tissues and a couple other sundries. When did Christmas start being celebrated before Halloween? I mean, the candy is already on sale and Christmas themed EVERYTHING is being put on display! Toys are being pre-wrapped with Christmas paper and candy canes are buy one get one. (Pause to grab a tissue...and to catch my nose...it's running!) Okay, enough grinching. Last night I made a pot pie, with a different take. We had some leftover smoked turkey and I wanted to try using it in place of the chicken in my pot pie. (Pause to grab the rug rat who has something she shouldn't.) Well, the pot pie was fantastic...and I'm almost ashamed to admit that we ate the entire thing. We never eat the entire thing! We usually save half for lunches the next day, but not this time! I should have taken a picture it was so beautiful!

Just for good measure, here are a couple of pictures from the last few days! I was cleaning Emersen's room/finding out what fit her and found this dress given to us by a co-worker of my mom's. The dress is adorable on her, but unfortunately the weather will prevent her from wearing it anywhere to show it off! In this picture, she is "charging it." I don't know how she got the idea that charging something means shaking your arm up and down...but she learned it from somewhere!

This is a picture of Daddy feeding her breakfast at the table. Breakfast was Home made applesauce and rice cereal. She doesn't much mind the cereal as long as it is mixed in with something else!

This is the Hedgehog outfit that I've absolutely loved from the very beginning! She's fitting into it quite nicely now and I'm excited! It has matching socks! I am a sucker for matching accessories, as you can probably already discern for yourselves!

Okay, time for munchkin playtime. Lately our time hasn't been spent playing but rather doing icky chores so I'm desperately in need of some fun baby time!

Paul's 28th Birthday

2008-10-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

We have had quite the day! Starting with Paul's birthday, he turned 28. When asked how he feels about being 28? He simply says "Man, I'm old." I laugh because he is so close to 30! When did we grow up? It feels like yesterday we were 21 and 23 just getting married and starting our life together. Now we have a gorgeous baby and obedient dog!

Around one o'clock this afternoon we headed to Bremerton to get the third photo taken in a four photo series. A photography studio there has a promotion where they take your baby's picture at three, six, nine and twelve months then they mat it for you. I thought it was a smashing deal, so I jumped at it! The only bummer is since their prices are so insane, I won't order any of them therefore I only get to see the ones I pick after the whole series is completed! So in the mean time, we take pictures at Sears!

Speaking of pictures at Sears, here are some of Emersen's nine month portraits!

Are these not so adorable? I'm amazed we got smiles out of her, since it was the second time I was plopping her in front of a stranger asking her to smile and be happy when the light was flashing in her eyes!

Terra is the lady who has taken Emersen's picture since we first had them done. She does an amazing job, and Emersen really responds to her. It's odd how babies "pick" their people. For some reason, she doesn't mind this woman taking her picture! I think it is fabulous because my pictures turn out!

The sailor hat was a total last minute add on! I was talking to our neighbor about how I wished I would have purchased a clean dixie cup cover (the white hat) but I didn't have time. She offered up one of her husband's! So I took it, and I am so happy I did! I'll have to give her one of the pictures I ordered!

This naked sailor one is going to be so much fun to show her boyfriends! I also love this flowery one because it is so feminine and sweet. I've known a lot of babies in my lifetime but seriously, she is SO CUTE! Okay. Enough of the gushing. It's past ten o'clock at night and I have a bedtime routine to adhere to! If you loved/hated the pictures, let me know and leave a comment!

My Gym

2008-10-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday morning, since Emersen was 12 weeks old we have gone to My Gym. If you click the link, it takes you to the company's website. My Gym is all about babies interacting with mommy and daddy and about socializing with each other. The Tiny Tots class is more for the mommies than the babies, but we are moving up to the Waddlers class now that Emersen is crawling! We went to the Tiny Tots class one last time to say good bye to all our friends. Next week we'll be attending a class with babies that can walk!

