weekend update

This weekend was really nice.

Friday we went to Coldstone for some BOGO ice cream and I tried their new fro yo.  The berry crunch creation was yum!  And Babylou was in an icy, creamy heaven between mom's lap and dad's birthday cake remix lap.

Saturday we went to the temple and switched child care with some friends of ours.  I think we have worked out a pretty nifty little system and I really like being able to go with Nate.  We had the kids doing races while we watched them, and Emmy LOVED it.  After the "ready, set, go!" she joined right in and ran as fast as her little legs would carry her yelling "go! go! go!" with the world's biggest grin on her face.  Afterward we went to Potbelly's for the first time and fell in love.  It really is so good!  And it's right on our way home.  I see more trips there in our future.  Emmy was not so in love with sandwiches as she was with ice cream.  It was a gorgeous day so when we got home we went on "the long walk" that circles back on the trail that goes through IBM campus and up through the neighborhoods.  We stopped at IBM park.  They have a big jungle gym and a little baby jungle gym, so we took Emmy to play on the slides.  Here was the reaction:

So brave!  She wasn't afraid to go down by herself!

I think she loved going up as much as she did going down

I think this one is my favorite.  Pure exhilaration.

Little big girl can even climb stairs like this now, if she has a railing to hold on to.

Complete joy.  Which translated to complete joy for Nate and me.  It was the perfect way to spend an evening.

Today started off strong when Nate got up with Emmy, fed her breakfast, gave her a bath, got her dressed and played with her.  She loves baby magic carpet ride, and I love listening to those two play.  I know 1 PM church gets a bad rap but I am kind of loving our lazy Sunday mornings.  We give emmy a quick nap before we leave and it seems to work out pretty well for us (most of the time).   Then I taught my 4 year old primary kids a lesson on missionary work.  We all wore ties, pre-tied this morning by my good-man husband, and played "pin the tag on the missionary".  They had so much fun.  The moment Nate has been waiting for just occurred-- the selection show where we found out BYU made it into the tournament!  He is thrilled.  Finally, we enjoyed an all-American dinner of steak, baked potatoes and broccoli, which brings me to Nate's and my eternal debate.  He asserts that it is better not to put salt and pepper on his broccoli or dressing on his salad because that de-healthifies it.  This is, of course, partly true, but it also makes you not want to eat it (which he kind of doesn't.  he grudgingly takes a few bites, picking the leaves up one by one, hating every second). I think that it's better to put dressing on your salad and actually enjoy it so that you want to eat it.  Which I do, happily. Your thoughts on the matter?

what??

I noticed a particular largeness in my daughter's shin area this morning.

So we took off her jammies and sure enough...

Bare bum underneath.  Diaper shoved WAY down the leg.

How did she manage that??

Emmy Lou at 15(1/2) months

 

I waited to post this until I knew her stats, which wasn't until a couple of days ago when we had her doctor's appointment.  Here they are:

Height: 30 inches (37%)
Weight: 19.5 lbs (7%)
Head: 17.5 inches (17%)

• Favorite toys: still STUFFED ANIMALS.  Particularly Best Friend (her build-a-bear from Uncle Tyler), but other friends include purple bear, bear, chubby cubby, penguin and kitty cat.  Pots & pans/ magnetic letters (they go hand in hand).  Her toy piano.  
• Favorite foods: fruit fruit fruit, and veggies usually.  Not always into meat & bread, as her small size would indicate.
•  Imitates lots of sounds now.  Tries to repeat words, but doesn't consistently use them even if she knows what they are and is able to say them.  I can tell she is learning a ton of language now, though.  So fun!
• Has learned to say "no" sometimes when she is not pleased.  
• Getting more liberal with her hugs and kisses.
• Laughs and runs to the door when I hear Nate's car pull up and tell her daddy's home. 
• Sports some new dance moves as of late.
• Likes to hand me things for no particular reason.
• Empties the drawers/ cabinets in the kitchen when I am cooking.  
• Learned to say "cheese" yesterday for the camera.  Here we are practicing:
  
  
  
  
  
• Knows where her hair, eyes, nose (this is her favorite one-- she loves to touch peoples' noses), ear, belly and toes are, and what a cow, duck, dog, lion and monkey say.
• Loves nothing more than the prospect of going "bye bye".  She will run to the door and search frantically for her shoes and coat.
• Hates nothing more than having her teeth brushed, although she will smile and do the brushing motion when we start talking about it.  It's the reality that doesn't sit so well with her.  It takes the full faculties of two able-bodied adults to get it done.  I don't bother when Nate is at scouts on Wednesday nights.  
• Knows how to fold her arms for prayer.
• Makes a loud MMMMMMM sound continuously when she is eating something she enjoys.
• Walks with a sort of tippy- toe prance.  
• Looks SO BIG in her crib at night :(

 

check out the hair!

 

what's with the above and below face?

