Dear Laina (5 Months)

Dear Laina,

Happy 5 month birthday! Wow, you are getting to be such a big girl. In fact, I've started to remind you about all the things that "big girls" do and do not do. For instance, I say things like...Big girls don't cry...or...Big girls eat rice cereal...or...Big girls hold their own bottles.

Speaking of big girl activities, you have developed quite an interest in "helping" with various tasks. You do a good job of holding your own bottle, although the fatter or fuller bottles present more of a challenge. But you are up for a challenge, my dear! You also want to help with administering medicines, such as gas drops and baby tylenol. You try to hold the dropper and squeeze the liquid in your mouth. Unfortunately, though, mommy must micromanage this job because medicines are a big responsibility. I sometimes let you suck on the dropper after you've swallowed the medicine, but that's as far as it goes. I think you are going to be my little helper one day. Have I mentioned I'm so proud of your independence?


If I could pick just one word to describe you in your fourth month of life, it would be: CURIOUS!

You want to be involved in EVERYTHING and you are a curious cat. We have nicknamed you "Nosy Rosie" because you must know what everyone is doing at all times. The best example of this is when you are eating. If there is a strange noise or heaven forbid a voice, especially daddy's voice, you dramatically stop what you're doing to find where the noise is coming from. You have been known to give me odd stares and annoyed looks if I'm the one making the noise.

You also want to TOUCH everything. Nothing is off limits - hair, glasses, noses, tissue paper, big people food or even cat tails! Just as you are checking out the cats, they are checking out you. Daisy is jealous of you and mostly gives you the cold shoulder. But Baloo (aka "Boo") flirts with you and freely offers his fur for you to pet or even grab. Mommy supervises of course.


Your precious laugh is the best thing I've ever heard. And this mommy has heard a lot of things. There is nothing on earth like my Laney's laugh. Daddy can make you laugh the hardest and the most. Poppy & Pops are tied for second place. And mommy is somewhere in the runnings too. I really don't care who makes you laugh, I just love to hear it! Your sweet grin is also something I look forward to each and every day.


The highlight of my day is giving you a bath. This is your "spa" time and you are happy as a peach when you are soaking in your bubble bath. I fill the tub full of bubbles and pamper you every night. No wonder you love it so! You also get mani's & pedi's on a regular basis, usually weekly. One day we will add polish to this occasion!


You are my little roly poly and are semi-liking tummy time now. I really don't enforce scheduled tummy time any more because you seem to find 20 minutes or so each day on your own to flip over.


You have found your toes and they act as one of your favorite toys! We call them "stinky toes" because when you put them in your mouth, you turn your nose up and sometimes gag from the taste/smell. I promise I wash them well every day, so don't blame me for your stinky toes!


We just started you on rice cereal after a couple of failed attempts. I put a tbsp in your nightly 6 oz. bottle of formula right before bed time. You were unsure of it at first, but now that the newness has faded, you are A-OK with it! In your fourth month, you were sleeping 9-10 hours at night, but with the rice cereal you're able to go about 10-11 hours. Little sleepy head, just like mommy. Oh, and your approximate measurements are 13 lbs and 22 inches long! By the way, where did these thunder thighs come from???


Oh my gosh, I could go on and on forever about all the things I love about you and about how much joy you bring to my life. But I'll save some for later, sweet Laney Bug.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. On a sad note, you are cutting teeth as evidenced by excessive drooling, knawing, fussiness and pain in your gum area. Poor girl. I can't see anything popping up yet, but your teethies are coming, I promise!

Happy Birthday Adie/Daddy!

Wishing my Adie & Alaina's daddy a very happy birthday today!

Our man is 29, and although he had to work on his birthday (bummer), he was able to celebrate with his two favorite ladies this evening. I cooked grouper, baby yukon gold potatoes and roasted asparagus. For dessert, we have a chocolate 2-layer cake with chocolate icing waiting for us to devour it - YUM!

Alaina gave her daddy a sweet card and one of the lines said she'd like to cover him with kisses. It was only appropriate that she got him a whole bag of Hershey's kisses to go along with the card. What a sweet little girl we have :)


And I tried to post a video of Alaina laughing & covering her daddy with kisses, BUT after 94 loooooong minutes, the upload failed. UGH! So for now, a photo will have to do...


WE LOVE YOU ADAM!!!

Feel "Butt"er Daddy

When Alaina heard that her daddy was not feeling well and was having a bad day at work, she thought of a clever way to cheer him up. This is the email he received...

