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| Enjoying my new library Nana set up for me in my turtle |
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
12 Month Update
I will try to give you an update on Emerson, though I feel like the more he does and learns the harder it will be for me to recall all he does!
-Emerson is all over. I know I've been saying this for months, but now he is to the point of almost running.
-Emerson has been getting more rough lately. All boy. He keeps throwing toys, no matter how much I tell him we only throw balls. He hurt a poor girl in playgroup when he threw a toy yesterday :( He is not very gentle.
-He knows which toys are his new birthday toys and he chooses to play with them more than the others.
-We play outside everyday.
-He is finally drinking more milk. He nurses 3 times a day and I'm going to try to cut out one of those this week.
-He's still a book kid and wants to sit and read books for long periods of time. Books will entertain him longer than anything else, other than playing outside.
-His words are: dada, ball, bubble, bye-bye, Bible, dog, duck, book, and I think we can say he is finally saying ma these days. I feel like he is learning words faster lately.
-On himself he can identify: tummy, toes, ears, hair, teeth. On mommy: the same plus eyes and nose. Oh, and he can identify Jesus in his books. Makes mama proud.. lol.
-He follows simple commands.
-He is getting stronger willed... Hello, toddler years!
-He will obey sometimes, depending on his mood. If he is tired or wanting your attention, he is less likely to obey.
-Even though he is a little rough these days, he is still a cuddler and love bug. I'd still say overall he has a sweet personality. People comment on how much he smiles.
Emerson is still a joy and blessing to us and I am very grateful that God has let us have him this past year. Everyday with him is a gift.
-Emerson is all over. I know I've been saying this for months, but now he is to the point of almost running.
-Emerson has been getting more rough lately. All boy. He keeps throwing toys, no matter how much I tell him we only throw balls. He hurt a poor girl in playgroup when he threw a toy yesterday :( He is not very gentle.
-He knows which toys are his new birthday toys and he chooses to play with them more than the others.
-We play outside everyday.
-He is finally drinking more milk. He nurses 3 times a day and I'm going to try to cut out one of those this week.
-He's still a book kid and wants to sit and read books for long periods of time. Books will entertain him longer than anything else, other than playing outside.
-His words are: dada, ball, bubble, bye-bye, Bible, dog, duck, book, and I think we can say he is finally saying ma these days. I feel like he is learning words faster lately.
-On himself he can identify: tummy, toes, ears, hair, teeth. On mommy: the same plus eyes and nose. Oh, and he can identify Jesus in his books. Makes mama proud.. lol.
-He follows simple commands.
-He is getting stronger willed... Hello, toddler years!
-He will obey sometimes, depending on his mood. If he is tired or wanting your attention, he is less likely to obey.
-Even though he is a little rough these days, he is still a cuddler and love bug. I'd still say overall he has a sweet personality. People comment on how much he smiles.
Emerson is still a joy and blessing to us and I am very grateful that God has let us have him this past year. Everyday with him is a gift.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Birthday Boy
Friends, we have a one year old on our hands! We had a wonderful weekend celebrating with friends and family and Emerson soaked up all the attention. Before his birthday I had checked out a book from the library about birthdays. We looked at the pictures and talked about cake and parties and presents. So, the week of his birthday, if I talked about how he was about to have a birthday, he would hurry over to the books and find the birthday book. He knew what we were talking about.
Caleb's parents and grandparents visited for the weekend. Emerson loved his turtle sandbox from his grandparents and he kept climbing in and out.
Saturday afternoon (his birthday), we installed his forward facing car seat. I have been looking forward to this, as Emerson has become more resistant to being strapped into the infant car seat. A few days into it, I have to say he loves it. He and I were "making eyes" at each other in my mirror today while driving.
After Emerson's afternoon nap we had a birthday celebration for him at Wilson Park. It was the perfect day. Mid seventies and sunny. Just about all his family and playgroup friends made it out for the party :) It was a rubber ducky theme since Emerson LOVES bath time so much. I had fun planning and decorating.
He was much more content to watch the other babies play in it.
Emerson is a loved kid. He had a great group of family and friends there to celebrate his life.
Emerson knew just what to do when opening presents. He made the funniest facial expressions. He made a surprised look after every single gift. I don't know where he gets it (please note sarcasm--see below).
This darn cute face. Over and over.
Concerning the cake, let's just say he inherited my sweet tooth.
