Splish, Splash

Emily loves bath time. We hope believe this passion for water may one day lead to an Olympic Gold Medal in swimming or, at the very least, a full scholarship to an Ivy League School. Meanwhile, we encourage her.

Avocados, Yuck!

In attempting to keep up the with Jones (or in this case, the Hortons, my college roommate), I decided to feed Emily home made baby food. The first on the list...Avocados. I figured, how hard could this be. I just peel a piece, mush it up, and WA-LA homemade food. No more jars. Emily would praise me in years to come. I would receive mother of the year.

I gave her a big bite and she gave it right back to me. A few tries later and we were back to the jars. Emily just prefers processed food. See how happy she is after her apples.

Jealousy

Daddy remains Emily's favorite person in the world, so I am wearing the color green lately. I just can't figure it out. I did hold her her in my body for practically ten months and then, I even breast fed her for 5 months. Daddy changed quite a few dippers and stayed up with her. Still, I would love to trade functions for the next child.

Watch Emily use her new mobility to hone in on her father and crawl to wherever he is:

Away from Emily

Before September 29 passes, I decided I better post a new message on this blog. I just returned from a weekend in Napa. To be more precise, we went to Sonoma. The wine people explained that there is quite a difference. I thoroughly enjoyed talking, drinking, traveling, and eating with my close friends, but I missed Emily - and of course my husband.

When I picked her up from daycare, I woke her up from her nap. I just couldn't wait 90 more minutes to see her. Hopefully, sleep deprivation does not have long lasting effects on brain development.

Fine Dining

Emily enjoyed her first meal in her own highchair. She fought gravity as her little but kept slipping down the seat. However, within the next few weeks it should be the perfect fit. Her fine motor skills are improving. With each "solid" feeding, she keeps more of the food in her mouth. Carrots appear to be a favorite. I know the food is going somewhere in that body, because she weighted in at 17 lbs on Thursday at her sixth month appointment. (75th percentile for weight and 80th for head circumference - a lot of room for thinking!)

Shrine to Emily

I went a little overboard upon ordering Emily's professional pictures.
But who could resist this cute face!

Letter to Emily: Month Six

Dear Emily,

You are six months old today. You, who changed my life forever. I remember last June, laying on the couch praying the lime Gatorade would stay in my stomach. I thought "Is a baby really worth it?"

You closely examine any object placed in your reach from the red blocks to the rubber-made lids. Maybe you are preparing to be a scientist - someday studying microscopic viruses through a lens.

When we lay on the floor to play, you grab, with intensity, your yellow dinosaur, shake it once, and stick it in your mouth.

In your last life, I think you were a bird. Whenever you are excited, you flap your arms exerting such a wind that my hair blows. Then, you start panting like you just completed wind sprints.

Your father moved your bath time to after dinner when we found cereal in your hair, on your legs, between your toes, within your elbow crease, and all over your face. The first time, he exclaimed, "Why did we just bathe her?"

I am definitely breast feeding your siblings. A few weeks ago, your father and I spent the weekend getting sick, so you spent it with GranAnne and GranDan. By Sunday night, Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Stephen, and GranDan caught the baby flu. But you never got sick.

We ran errands last week with Aunt Jennifer. In all three stores, people stopped us to goggle over you and exclaim how cute you are. "She looks like a cabbage patch kid."

I think you are on the verge of crawling. By next month's letter, I predict we will be Emily proofing the house.

Love,
Mom