Bag of Tricks

Just in time for Halloween Emma has a set of tricks ready to go!

For the past week this is what I open to the door to after nap time is over. She has been able to stand up for a while now if we stood her up or let her pull herself up. But now she can go from laying down, to sitting up and then standing all her own.


This video is of her showing us her muscles, her tongue and her head. Isn't she smart?


She has recently decided that the green bean is far superior to any other food. Here is what I gave her for lunch (green beans, chicken, spinach and zucchini):


And then here is a video of her picking out all the green beans and spitting out or batting away anything else that came her direction. The only reason I put so many beans on the plate was because I knew she probably wouldn't eat the rest of it...I was correct. Although she did end up eating some spinach (which she really likes) and some apples before lunch was over.


Here is a picture of her almost standing up from a crawl position. I love how her butt sticks straight up in the air. She still won't crawl...she only has eyes for standing and walking. She has mastered standing when she has something to pull up on and now she has her sights set on standing without having to rely on anything at all. She will also walk if you hold her hands.


And as you can see from this video she is doing fantastic with the sippy cup and feeding herself. She is watching Baby Einstein's "Baby Noah" which is her absolute favorite. If you're in the market for a DVD for your little one, Emma gives this rave reviews!


This is one of her older tricks but we have never caught it on video. She loves doing this over and over again. Sometimes she'll put the rings back on herself, but most of the time she expects us to do it for her. And of course we do it because we do anything she wants...she has had Josh and I wrapped around her tiny fingers since before she was even born!


I don't have a picture of them yet, but the four teeth she now has make her look like a little jack-o-lantern. Hopefully we'll get a cute picture of them this weekend while we're out trick-or-treating.

Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes

I went to visit Alissa and the new baby this weekend. He's so small...it's hard to believe that my ladybug was ever that tiny. I know she was though because they weighed almost the same thing when they were born. Her little boy is so cute...here is proof:



This visit made me reminiscent of the days when Emma was just weeks old. I realize now that God gives parents the gift of forgetting all the restless nights, the nursing, the belly button cleanings, the spit up, etc. All I can remember are the cuddles, the smiles, the first time she looked at me, and all the other warm fuzzy moments. It's amazing that such a tiny person can take up so much of my time, my laundry and my heart!

Here are two pictures from when she still had tiny fingers and tiny toes...

Recovery Update

Emma is recovering very quickly. She slept most of the day yesterday and never cried or even got fussy after the surgery. Her finger is doing as well as can be expected. However, I will say that is tougher than you'd think to keep a band-aid on a 9 month old. We came home from the hospital with surgical tape around it to keep the stitches in. That tape did not last long at all. Babies already want to put everything in their mouths, but when it's attached to their body, it's extremely hard to keep that from happening. She just kept looking at her finger. I can only imagine that she was thinking "Something is different, something is different...I must chew on it to figure out what it is." When she would put it in her mouth, it got wet and then it just started to unravel. Before it came completely off, we put a band-aid over it. This only lasted as long as it did because she was sleeping most of the time. After an hour of playing this morning, it was gone too. And then so was the reminiscent of the surgical tape. We have band-aid number 2 on her finger now. We'll see how many we end up going through! Hopefully none of you will have to experience stitches, but if you do, you'll need to know that they can't get wet for 3 to 5 days. It's not pleasant trying to sponge bathe a baby when it's chilly. I think we'll skip the bath tonight...how dirty could she be, right?

Josh came home yesterday from Costco with a value pack of assorted band-aids. Let's just say we're prepared for whatever lies ahead! When I first saw the 3 big containers that held all of the band-aids (as well as a rather large package of gauze by the way), I thought to myself, we will never use all of these band-aids! But then all the memories of Josh hurting himself over the past 10 years came rushing back to me...now I'm wondering if this will be enough band-aids. Dear God, I hope so!

Here are few photos that I took before I put her down for her nap. Although a few of them are fuzzy (because she wouldn't stop moving), I posted them anyways because they're so cute. She doesn't look sick to me!

2 Tubes, 3 Stitches

I woke a very sleepy baby girl up at 5:30 this morning. We arrived at the hospital to get the tubes at 5:50. At 7:20 they took her back with the doctor and by 7:35 she was back in my arms. The surgery went great! The doctor said she had two ear infections again so he was happy that we went ahead with the surgery. I just don't think they ever would've healed on their own. It does explain why she wasn't eating quite as much, but she has not shown any other signs that she had ear infections again. Poor little girl. They discharged us and we were on our way...