The most special gift was this rocking chair which was originally owned by Emerson's great-great-great aunt in 1890. He loves it. Imagine how many toddlers Emerson's size rocked in this little red chair throughout the past century.
We are blessed to have Emerson's sweet life and pray that we can have many more years with him. I think he felt pretty special this weekend. I think I'll keep him :)
Caleb's parents and grandparents visited for the weekend. Emerson loved his turtle sandbox from his grandparents and he kept climbing in and out.
Saturday afternoon (his birthday), we installed his forward facing car seat. I have been looking forward to this, as Emerson has become more resistant to being strapped into the infant car seat. A few days into it, I have to say he loves it. He and I were "making eyes" at each other in my mirror today while driving.
After Emerson's afternoon nap we had a birthday celebration for him at Wilson Park. It was the perfect day. Mid seventies and sunny. Just about all his family and playgroup friends made it out for the party :) It was a rubber ducky theme since Emerson LOVES bath time so much. I had fun planning and decorating.
The theme almost turned into "It's my Party and I'll cry if I want to" when mom tried to put Emerson in the ball pit. He never warmed up to it the whole party.
He was much more content to watch the other babies play in it.
Emerson is a loved kid. He had a great group of family and friends there to celebrate his life.
Emerson knew just what to do when opening presents. He made the funniest facial expressions. He made a surprised look after every single gift. I don't know where he gets it (please note sarcasm--see below).
This darn cute face. Over and over.
Concerning the cake, let's just say he inherited my sweet tooth.
The most special gift was this rocking chair which was originally owned by Emerson's great-great-great aunt in 1890. He loves it. Imagine how many toddlers Emerson's size rocked in this little red chair throughout the past century.
We are blessed to have Emerson's sweet life and pray that we can have many more years with him. I think he felt pretty special this weekend. I think I'll keep him :)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Bittersweet
So, I'm discovering that I'm "that mom" that gets all emotional and weepy when my baby turns one. I am so happy and excited that God blessed us with a child who has lived to become a one year old. He is now such a toddler and there is only a tiny bit of baby remaining. Seriously, if I think about it very long at all, I get a little teary eyed. Yesterday, I looked at this blog post. It was the first post I wrote after he was born. I cried when I watched the video.
I can already tell he is gaining his independence from me! He is quickly weaning from breastfeeding (faster than I thought). I read that when you wean, you experience hormonal changes similar to the beginning of a pregnancy or postpartum. So I am blaming my emotional instability on that! His first birthday (Saturday), is a day of celebration and rejoicing. A day of celebrating his life. I know that inside I will feel a little emotional about it. Hopefully I won't shed any tears at his party-- how embarrassing!
The next post I write will be happy and celebratory. We are having a rubber ducky birthday party for Emerson on Saturday. He is going to love it! For now I must go, because my list of to-dos is super long! At the top of the list is to shower. Then it's off to buy a "big boy" car seat for Emerson. Good-bye baby car seat which carried my baby home from the hospital. Tear.
I can already tell he is gaining his independence from me! He is quickly weaning from breastfeeding (faster than I thought). I read that when you wean, you experience hormonal changes similar to the beginning of a pregnancy or postpartum. So I am blaming my emotional instability on that! His first birthday (Saturday), is a day of celebration and rejoicing. A day of celebrating his life. I know that inside I will feel a little emotional about it. Hopefully I won't shed any tears at his party-- how embarrassing!
The next post I write will be happy and celebratory. We are having a rubber ducky birthday party for Emerson on Saturday. He is going to love it! For now I must go, because my list of to-dos is super long! At the top of the list is to shower. Then it's off to buy a "big boy" car seat for Emerson. Good-bye baby car seat which carried my baby home from the hospital. Tear.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Baby on a Budget
For those of you who don't know, Emerson wasn't "planned". He was the best surprise blessing we could ever get! So, needless to say, we weren't financially set to become parents when we found out we were expecting. I mean, we had no maternity insurance. We lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment. We ended up having to sell our second car to pay for hospital bills, and we only had one car until Emerson was 9 months old. We were even on food stamps until Caleb started his job in May. So, I thought I might share a few tips with any other parents or parents-to-be out there on how to have a baby on a budget. I really feel like we haven't spent THAT much money on Emerson. However, I do have to say that we have been very blessed with a giving, sharing family. My sister, Ashley, has shared basically all her baby stuff with us. Thanks, sis! But here are a few things we've learned along the way.