I love it because it gets us out of the house! They also teach new nursery rhymes and new ways to help your baby with development safely. There are a few things even I didn't know, like instead of holding her hands when she was first learning to stand they taught to hold the fore arm so the delicate cartilage in her wrists doesn't get injured! Of course, plenty of babies have learned to stand the older way but out with the old and in with the new right!

Last night, we had Family Game Night at the McKuen's house. I'm sure I've explained it before, but I'll do it again. Every so often one family hosts game night at their house. They have food and whatever game they want to play ready for the rest of us. A typical game night has about three families at it but as many as six! (Of course, when there are more families we rarely play an organized game!) Last night we played Taboo, and it was a lot of fun. Boys against girls, of course! The girls soundly kicked the boys tooshies! (It happens every time, women's intuition and what not!) Emersen was the only baby last night, but she had a good time playing with Valerie's HUGE remote control. It doesn't control anything, but she likes it anyhow! Emersen loves our friends, and I can
just hand her over to any one of them and she is happy as a clam! It's great because they don't have kids and love the opportunity to play with the cutest baby in the universe!

Now Emersen is taking a nap, which is wonderful because she was so crabby on the drive home! She has been doing so well in the car lately, I'd hate to have her return to her cranky car riding self! She's finally gotten past the whole "being in the car is traumatizing and I can't believe my parents would do this to me" thing. Now she plays happily, or on longer drives just plays until she falls asleep. It's AWESOME!

2008-10-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

I literally can not think of one subject to write here, that would make an entire coherent post so I'll just write about what we've been doing lately!

Yesterday Emersen and I met Paul, his Chaplains, and another RP for lunch at Famous Dave's. This week is Paul's birthday (28!) and Chaplain Sauders as well. (I don't know how old he is!) So, the lunch was for a collective birthday celebration.

I took her to peruse Target afterward, since we were already out. She really has become such an awesome baby to just hang out with! She has this sweet face that practically forces people to look at her, and then she gives them the biggest stink eye face you could imagine! Eyes all squinty, mouth curled up at one side. Someday, I'll catch it on film but I haven't been able to as of yet! The only face I've been able to catch is this one lately.

Last night, Paul and I decorated our Guitar Hero guitars. They come with face plates that are interchangeable, but we decided we didn't like any of the lame ones that cost ten bucks a piece. So, we bought two on clearance for $1.99 each and now we have custom made ones. His is appropriately poker themed, and mine is zebra with a little monster face on it! It was so much fun, and so easy to do!

I hate to admit it, and he'd probably be embarrased that I told but the whole thing was Paul's idea! He wanted to make his own, and talked about making the surface look like a poker table. I think he achieved that goal! I didn't origionally know what I wanted mine to look like but I was inspired at the craft store!

The weather is changing, and not too suddenly either! Althought autumn is absolutely stunning here, typically the sun doesn't cooperate to get amazing pictures! I love when the trees are changing color at the top, but the bottom of the tree isn't aware yet and is still a lush green.

Our house was recently painted as well. We are known as the "Ketchup, Mustard & Relish" block. Our house was painted a yellow and red color, and across the street was painted green and yellow. I like the colors, but the general consensus is that no one would pick these colors if they had to pay for it! It was interesting being taped and drop clothed inside my own house for what felt like one hundred hours! It was really just ten hours, but not being able to see outside was really hard!

This will be my update for now. I have a very limited time to get in the shower and dressed before Emersen wakes up! We have a couple of errands to run. We are also going to Sharon and Jordan's house to see them. They were in Southern California for almost three weeks so we miss them!

Dress Up

2008-10-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Dressing up my baby in a million different outfits every day is so much fun! I swear, her first word is going to be "outfit." This outfit was supposed to be her Halloween costume, however that is not to be! The sizing was off and it barely fits as of today. I'd hate to see how miserable she'd be in it a month from now! We have a back up costume, that I am going to keep a surprise! This next outfit is one that was hand crocheted by a close friend of Emersen's Gigi. (Great Grandma)
Now, I know this picture doesn't really show the whole dress, but her face is just so sweet!