Dear Daddy,

I heard you were having a bad day and are feeling a little sick. I hope these pictures will make you feel "butt"er...

Love,
Laney :)




Let's just say it worked =)

"Not Me!" Monday/Tuesday?

Is it Monday or Tuesday? Let's all pretend that this post came out on time, k? K.

I did NOT attempt to start "Not Me!" Monday yesterday but was delayed due to a photo upload failure. I was NOT in any way glad because I wasn't in the mood to blog, and this did NOT seem like a great excuse not to.

I am NOT ignoring the new hole in Alaina's onesie, under the armpit. We will be leaving for a pediatrician appointment shortly, and I absolutely will NOT keep this holy shirt on Little Miss. I will NOT pretend that I'm seeing the hole for the first time while I'm undressing her at the doc's office. I am NOT in the least bit lazy today. Nope, NOT ME!

While I'm on the subject of Little Miss Alaina, I was NOT a super mean mommy because I clipped her skin when cutting her fingernails! I was NOT a tad unglued, especially since her tiny finger bled for 30 minutes! Since I was a total wreck, I did NOT give Alaina the task of holding her own tournicate so that I could regroup!!! Alaina was NOT the best sport considering she did not let out a peep the entire time! Nothing gets to this girl :)


Moving on to another cutting topic, I did NOT answer the door for two women yesterday who had Bibles and materials in hand. I did NOT realize they were Jehovah's Witnesses BEFORE I opened the door. This was NOT a dumb idea. Daisy did NOT try to "sic em'" once the door opened, and I did NOT have to restrain her while reminding her she is of the feline species. The ladies did NOT attempt to make lame jokes about the cat. And I would NEVER act interested in what they had to share when clearly I am not. They did NOT promise to come back to go over the materials they handed me, and I did NOT act like this would be quite alright!


*Sidenote: I am NOT so intrigued by these handouts that I am actually going to browse through them!

Speaking of the cats, Baloo is NOT so bored from being cooped up inside the house that he's "acting out." He would NEVER even think of standing on furniture and the back of the toilet only to then claw at the wall which makes the most god-awful nails-on-chalkboard noises. I do NOT shreak each time he does this, and I do NOT have a few choice words for Baloo :)


Happy Monday/Tuesday, peeps!

Dear Laina (3 Months)

Dear Laina,

You are now 3 months old! I cannot believe how big you are getting. My little big girl. This is just one of the many nicknames we have for you. Others include "Laina Lou," "Brookie Poo," "Smiley Cyrus," and of course "Laney Bug." Since we did not have to go to the doctor this month, I do not know exactly how much you weigh or how tall you are. My guess is that you are 13-14 lbs.

I have two VERY important things to share. You have made your mommy so proud, once again. Yesterday you decided it was quite time for you to roll over! I set up a blanket in my room and we were playing on the floor. You raised your legs toward the ceiling, then fell to the side and flipped over! Even though I've been anticipating this moment, I still could not believe it. I ran to get my camera so I could record your new trick, but of course you would not roll over on cue. You do not like to do anything forced. I am much the same way. You have been twisting around all over your crib and on the floor for about 3 weeks now, gearing up for the big roll. Every night, even after you are tightly swaddled with your arms not being able to move, your body moves. I put you to bed in one place and pick you up in another place. You are checking out every corner of your crib, and it makes me smile. I always wonder where I'll find you. You started this on your 3 month birthday, Halloween. I thought a ghost had crept into your room and moved you :)

The other most wonderful thing is that you laughed today! WOW - you've had a busy week! Funny enough, I took a little nap this morning when you did. I sometimes take a nap on the couch while you are sleeping in your swing next to me. Well, during this nap I had a dream that you laughed for me, your Aunt Gail and your Aunt Becky. I woke up from my nap and was a little disappointed that it was just a dream. You must have sensed it because literally an hour later, you laughed for your mommy! I had spilled my cup of coffee all over the carpet and was cleaning it up. You were laying on the floor watching intensely. Then I poured a new cup of coffee and after taking a sip, I got in your face and said in a high voice, "Babies can't have coffee...only when their mommy kisses them with coffee." I kissed your mouth over and over again while saying this to you over and over again. You thought it was so hilarious that you pulled out the laugh card at this very moment! We called daddy at work so he could hear it, but of course you quit laughing. Again, you hate to do anything forced. Got it. Daddy cannot wait to get home to make you laugh again. He is much funnier than mommy anyway :)

Let's see, any other news to share? Why sure. You have mastered the Bumbo chair, and you like to watch TV while sitting in it. You are exercising your strong legs by standing and jumping while someone holds up your arms and torso. In fact, the preferable way to burp now is while standing up.