...That would've been the entire story had there not been a mishap last night. I decided that I would actually go out with some girls from church last night and my fantastic friend, Jaime. It was planned before Emma's surgery or else I wouldn't have gone. We went to Sips 'n Strokes which is a place where a group of people sit in a room while an art instructor demonstrates how to paint a particular painting and everybody paints the same thing. During this night out, I looked at my phone and saw 3 missed calls from Josh. Uh oh! I called back quickly and I heard in his voice that something was wrong. He said "Emma cut herself and it won't stop bleeding." A mother who is away from her child and has no transportation to get back to her (I had ridden with a friend) does not want to hear these words. Thankfully our session was almost over so I wasn't away for too long and was able to come home in time to hold my baby and comfort her a little.

As I was doing this...


...Here's what happened...I had laid out a pair of pajamas for Emma to wear to bed last night. It was a specific pair only because we were instructed to bring her in a two piece outfit. She only has 2 pairs of pajamas that are two pieces. One she has never worn and the other she has worn but there are no footies in it. Since it's cold outside, I wanted her to wear the ones she's never worn before. Apparently that was a mistake. Josh noticed that there were huge tags inside the clothes and they had sharp edges. Naturally he took them out. He decided that the best way to do this was to come downstairs, get a brand new razor blade out of the pouch, and go back upstairs to take care of it. He took the tags out of both items of clothing and then put on her shirt. As he turned around to pick up her pants, she went from a sitting position, to a crawling position and then used her Gumby-like hands to stretch out and reach several feet in front of her. She saw something shiny and new on the floor and wanted to investigate. He immediately scooped her up and didn't think it was that bad. Then it started to bleed more and then he couldn't get it to stop. And the last thing a 9 month old wants is for somebody to restrain their finger by putting pressure on it. He called the pediatrician's office and the nurse said that as long as he could get some gauze around it and stop the bleeding and make sure that the blood didn't soak through the gauze, she should be fine. That happened and she was fine.

When we arrived at the hospital this morning, Josh requested that a nurse look at it. She took off the gauze and it was fine. She said it looks great and she won't need stitches. Great! But then two minutes later it started bleeding profusely again. She now has 3 stitches on her index finger of her right hand. I really pray this is the last time she has stitches! But if she follows in her father's footsteps, it might not be. Therefore, I am requesting that everybody say a prayer now to keep her safe!

Pumpkin Patch Kid

I have wanted to take Emma to a pumpkin patch before she was even born. Now that it's that time of year, I had to find one to take her to. And aren't we so glad that I did, because we got some great pictures!





















After the pumpkin patch, we all decided it was time to eat. We went to a Japanese restaurant and it was delicious. Emma enjoyed it just as much as we did! She had salmon, chicken, and rice off of Josh's plate alone. She had some of her own food too but once our food came out, she decided her food was no longer good enough. Out of everything she ate, the funniest thing was the soup. It was that clear soup that comes with Japanese food. It was really good, so Josh decided to see if Emma would like it. She couldn't get enough. I think she ate at least half the bowl.

Big Girl Cup

Emma really has the sippy cup down now. We had been doing the sippy cup only at snack time with her juice so that she could get the hang of it. Now she's doing so great that I think we're going to slowly switch over and say goodbye to bottles! I can tell she's ready because now she is collapsing the bottle nipple when she drinks. That was always our sign that she needed to move nipple sizes. Now it looks like she's ready to give them up altogether. I can't believe it! We'll probably still give her a regular bottle at night for a little while just because when she gets sleepy, all she wants to do is chew on the sippy cup. In order to keep her drinking all the milk she needs to, we'll stick with a bottle at that time until she's ready. The pediatrician said the goal was to be off the bottle by the time she's one. Of course that doesn't always work in every case, but it's a good rule of thumb. So we're aiming for that. Could it be possible that washing and sanitizing bottles will not be a part of our daily lives anymore?

She also got a new tooth on top Wednesday. When she got the two on the bottom, they came within a few days of each other. So, maybe the other top tooth will push it's way through soon.

Show Me the Muscles!

This is Emma's newest thing. She randomly started doing it the day we went to the doctor's office. She was sitting on the table and just did it about 3 times. It was so cute. She even had the pediatrician laughing. So the past two days we've been doing it and when she sees us do it, she mimics us. Emma and I met Josh and some of his coworkers for lunch today and we took this video there. Add this to the adorable list of things she does.


And just because it's so cute here is another video of her doing it. This one is taken inside so there is no restaurant noise. Isn't it funny how she gets her whole face and everything into it?


A quick update on the tubes: I scheduled her tubes to be put in next Wednesday. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and she recovers quickly.