What is it about baby girls that practically mandates that you dress them in the cutest outfit you can find? I love shopping in general, but having a baby girl makes shopping so much more fun! I see things in tiny sizes, and just melt! I "have to" have this or that because she would just look soooooo cute in it! The huge bummer is she outgrows clothes so fast, I can't put them on her enough!
(I mean come on...purple hat, purple cords and elephants!) I maintain that I have to dress her as often as I can, because this time like most times in parenting goes by so quickly. Soon she'll be wanting to wear boxer shorts under her overalls and body glitter. (Oh wait, that's MY fashion nightmare from 1995!) For now, I dress her how I want and I am loving every minute of it! I have a neighbor with a son, and he dresses himself. His pants are backwards, his shirt is inside out and his shoes are on the wrong feet, but he did it all by himself. I know when Emersen wants to dress her self, I'll probably be ready to let her but a part of me will be sad because I can't make her wear what I want her to!

So for now, dressing her is my form of expression...and I choose to express myself with outfits that have matching top and bottom, along with hats, socks, bibs and blankets! It's going to be a sad day when she grows out of the clothes that come with matching blankies! I LOVE the blankets...they get me every time.

Beautiful Baby

2008-10-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

A mother has one job, to love her baby.

There are many babies I have loved with my whole heart. There are many little boys and girls that have touched my life, and shaped the mother I have become.

I thought I knew what love was, who I was and what I was doing in my life. Then I gave birth to my daughter.

The love between my daughter and myself is so evident, it is almost tangible. I recall saying to a very dear friend of mine, while she was holding my brand new daughter, "You think you know how much your mom loves you, but you have no idea." I'm right. Every mother reading this knows I'm right. The capacity God gives you to love rivals the volume of the Grand Canyon a million times over, but I was blissfully unaware of this gift until December 28th, 2007. Now, I know what you are thinking! "What about the love your mom has for you, certainly you know she loves you that much!" True! The capacity you have for being loved is just as big, but it's different when you are the one giving the love rather than receiving it. That is to say, before I gave birth to my daughter I was not aware of the fact that I had this capability. The intensity, the quickness in which the bond happened and the strength it has is almost frightening. Watching her tiny body thrive under less than stellar conditions (which I feel responsible for), learning what could please her so much she smiled, seeing her light up when she sees her daddy, watching her figure out how to rotate things in her own hands and having the pleasure of being around her every day makes me so proud to be a mother, her mom (or in her words...ma ma ma ma ma) and her guardian.

This is my chance to love her like I am loved. To impart unconditional love and acceptance, no matter who she turns out to be. I am loved like this, and if my mom had not loved me this way, my daughter would not know this love. Thank you Mom.

Well Baby Check Up & Clear Creek Trail

2008-09-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Emersen's nine month well baby appointment was yesterday! She weighs 17 pounds, 9 ounces and is 26 1/2 inches long! Dr. Martens said she looks beautiful, is developing properly and there aren't any residual issues with her being a preemie. She is currently in the 25th percentile for weight and height, which is still small but considering she used to be in the 10th percentile progress is being made! I asked him all of my neurotic first time mom questions, which are getting fewer and farther between as time passes. Most of my questions have to do with what kinds of food to give her. Basically, he wants moms to stay away from choking hazards like hot dogs and popcorn. Also, peanuts because of the allergy factor. Pretty much everything else is fair game. I think I'll stay away from eggs/strawberries/tomatoes and other highly allergenic foods until she's one, just to be on the safe side! (Because I am a neurotic new mom after all!)