-Reason with the hospital. If you don't have insurance, hospitals offer a self-pay package, which is much cheaper than the full price. Hospitals can also do a lot to reduce any additional bills. For instance, because I went into labor during the night, we received an unexpected bill for around $800, because we had to go through the triage unit. After calling the hospital, we were able to get our bill reduced to about $150. Even if you don't qualify, it's worth a shot, yes?
-Bare minimum. There are a bazillion baby things these days. It can be a little intimidating when you start looking into what you need. But really, that is the question, what do we really NEED? Though many of the extra gizmos are nice and add convenience, most are not essential. A bassinet. Some onesies. Diapers. These are truly essential items. And you can always purchase new necessities along the way as your baby becomes ready for them.
-Buy used. Many, many, many of the baby things we have are used or borrowed. We got a five piece furniture set at a garage sale and then we distressed it to make it how we like it. Rhea Lana's is a fantastic consignment sale to find gently used baby items. I have gotten MANY things from these sales. Same for clothes. Babies fly through clothes, so used clothing is a great option.
-Breastfeed. No bottles to wash. No formula to mix. No expensive formula to buy. I didn't realize how much easier and cheaper it is to breastfeed. I did find it helpful to have a pump so Emerson could take a bottle when I was out or during church.
-Cloth diapers. These are actually coming back "in style" I think. You may pay a little more up front, but in the long run you save hundreds. They say that you spend about $2,000 on diapers for one child if you use disposables by the time they are potty-trained. And there are so many great, convenient options out there these days. By using cloth diapers, you also keep from throwing bags and bags of dirty diapers into the landfill. During the times I have used disposables, I have been shocked at how many trash bags of diapers we produce. And I've heard it takes FOREVER for diapers to decompose. I used the flip system and would highly recommend it. It is a more affordable brand and can fit from 7-35 pounds.
-Make your own baby food. Jars of baby food are expensive. By making your own, you save money and you are feeding your baby more nutritious, fresh food.
By using these strategies, Caleb and I feel like we really haven't put forth THAT much money towards having a baby. The Lord has been so good to provide for us and for blessing us with sweet Emerson. Now we can't imagine life without him!!
-Reason with the hospital. If you don't have insurance, hospitals offer a self-pay package, which is much cheaper than the full price. Hospitals can also do a lot to reduce any additional bills. For instance, because I went into labor during the night, we received an unexpected bill for around $800, because we had to go through the triage unit. After calling the hospital, we were able to get our bill reduced to about $150. Even if you don't qualify, it's worth a shot, yes?
-Bare minimum. There are a bazillion baby things these days. It can be a little intimidating when you start looking into what you need. But really, that is the question, what do we really NEED? Though many of the extra gizmos are nice and add convenience, most are not essential. A bassinet. Some onesies. Diapers. These are truly essential items. And you can always purchase new necessities along the way as your baby becomes ready for them.
-Buy used. Many, many, many of the baby things we have are used or borrowed. We got a five piece furniture set at a garage sale and then we distressed it to make it how we like it. Rhea Lana's is a fantastic consignment sale to find gently used baby items. I have gotten MANY things from these sales. Same for clothes. Babies fly through clothes, so used clothing is a great option.
-Breastfeed. No bottles to wash. No formula to mix. No expensive formula to buy. I didn't realize how much easier and cheaper it is to breastfeed. I did find it helpful to have a pump so Emerson could take a bottle when I was out or during church.
-Cloth diapers. These are actually coming back "in style" I think. You may pay a little more up front, but in the long run you save hundreds. They say that you spend about $2,000 on diapers for one child if you use disposables by the time they are potty-trained. And there are so many great, convenient options out there these days. By using cloth diapers, you also keep from throwing bags and bags of dirty diapers into the landfill. During the times I have used disposables, I have been shocked at how many trash bags of diapers we produce. And I've heard it takes FOREVER for diapers to decompose. I used the flip system and would highly recommend it. It is a more affordable brand and can fit from 7-35 pounds.
-Make your own baby food. Jars of baby food are expensive. By making your own, you save money and you are feeding your baby more nutritious, fresh food.
By using these strategies, Caleb and I feel like we really haven't put forth THAT much money towards having a baby. The Lord has been so good to provide for us and for blessing us with sweet Emerson. Now we can't imagine life without him!!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Eleven Months..