Doctor Daze

As I mentioned yesterday, Emma had two doctor appointments today. One with an ENT specialist and one with her pediatrician for her regular check up. It has been a long day of driving around, waiting around and seeing doctor after doctor.

The ENT was first. They first had her take a hearing test. She did a great job and her hearing is excellent. I could've told them that though because any little noise will distract her. We were not surprised at all to hear that her ears were working wonderfully. Then they sent us to the ENT doctor. He told us what we anticipated which was that he suggests tubes. We don't have to get her tubes but since she has had 3 within 6 months, she is a candidate. Especially since she went through so much with this last infection...antibiotics, shots, more antibiotics, more shots...vicious cycle! So we're going to get the tubes (probably in a few weeks). I had originally thought that you had to be ear infection free before you could get tubes, but that is incorrect. The doctor said that if he had to wait on that he would never get to do the surgeries. I knew that the procedure took very little time, but I didn't realize how short it actually was. The doctor said it only takes about one minute per ear. She'll probably be a little fussy for about 20 or 30 minutes but then she'll be as good as new.

Then we were off to the next doctor's office. I thought (and still stand by) that the nurse told me her appointment was at noon. Well, it turns out it wasn't actually until 2:00. Thankfully the wonderful people there worked us in and it wasn't long before we saw her pediatrician. Here are her stats:

Weight: 20 pounds 6 ounces (75th percentile)
Length: 27.5 inches (50th percentile)
Head: 18.25 inches (90th percentile)

I couldn't believe how big her head measured! Really? 90th percentile?? Does she have a big head and I just don't realize it because I'm her mom? Well, we think it is quite proportional to her and that it must just mean that she has a very large brain in there thinking away!

The doctor also told us that the bumps should be fine and we just need to put some Neosporin on them. Phew! However, then he went on to tell us that he saw an ulcer on the back of her throat. What?! This explains why she hasn't wanted to eat the past few days (because it hurts to swallow). He said it should take care of itself over the next few days. He also saw where another tooth is possibly about to break through on the top. Finally! She hasn't gotten another tooth in four months now. I thought they'd all pop up after the first two came through...untrue.

Throughout the day, Emma spit up 4 times. Three times on me and only once on Josh. And of course the one on him was so small it was hardly considered spit up. I think her tummy was upset because of all the antibiotics...last day of medicine is tomorrow! Thank God! I know Emma will be glad to be medicine free for the first time in over a month. Poor little girl. She was a trooper all day though even though she missed her first nap. She fell asleep as I pulled into the driveway and I gently laid her down in her crib and she slept for a little over an hour and a half. Now I'm off to try to give her a bottle...

Cheerleading & Chicken

Although the Bulldogs did not win yesterday, this video of Emma cheering them on was too cute not to post. As a side note, we did make the ESPN Top 10 Plays - we ranked #1! As an MSU Bulldog you have to be able to see the bright side.

Here is Emma being super cute with her tiny cowbell. Please notice how she leans her head to one side as if to say "I know I'm cute!"


This video is of her eating chicken while we were out to eat. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that she ate more chicken than I did! She ate it as fast as we could tear it for her. She also ate some sweet potatoes that I cooked and brought from home. She really enjoyed them...until she saw the chicken.



Here is one more video for you that shows her standing abilities. She's such a big girl! Tonight as she was playing on the floor she actually put her hands down and got her feet up under her and almost stood up. Her butt was straight up in the air with her legs straight and her feet on the floor. If she had pushed a little harder and been a little less wobbly, she would've been standing! We are definitely predicting walking not too far in the future...


We have her ENT appointment and her 9 month check up tomorrow (although she is nearly 9.5 months now - tomorrow was the earliest appointment we could get). She also has a bump on her face and one on her leg which I want to talk to the doctors about. Normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but since she is MRSA + we can't be too careful. Check back in tomorrow for an update.

Success!

Just a quick success story for you. I've been struggling with nap time recently and each day it has gotten a little better. But today I would consider a complete success. At about 1:45, she started rubbing her eyes which is the "I'm getting sleepy" signal. After about 5 minutes, I took her upstairs and gave her a quick bath because she skipped her bath last night. I put on a fresh outfit, turned out the lights and turned on the stuffed bear that plays music. I held her for a second and she quickly had that far off stare that screams "I'm so tired!" I laid her down and walked away at 1:59. She made just a tiny cry for a second while I walked downstairs. By 2:01 she was asleep! When I looked at the monitor and saw her sleeping soundly I almost didn't believe it. I couldn't be more happy that she's getting the hang of this.