Today, we went for a walk down Clear Creek Trail. There are several patches of blackberries, and I was reminded of my childhood trips to Klammath to see my great grandparents. Great Grandma Louise would send all the kids (there were countless, too many to name) to pick blackberries, and when we got home she would make homemade blackberry cobbler. She always had blackberry jam on hand too, and I tell you I can taste it in my memory. I can just see myself waking up in the second bedroom to Grandma Louise cooking breakfast, and getting mass amounts of eggs and bacon on the table, along with biscuits and home made jams...so many kinds of jam! Blackberry, Loganberry, plum (my mom made that one) and probably a bunch of others too. I know my sister and I always used to complain about going up there, but now that we don't go I miss it. But anyhow, I digress. Clear Creek Trail was a blast. We went with Mattie and Jason (our neighbors and friends next door). Mattie has this giant SUV, so she fit Cooper in the way back and Emersen's stroller with no hassle what so ever! Cooper had a total blast! He loves going on walks, and riding in the car and today he got to do both! Emersen was napping through much of the trail since the bumpity-bump of the stroller helps her fall fast asleep!

This picture has nothing to do with her appointment, or the trail...but it was just so cute I had to share it! She loves reading her books, which really means having me open the book and point to things on the page that she can "kiss." She opens her mouth and licks whatever I point at, then helps me turn the page and does the same thing! we have a stack of about twenty of her board books out on the living room floor, that I stack up and let her destroy a hundred times a day! I'm not to keen on stepping on the books while trying to get across the living room, but honestly if I were to pick them up while she was awake, I would drive myself crazy. (Short trip, I know!)

Old Mill Days in Port Gamble, WA

2008-09-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

Today was an eventful day! There were five of us total, The Other Smiths (Nicole and Ben) and the three of us. We went to Port Gamble, WA to hang out at the Old Mill Days Festival. It is an annual event, with chainsaw competitions (that we didn't stick around for) and plenty of super tasty food (that we gorged ourselves on). Unfortunately, www.weather.com totally disappointed me! The website said the weather would be overcast all afternoon, with little to no chance of showers. Color me yellow when we get there and the sun is shining its best! So, with an over dressed/under sunscreened baby, we kept on truckin'!

The food was tasty, and the booths were interesting. A lot of wood carving (who would have thought) stations, and plenty of "Sign Up Here To Win 2,000 Dollars Worth The _____" home improvement type of stuff.

My favorite part was laying in the grass waiting for the boys to bring the funnel cakes they bought. Emersen was in a particularly good mood, and Nicole was taking our picture. I also appreciate the car show, where plenty of awesome and tricked out old cars were being displayed. All in all it was a great outing, especially considering it was Military Day and we got in for half price!

The Joys Of Crawling, Baths and Laughter

2008-09-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

Now that Emersen is a full on rug rat, she's getting into everything! She is at the the window and zoom! She is at the sliding glass door. Then she's banging on my computer, and playing with my change purse. It seems as if her toys don't even intrigue her what so ever!

Bath time is pretty much her favorite time of the day lately. She can splash, and play and generally have a good time! It is one of my favorite times too, because she's contained! Sometimes she takes a quick shower with Paul because we get a late start to bath time, but she loves that just the same!

Lately, Emersen has been laughing so hard! Especially since it's mostly at the things I do to get her to laugh. It's like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! I have this gorgeous daughter, who is one of the happiest babies in the world and she laughs too! She thinks I am funny! It's great! Most of you already know that I am quite the jokester, so we have a wonderful time around here just listening to her laugh! Last night, I was just crawling toward her quickly, and she burst out with the greatest belly laugh. I know all moms love their babies, but I am truely in love with her! She is more amazing than anyone could have described, more than I could have imagined or dreamt, and more than I could ever thank God for. My daughter is like an extension of my soul. Now, I fully understand what it is like to have my heart be outside of my body.

Preview

2008-09-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is just a preview of what is to come! Hopefully, I'll be updating regularly with our goings on!

:)

Kaci