You are out of most of your newborn clothes, only a couple of things still fit. You are in the 3 month size, as you should be I guess. You are sleeping 9-10 hours at night, and I am thrilled that you love sleep as much as I do. You eat 6 times a day, and I am mostly nursing you with the exception of formula right before bed and/or if we are out and about. You prefer nursing, but are fine with either. You started doing the cutest things when I nurse you. You like to grab my shirt and hold it super tight. You sometimes try to grab my face, and sometimes I will look down and you are staring right at me with a BIG smile. Melt my heart! Did I mention you are a serious grabber? You grab toys, clothes, my face, my hair. I have to keep my hair in a pony tail unless I wanted it to be tugged and practically pulled out! Now I know why mommies cut their hair short after having a baby. Mine will stay long for now.

You are my joy. You are perfect in every way.

Love,
Mommy

Some photos to share from your third month of life :)

Sitting in your chair, showing your true size...

This is where I put you to bed...

And this is one example of where you end up (lately it has been much more dramatic)...

Waking up with a big s-t-r-e-t-c-h...

Sucking on "hand" after your bath...

Just being cute, or perhaps getting ready to pray...

Happy Halloweenie from Laney Bug!

Or Happy Belated Halloweenie, I should say. Goodness it has taken me an eternity to get this post out. My apologies!

I have been anticipating this Halloween with Alaina for quite some time. Even before she was born! I just knew Halloween would be an extra special time once kids entered the picture. Of course next year we'll be in for a real treat with a 1-year old on our hands, but this year was fun too. Baby's 1st Christmas and baby's 1st birthday are on the list of things to be remembered & discussed all of a person's life, and I think baby's 1st Halloween is on that list too. I was dressed as a pumpkin my first Halloween, if I'm not mistaken. And what would be more perfect for our Laney bug than a Lady Bug costume?!!!


Laney bug actually HATED this costume even though it was absolutely adorable on her! Nothing about it suited her - from the hat that barely fit her head to the itchy material to the wings that she just couldn't figure out. Let's not forget the extra amount of time it took to get this costume on her little body due to pulling, zipping, adjusting, etc. She calmed down to get a few suitable photos, and she even managed to give us a little smile :)


We dressed her in this original costume on Friday night, Halloween eve. Then we briefly took her to a neighborhood gathering held outside at the clubhouse. Well, that didn't last long. There was a constant drizzle and her daddy was afraid she would get sick. She was wrapped in a blanket so she wouldn't be exposed to the yuckiness, but she was just not happy and daddy could not relax! Plus, there were several annoying kids who felt the need to scream bloody murder as an exaggerated reaction from ghost story telling. Lame! We were outta there in a flash!

On Saturday, we decided to stay home and hand out candy. Again, the weather was bad and we didn't feel like dealing with it. Last year we had a whopping 5 rings of the doorbell, and this year beat the record with a mind-blowing 3 rings!!! Talk about leftover candy galore! AND we never even answered the door. My parents came over to hang out and be with Alaina on her 1st Halloween. In the 15 minutes that Adam, Alaina & I left the house to visit a couple neighbors, the only action of the night happened and my parents answered the door for the trick-or-treaters. Oh well.

Thanks to Nana & Poppy, we had a second backup lady bug costume for Alaina. Someone had given it to them to give to Alaina because some other baby outgrew it or something. She wore this costume on the actual Halloween night. It was much easier to put on and more comfortable, although she got hot in it and did not agree with the hood. What is it with this girl and things on her head? So even this one did not stay on for long. But again, cuteness!


Hating it!

This was more her style - hanging with Grandma (aka JoJo) & Pops in comfy clothes...

Getting serinated by Pops' guitar playing...

Getting her diaper changed...

You know, NORMAL stuff!

We hope you had a Happy Halloween too!

"Not Me!" Monday - Vet Edition

Wow, what a week! I absolutely cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just around the corner. This is my absolute most favorite time of year! There is so much tradition packed into the fall and the holiday season for our family. Not to mention, tons of fabulous food. I am really enjoying watching Food Network with all the Thanksgiving inspired recipes. Christmas music is already playing in stores, despite the 70 degree weather! This must be how the Floridians feel this time of year. Anywho...want to know all the things that have NOT happened to the Emmett's this week? I bet you would, so here goes...