Speaking of getting the hang of it...Emma has been pulling up on things for a while and now all she wants to do is stand up. On Wednesday she started to be able to take our hands and walk. Until then she would stand all day but never take a step. She's going to be running around here before we know it! Her favorite thing to do right now is stand up and hold on to her jumpy. She doesn't want to get in it anymore but she loves nothing more than to stand next to it and hold on. She does it totally on her own and she is so proud of herself!

Starting last week her favorite new food is bread. Who doesn't love bread, right? She still likes the old standbys of sweet potatoes and zucchini though. If she can feed it to herself she is much happier. Her personality (and attitude) are really starting to show. She lets you know when she's done with what you're trying to feed her by throwing her hand up when the spoon comes towards her. It's all fun and games until applesauce hurls back towards you! Instead of blending her food that we make we're going to start keeping it more whole and chop it up. That way she can feed herself which thrills her.

So I Was Wrong

Can I take back my comment in the previous post about how Emma's stomach must have toughened up? I guess it was just because she hadn't had the medicine in 24 hours because now that we're back on it, she has MORE than made up for it. Her poor tummy. I am going through at least twice the amount of diapers that I typically use. Only 6 more days of this antibiotic...

Although her tummy is feeling worse, the nap times are getting tremendously better. Yesterday it took some doing, but I did finally get her to sleep around 10:20. Can you believe she slept until 12:20? She rarely takes 2 hours naps so this was a fantastic surprise. I also think it is funny how she wakes up after exactly 2 hours...how does she do that? It cracks me up. She's done that ever since we brought her home from the hospital. Maybe she'll have my sense of scheduling and organization. A mother can dream, can't she?!

Today's morning nap is going even smoother. I have found that even though it hurts my heart, the thing I must do is lay her down in her crib before she falls asleep and walk away. When I do this Emma starts crying of course. All I can think about are her thoughts which I picture go something like this: "Why is she walking away? Why is she leaving me here to fend for myself? Why doesn't she love me anymore?" It's very hard on a mom to do this, but after 9 months I think I am finally getting the hang of it. The thing is that if you rock her to sleep, she will fall straight to sleep. However, it quickly backfires when you try to put her in the crib. She is wide awake and screaming. And by that point she is also cranky because she has been woken up. Therefore, this is what works for us. It might not be what most people do and it might not sound like the best way to do it. But, at least for now, that's what I'm doing. This morning the crying only lasted 2 minutes and she was asleep in 6 minutes. My conclusion: This is working!

Short Naps + Frozen Medicine = Long Day

Yesterday was a long day. Emma's morning nap only lasted about 30 minutes and then she had to run errands with me and go with me to work to turn in all of my stuff. On the bright side, this means I'm officially done with work and I feel like a free woman! On the down side, this also means that Emma was extra tired from being taken around all day with me to get everything done. She slept on our way home but that nap only lasted about 30 minutes. I tried to get her to take a real nap a few hours later. This did not go well. It turned a tired baby into a fussy baby with a tired mother. I ended up giving up on the nap, giving her some juice and just letting her play until dinner time. After dinner, a bath and a bottle though she was OUT. She fell asleep last night around 8:30 and did not wake up this morning until 8:00. Twelve hours is not abnormal for her but typically if she is going to sleep that long, she falls asleep earlier and wakes up at her normal time of 7:05.

Another reason it was a little hectic yesterday was because we had a lot of doctor calls. A few were related to the fact that I still feel like she has at least one of her ear infections. After a few conversations, our pedatrician has decided to refer us to an ENT specialist and we have that appointment on Monday. The rest of the calls were because the antibiotics that she has been taking accidentally got frozen. It's very strange but if you put something liquid on our top shelf of the refridgerator, it freezes. Josh has looked at the settings and the temperatures are where they need be. It might just be time for a new fridge. But for the time being, I was only concerned about her prescription. I know that since this medication was a mix, sometimes going below a certain temperature will mess that mix up. Well, it turns out that assumption was correct because our doctor called in a new prescription for us and we had to go get it. Now he wants us to take the whole thing over again (7 days). This will take us through our ENT visit on Monday. I was not excited about this news but surprisingly this medicine hasn't been reacting with her as bad as usual. Perhaps her stomach is now toughened up.

Pray that this ear infection clears up quickly and we are able to be infection free for the first time in over a month!!

Welcome to the World!

My friends Alissa and JR just had their first baby...it's a boy! Please help me in welcoming John Hinton Armstrong into the world. He weighed in at 7 pounds 5 ounces and Alissa and the baby are doing great. Isn't he cute?! Emma is so excited about having a new friend to play with.