Dear Emilie

Dear Emilie,

How does 6 months pass by in the blink of an eye? I'm sitting here at the computer while you play with spoons and bowls after dinner in your highchair. You just finished your dinner. I was always amazed looking at the children of friends how many changes happen in the first year. First that baby was just this little thing that did little else but sleep, eat, and fill a diaper. Then on their first birthday they were this person, laughing, playing, walking too most of the time.

Now as I look at you, my little big girl, it makes it seem even more amazing. Everyday that goes by I am reminded of how much of a miracle you truly are to your Papa and me. Every day your are changing and growing right before our eyes. You are discovering something new and exciting about the world around you. This month you got to go swimming for the first time. It didn't last long since you decided you were ready for a nap, but you went swimming! You got to meet more family at your cousin's baby shower, and they all loved you. Your Mama and Papa even remembered the Jolly Jumper you had in your closet and we put that up for you. You love it! You bounce and bounce as long as we'll let you stay in there everyday. You even tried food for the first time this month. You loved it and Papa and I loved it too since it would fill up your tummy enough that you would sleep through the night again!

Your teething troubles continued again this month with still no sign of teeth. This is driving all of us crazy. It's so hard to see you in pain with not much we can do. We've discovered some homeopathic medication, as well as an amber teething necklace. This has helped us manage the pain along with some good old fashioned Advil on standby for the really bad days.

Your Mama and Papa can't wait to see what is in store for the next six months. Happy Half Birthday Emilie!

Love, Your Mama and Papa

With your Mama, 16 days old.
(Copyright Julian Dean Photography)

With your Papa, 16 days old.
(Copyright Julian Dean Photography)

August: A month of firsts

August was a busy month. Emilie got to experience so many new things in addition to food. Here are some pictures of some of her new adventures:

"Swimming" in a hot tub for the first time!

"Riding" on a motorcycle for the first time with her Great Uncle Kevin!

Blowing bubbles with Grandma for the first time!

Swinging on the big-girl swing for the first time!

Bouncing on the Jolly Jumper for the first time!

Getting her ears pierced!

Emilie and Joshua

Everyone knows that Emilie has a little cousin, Joshua, who is just three months younger than her. They're destined to besties, they just don't know it yet!

Carrie brought Joshua over one day for a little photo shoot, and we got some nudie patootie shots of Josh and Emilie. I thought I would share their adorable nakedness with you all.

Food!

There have been so many firsts this month, and one of them is Emilie having rice cereal for the first time. Emilie has always been very particular about what and how much she will eat. Around her 5 month birthday she decided that she was hungry.

Now, Emilie, you will have to forgive us for taking a few hours to figure this out. We weren't used to you waking up upset in the middle of the night, but by 3am, your very tired Mama and Papa figured it out and gave you a bottle. Of course you ate it up. The next day we tried giving you an extra bottle during the day so you wouldn't get hungry in the middle of the night. You wanted nothing to do with that. After all, extra snuggles with your Mama or Papa in the dead of night is much more fun!

After a week or so of this Mama decided that desperate times called for desperate measures, you were five months old, you could sit up, maybe we would try some rice cereal. So after a little trip to the drugstore to pick up some supplies, (since we thought we had another month before we had to have these on hand!) we were ready to go.

The moment of truth was here. I mixed up some cereal, and held up the spoon and you went crazy! You immediately opened your mouth and your little head started to move around like a little bird. I swear you were thinking "Finally Mama! What have you been waiting for? I was STARVING!"

You ate that cereal up like a champ! Hardly spitting any out, because you wouldn't want to waste any would you?

For everyone that missed the Rice Cereal Extravaganza that night, here are some pictures:

And since you're all so wonderful here is the video of her having rice cereal for the first time. We were having a BBQ that night so you can hear voices and see people walking around while we're feeding her.

Dear Emilie

Dear Emilie,

Five months old. Gone are the days of our little baby content to just lie in our arms snuggled in for a little sleep. Here to stay is our little big girl. You shout, and laugh, and "talk" to us all day. You shun laying down in favour of sitting up and looking out at the world that way, or better yet standing on your legs while someone holds you steady. Just a few weeks ago you refused to put any weight on those little legs of yours, and now you could stand all day, or well until you get tired.

You won't let Mama rock you to sleep anymore, you go into the crib wide awake now, and fall asleep on your own. You will never know how hard it is to see you growing up so quickly right in front of my eyes. It's like all I do is blink, and you've discovered something new. It's an amazing thing watching you discover the world, and change and grow. It's like Papa and I can rediscover the world through your eyes too.

Never lose that sense of wonder and amazement at everything around you my little honey bunny.

Love,
Mama

5 Months!

Time keeps trucking along even though Andre and I try and slow it down. Our little girl is 5 months already.



There was no doctors appointment this month, so no new stats for you all. I did weigh her on a scale at a friends house a week ago though, and according to that scale she's hovering around 14lbs. She was wearing a cloth diaper at the time, so who knows.

She is doing so much now! We've been signing to her for the last few months, and I think our hard work is paying off. There have been a few times that I swear she has signed "Momma" back to me. This happens mostly at night when it's just the two of us and I'm giving her her last bottle of the day, and she's getting sleepy. We're now working on "Papa" so Andre won't feel left out. She is sitting so well in her Bumbo now and loves to sit up and look around. We'll catch her in her car seat as well trying to lift her head out of the seat so she's not reclining as much too. It seems like every day our little baby is fading away and instead this little girl is emerging. It's so much fun, and so sad all at the same time.

Here are some more pictures from our 5 month photo shoot:

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

Emilie's "fishy" face.

The little smile that brightens our day.

I dare you not to laugh...

I just can't help myself when she starts to laugh, I have to laugh along with her.

Here is a little video of our little Emilie laughing with her Auntie Carrie.