You probably know by now that we spent way too much time (and money) at the vet's office last week. So it's only natural for this "Not Me!" post to have a vet inspired theme, hence the "Vet Edition" subtitle. I had the pleasure of loading up my two babies (Alaina & Daisy) and heading to the vet 3 times!!! Adam went the 4th time because I could not take it anymore! Why, you ask? Well, let's see...Alaina did NOT decide the perfect time to have a diaper BLOWOUT would be the very second we sat down in the waiting room upon arrival. This did NOT happen on 2 separate occasions, full of bells and whistles (sounds and smells)! I did NOT crawl in my skin because suddenly people appeared and wanted to "look at the baby" at the most inopportune time. They did NOT practically stick their heads in her carrier while gazing at her. It did NOT remind me of flies on manure, and I was NOT utterly embarrassed! Oh yeah, and I would NEVER spray my perfume all over the exam room before the doc arrived to disguise the smell. Nope, this does NOT sound like me.

Alaina was NOT mistaken for a BOY at the first visit because her mommy dressed her in a blue top and did not put a bow in her hair. This person must NOT have noticed her pink blanket and carseat. Duh!

On one of the pickup visits, Alaina & Daisy were NOT in cahoots to see who could out-cry/out-whine one another. As the vet & I sat in a room trying to converse over these sound machines, he did NOT agree that I would have a fun ride home. I would NEVER bet on who would win the cry contest, and I absolutely will NOT tell you who I betted on or who won!

Speaking of the two of them, Daisy is NOT in a desperate competition with Alaina for my attention. She would NEVER even think of interrupting our mommy-daughter nursing time by perching on the boppy pillow!


Don't think for a second that the cat drama ends at the vet! Literally minutes ago, I had to shove a pill down Daisy's throat, a glorious occasion that happens twice a day. Daisy did NOT fight me extra hard this morning. The capsule did NOT start to break down in my fingers due to her slobber from the pill entering and exiting her mouth over and over again. I did NOT say a prayer over this pill incident as time was ticking. After she swallowed the pill, I was NOT so excited that I kissed her on the MOUTH only to realize seconds later that I tasted something funny...CONTENTS OF THE CAT PILL!!! I am certainly NOT questioning my intelligence now.


On that note, I better go. I hear it's not good to blog while under the influence of the pill. I may start sayin' some stuff!

What is something you absoluetly positively did NOT do this week? I'd love to know!

Happy Monday :)

Rough Patch

Sorry for my blog absence for those who have noticed. I have so many updates on precious Alaina, like her 1st Halloween and my 3 month letter to her. But I have been distracted and frankly drained by life lately. We're going through a bit of a rough patch...

Some of you may know that Adam's job is insecure and has been for quite some time. He has been hanging on by a thread for many months, and only by the grace of God does he have a present job. In fact, this morning his boss called a meeting and told him he was supposed to be fired today. Today. Yes, today. WOW! BUT...someone (we still don't know who this someone is) decided to give him another month to improve his sales numbers. His numbers are already looking up for this month. I must say that Adam is very good at what he does and is skilled in the art of sales (He sold me, right? Ha, ha). But it's tough to sell in these economic times and AT&T is making the sales quotas pretty much unattainable to wipe out positions. Still, Adam has hung on month to month somehow, some way. Is God behind it all providing us favor? Absolutely.

Adam is under a lot of stress as he is the sole provider for our family. Since I quit my job in July to be a full-time mommy to Alaina, we went from a double income to a single income family. So if Adam loses his job...then what? It's tough to make end's meet as it is. BUT God provides. Period. If you were to look at our finances on paper, the numbers don't work out. Too much out and not enough in. Despite this fact, we are faithful with our tithes and offerings as God has instructed. Because we have done our part, we trust Him to do His part, to provide for us in some form or fashion. And He does...every month!!! He mostly works through the hearts of others to generously give to our family. We are beyond thankful for these people in our lives who sacrifice for us. God also works in other ways too. It thrills me to notice that He is in all the details, even minute details. Amazing.

We've also faced additional stress as our beloved cat Daisy has been seriously sick for a week. She stayed at the vet for 3 days, and then she came home for a couple days and now she is back for another overnight stay. They are testing the heck out of her trying to figure out what's wrong. She is lethargic with a teary eye, no appetite, gagging, sneezing, high fever. Her digestive tract was not working properly either last week. The doc told me this morning that they were giving her a FELV (feline leukemia/aids) test, and I lost it. The thought of the possibility of this terrible disease was heart breaking, especially since I've had a cat die of this years ago. And I had to wait hours before the test results came back. I'm lucky I have any nails left!