Really? Eleven months? It's so weird that I can almost say I have a one year old... Have I really been a mom that long? My little baby is seeming more and more toddler-y everyday. Where did that sweet needy baby go and how did this busy little blur get here? Tonight while getting Emerson ready for bed I had this sad emotional feeling inside when I zipped his little sleeper up over his little round belly. I was thinking, he won't always be this little or have such a round belly. It will be gone before I know it! Oh, how I wish he didn't grow so fast... But I guess I have to accept it, Emerson is 11 months old. I am trying to savor every baby moment I can. Here's what little man is up to lately...
-Well, walking is becoming his new favorite mode of getting around. He has been gaining more confidence each day and can walk across the living room (and beyond). I think he feels so big and proud of himself.
-The boy loves to eat. Most days he eats what we eat. And he is the biggest mooch and hovers and whines if you don't share your food.
-He wears 12 month+ clothing and size 4 shoes.
-Still loves books.
-Has 2 teeth.
-The words he knows are daddy, dog (sometimes comes out gog), uh-oh, and he said bubble a few times. He can shake his head no, but he still refuses to try to say mama... That kid.
-He gets frustrated if he can't get things after a few tries. For example, his ring stacker. Today he worked on it for soo long. He would put the ring on, take it off, over and over. And he would get so frustrated if he didn't get it the first time. I think he might get that from me. This probably isn't the best quality to have..
-He loves the great outdoors. Yesterday he actually threw a little fit when we came inside.
-He can identify his belly and mommy's hair. He learned mommy's hair because I had to tell him a million times to stop pulling it.
-He woke up between 4:15 and 5AM for weeks, but I thank God we are past that. We found out he had a severe double ear infection, but we wouldn't have known because he wasn't fussy at all... The doctor said the early mornings could've been related.
-Emerson still loves Brody and loves to pet (hit) Brody and play fetch with him. It is so fun to see him interact with him.
Emerson is just at such a fun, playful stage right now and I love it. He is still a cuddle bug and I hope this sticks with him forever :) Even though he is a busy blur, he still stops and loves on us often. I am so blessed to have him as my little man.
-Well, walking is becoming his new favorite mode of getting around. He has been gaining more confidence each day and can walk across the living room (and beyond). I think he feels so big and proud of himself.
-The boy loves to eat. Most days he eats what we eat. And he is the biggest mooch and hovers and whines if you don't share your food.
-He wears 12 month+ clothing and size 4 shoes.
-Still loves books.
-Has 2 teeth.
-The words he knows are daddy, dog (sometimes comes out gog), uh-oh, and he said bubble a few times. He can shake his head no, but he still refuses to try to say mama... That kid.
-He gets frustrated if he can't get things after a few tries. For example, his ring stacker. Today he worked on it for soo long. He would put the ring on, take it off, over and over. And he would get so frustrated if he didn't get it the first time. I think he might get that from me. This probably isn't the best quality to have..
-He loves the great outdoors. Yesterday he actually threw a little fit when we came inside.
-He can identify his belly and mommy's hair. He learned mommy's hair because I had to tell him a million times to stop pulling it.
-He woke up between 4:15 and 5AM for weeks, but I thank God we are past that. We found out he had a severe double ear infection, but we wouldn't have known because he wasn't fussy at all... The doctor said the early mornings could've been related.
-Emerson still loves Brody and loves to pet (hit) Brody and play fetch with him. It is so fun to see him interact with him.
Emerson is just at such a fun, playful stage right now and I love it. He is still a cuddle bug and I hope this sticks with him forever :) Even though he is a busy blur, he still stops and loves on us often. I am so blessed to have him as my little man.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Gorgeous, Sunny Day
Today, because it is a gorgeous, sunny day, little man and I went for a run on the Fayetteville trail (one reason I LOVE Fayetteville). And then today, on the way home, because it is a gorgeous, sunny day, I decided to stop by Sonic for a medium vanilla diet coke, easy ice, as I always want to do on gorgeous, sunny days. And then I swung by Walgreens, and bought some of these.
These, my friends, are my favorite holiday candy... out of any holiday. If you have never tried them, please do. You just can't try mine, because they'll probably be gone by the time you get here. I was starting to feel a little distressed lately because I couldn't find them at any Walmart (not that I checked multiple Walmarts or anything... I mean, what kind of lame-o does that?...). But, yes, Walgreens came through for me. Then, inspired by the gorgeous, sunny day, I purchased some bubbles. So, Emerson and I came home and blew bubbles outside. And Emerson said the word bubble. It is his fourth word.
Good day? Yes. Did I cancel my run with chocolate? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes.
Enjoy this gorgeous, sunny week!
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