 

I can see myself in this one :)  ignore the milk-chin

 

Wisconsin Week

We recently returned from a lovely week in Wisconsin.  It was filled with the usual fun uncle time.

sharing a drink with "Ax", as she calls him

whoa, buddy.  do I know you?

playing hovercraft

We visited Great- Grandma

Nate and I left the little in the hands of two of her uncles and went on a date to Los Banditos (a favorite), and got my beloved chimichanga.  SO GOOOOD!  I also took the occasion, since I had a whole week there, to spend some time with friends I haven't seen in a reeeeeeally long while.  I am kicking myself for not getting pictures with Brock, Lisa & co. and Liz & her cute daughter Kahlyn.  She was about ready to pop with #2 and had him like 3 days after I saw her!  It was fun catching up with all of them them, since my home visits are usually too short to fit many engagements in.

I also watched about half a season of America's Next Top Model, and all I have to say is that it's a good thing we don't have cable because I was hooked.  Nothing beats phrases like, "if you had had a little more Barbie toe, your picture might have been #1".  I tried to get Alex into it with me, but he kept mysteriously disappearing to friends' houses...

It is also probably noteworthy that one day when we took Emmy to play at the McDonald's playland, I set off the alarm (and it was LOUD!) because I didn't see/ remember an emergency exit only door and I opened it.  Oops.

I wish I had taken a picture of the WORST cake I or anyone else has ever decorated.  It was Alex's birthday and I forgot my cake decorating stuff, so I tried to improvise.  No bueno.  It was consistent with him and my mom being sick and Zack and Tyler having to work during his "birthday celebration".  Sorry bro, I owe you one. 

One really cool thing about the drive to Wisconsin in the winter (maybe the only cool thing) is seeing these little frozen waterfalls right on the MN side of the Mississippi.  I can't get a good shot of them, so you may not see the big deal, but I just think they are beautiful!  Conversation ceases when we pass them, as it takes all my attention to stare at them. 

 We will really miss the opportunity to have these visits so often when we leave.

My Valentines

A delightful Valentine's Day was spent with my two sweethearts.  We made treats (rice krispie hearts and sugar cookies), we girls dressed up in pink and red, and I made a nice meal of steak & shrimp, twice baked potatoes, stuffed mushrooms and roasted carrots.  SO GOOD!  Then, in lieu of gifts, Nate and I exchanged love letters.  It all turned out perfectly, and the day was that exact right level of busy-ness, where you aren't bored but aren't overwhelmed.  I felt lots of lovey feelings and my heart was generally warmed.  Can't ask for any more than that.

...it always ends this way.

new things

We have tried some new things recently around here.  First of all, we started doing a babysitting co- op with three other couples, so that we get three free date nights a month, and on one night we watch all the hooligans. Here is a pic of the craziness at our house when it was our first turn.

 

This past Friday it was our turn to take advantage and we went to dinner, got some ho cho (hot chocolate) and went ice skating with our friends the Brackens.  It wasn't our first time, but practically.  I think I have only been once or twice before, and Nate had gone 6 or 7.  Needless to say, he was much better than me, but I did  manage to make it all the way around the rink in under a minute by the end (we timed it).  I only had one (kind of hard) fall and subsequent knee bruise the whole night, which was embarrassing, but actually better than I expected.

why he makes these faces, I will never know

We always skate in sync.

 

twirlsies

 

All in all, it was a really fun night, and I think The Babysitters Club (as we now refer to it-- I am Stacey) is going to work out very nicely for all of us.  I wish we had done it earlier!

I also jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon last week and made them for the first time.  It's true-- you really can't taste the spinach!  Although I have to say, the variations I like best have been the ones with berries in them, so they end up being more of a brown color than the pretty, vibrant green you always see in the pictures.  But Emmy likes them so I feel good giving them to her since I never really feel like she is eating enough veggies.  Or enough of anything, lately.

Also tried Yoga, finally.  Interesting... I guess the jury is still out on it.  I can see why some people get really into it.

We sat little Emmy Lou up to the table for the first time this morning for breakfast.  She was excited to be a big girl.

I also have been trying my hand at some new Pinterest- inspired hairstyles.  To date, I have kind of been a one-trick pony with my hair.  Some of these new endeavors have been, shall we say, more successful than others. This was today's.

I slept with little wet buns all over my head like this

And ended up with this.  Not the greatest shot, I know.

Not sure how I felt about it in the end.  I think the picture makes it look better than it really was.  My bun- twist method needs some perfecting, so I would try it again.

It hasn't all been green smoothies and curly hair around here though.  We have also been doing some of our same old things.  Like going to Zollman Zoo on an unseasonably warm Saturday.

I love her bending down to check out the wolves. That little diaper bum kills me.

and trying on daddy's shoes.  

Feb 2012

Jan 2011

 And climbing into weird positions.

Maybe one of her stankier faces, but it is true-to-life.  She has been sick lately and this is what we see.