Just a bit ago, I got a call saying she tested negative for FELV, and needless to say I'm relieved. Through the process of elimination, the doc now believes she may have toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a parasite that she could have caught from a rodent outside. NO MORE OUTSIDE FOR OUR CATS!!! It's too risky. We should know tomorrow if this is the case. If not, the doc is out of answers and he will refer us to a specialist. I was anxious about the pricey vet bills until the thought of losing her entered the picture. Now I'm just hoping we can treat her and get her back to normal.

How could you not love this sweet, fiesty little thing?
Daisy on the left with her best friend/brother Baloo on the right. Their "baby picture."

This is how I found Daisy last Thursday when she started acting sick. She needed her bear to snuggle with...

So these events have taken a toll on my mood and my time, but I hope to have a happy post very soon! After all, I do have some motivation...
Is she not the most flawlessly beautiful creation or what?

Thanks for tuning in.

"Not Me!" Monday

I am NOT taking a break from "Not Me!" Monday because I am too tired to think of all the what "not's" that occurred this week, and because I have a broken nail which is making it very uncomfortable to type.

That's all folks...really!

Happy Monday =)

"Not Me!" Monday

Wow! I have so many blog posts to complete, but I figure I can't skip "Not Me!" Monday since it's Monday and all. We've been up to a lot, but I know you wanna know what we HAVEN'T been up to, right?

Well, I certainly have NOT been prescription hopping all over town. I am NOT the kind of person who abuses the system just to take advantage of special gift card offers. My Rx has NOT hopped from pharmacy to pharmacy month after month, for several months in a row. I am NOT thinking of the next store to transfer to and wondering what I'll do when I hit 'em all up. NO, that does NOT describe me!


Moving right along, I did NOT accidentally "punt" my coffee thermos across the aisle at church yesterday. I placed my half full thermos on the floor while the service was going on, and it was ok on its own until I stood up to pass the offering bucket. As I walked across the aisle, my pointy boot tip did NOT meet the thermos at the most perfect spot to create this "punt" effect. The sound was NOT noticeable too. When I returned to my seat, mortified, Adam & his buddy did NOT simultaneously say, "Nice going, Sarah!" Surely they would NOT be this insensitive, IN CHURCH!!! (By the way, God must be good because no coffee spilled out during this fiasco.)


Speaking of church, Adam did NOT misunderstand the "I've been changed" sticker that the nursery workers place on children's backs. Being the super spiritual person that he is, Adam did NOT think this sticker indicated that the kids have been spiritually changed from their nursery experience. When in fact, it simply means that the kid has had his or her diaper changed! HA! By the way, I would post a pic of this sticker IF Alaina had been given one...apparently she has not had her diaper changed in the nursery yet...oh bother.

Alaina had a "Not Me!" moment this morning, in fact. She did NOT gag herself over and over with "hand." Hand is so captivating that it is causing an unhealthy relationship, I'm afraid. Alaina literally sticks all her fingers so far in her mouth that she gags, and then she does it again and again. I did NOT laugh at her gag face each time it appeared.



And finally, I am NOT putting off doing necessary things around the house at this very moment just to blog. Laundry, dishes, brushing my teeth, waking up & FEEDING my child to name a few. Surely I would NOT be so consumed with blogging, email & facebook that I would neglect my motherly duties. Nuh-uh!

What is something you absolutely did NOT do this week? I'd love to know!

Happy Monday :)

Couple Things

Just a couple of quick updates on precious Alaina...

Her 3 month birthday is tomorrow!!! (gasp) In preparation for this milestone, I went through her closet and pulled out & washed all the little (or bigger) 3 month outfits. She has grown out of several of her newborn outfits, some are barely fitting, and others will get a few weeks worth of wear out of them. In a way, this makes me so sad. I briefly glanced at the 6 & 9 month outfits and they look SO incredibly big. But then again, that's what I thought about the 3 month outfits a few months ago.

We bought the Bumbo chair! Alaina is trying to get used to it. She has a bobble head when we sit her in it, and she gets the perfect view of "hand" which seems to distract her. But it's fun to try new things out...at least for mommy & daddy.


See what I mean about the bobble head :)

Last but not least, Alaina did a brand new thing this morning. She grabbed a toy hanging from her play gym and she held it for a minute or two! It caught me off guard, but I quickly grabbed by camera and snapped a shot before her release.


Still waiting on the laugh...