November 2014

We had a lot of visitors the month of November.  Grandma & Grandpa stayed for a week & attended Emma's birthday party.  Emma enjoyed knocking down the block towers that grandpa built, playing volleyball with her balloons, and singing "twinkle twinkle little star" with grandma in front of the mirror.  Two days after grandma & grandpa left, Meme & Papa arrived and then Dustin, Heather, Tessa & Daniel.  Emma loved watching & playing with Tessa & Daniel & playing football in the backyard with everyone while Andrew carried her around.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food, went to Sci-Quest ( children's science museum) with Tessa & Daniel, toured Andrew's lab, and walked the Tinsel Trail (trail of decorated Christmas Trees around Big Springs Park).  We enjoyed having company despite Emma being sick with Roseola, two ear infections, multiple Dr visits and a trip to the ER.  We went to the tree farm with Meme & Papa and picked out our Christmas tree on a beautiful day.  Emma likes to roll under the tree and pull at the pine needles and pull the tree skirt off, so do the cats!

playing cars with grandpa

the morning grma & grpa headed home after Emma had a rough night & ear was draining

Tessa working experiments with Andrew

Emma watching a game of Checkers, she liked playing with the pieces

Mario-cart time with Andrew and Daniel

playing at Sci-Quest

We found our tree

Timber!

Emma's one!

Emma turned one on Nov 13th.  She got to open a few presents on her birthday and was very excited about them and the paper.  On Friday Nov 14th grandma and grandpa came to visit.  She was very happy

to see them and got to open a few more presents from them.  On Saturday we had her birthday party.  We gave her a cupcake and at first she just poked at it.  I gave her some frosting off my finger and broke the cupcake into pieces and then she decided to try it.  Once she tried it, she liked it and kept going back for more.  Pretty soon she had chocolate all over her face, hands and up her nose. We have a chocolate lover! Emma was entertained watching all the people and playing with the other babies at her party.  She got lots of books for her birthday which is her favorite!

Emma 11-12 months

This month Emma had a lot of firsts. We took Emma to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens for the first time where we walked around and looked at all the scarecrows.  She loved playing with the leaves and trying to eat them.  She had her baby dedication at church.  Went to nursery for the first time and had a babysitter other than family.  Got her first cold, just a little runny nose and cough for a week.  Her and her friend Lilly dressed up like ladybugs for their first Halloween.  Emma and I went to the nursing home to visit the residents in her costume, they loved it!  Emma can now stack the rings and not just throw them, although she still does love to throw things!  She still loves to clap her hands and likes to grab a hold of our hands to make us clap too.  One of her favorite things to do each day is look through books.

Emma 10-11 months

Emma has been busy and on the move this month.  She likes to roll everywhere and is very good at getting where she wants to go.  We have tried to show her how to crawl, but this girl is stubborn and has decided that rolling is the way to go.  Her stubbornness is showing more and more as she likes to do things her way, something we will have to work on!  Emma is doing well at feeding herself finger foods.  She likes to feed herself green beans, spaghetti, and bread.  She is now able to hold her sippy cup and drink out of a straw.  When we say Emma "clap", she claps her hands together.  She squints her eyes, throws her head back and makes really loud laughs when she is excited or when she wants some attention.  Meme & Papa came to visit the beginning of October and Emma loved having them to play with.  She liked singing "Hosanna" with Meme and putting her hands up in the air and touching Papa's beard. 

Emma 9-10 months

In August we drove to Lincoln for 10 days.  We were a little nervous about the long drive with Emma, but she did great, even with all the accidents & delays on the drive there, making it an extra long day!  She stayed entertained with books, toys, songs, naps, food & staring out the window & rolling around in the grass at rest stops.  We loved being in Lincoln & getting to help celebrate grandma Hiatt's 90th birthday & dad's retirement.  Emma loved being around all the family & especially her cousins.  She got to visit the zoo for the first time, I think her favorite part was watching the camels eat.  This month, Emma got her top two lateral incisors in & she is acting as if her molars are now on their way.  She loves to read books and turn the pages.  She loves to wind up her arm and throw balls and then wait for Andrew and I to fetch them so she can throw them again!  She rolls all over the living room to get where she wants to go- watch out kitties- she likes to try and pet them or grab for their tails.  She likes trying new foods and helps feed herself with the spoon.

Best Friends

Zoo trip with Meme, Papa, & Aunt Heather

Great Grandpa

Tessa time

great grandma

dad's retirement party

Go Huskers!

hanging out with grandpa

grandma love

Emma 8-9 months

In July grandma came to visit for 2 weeks so Emma enjoyed all the time she got to spend with her.  We went for walks together, went shopping and went to a concert in the park where Emma enjoyed swaying her head along to the music.  Emma clapped for the first time this month, & got to sit up in the shopping cart.  She loves looking at herself in the mirror, watching videos of herself, standing in her bouncer, making "gaaa" sounds and trying new foods. 

Concert in the Park

Chilling on a walk

Teething

Story time

Emma 7-8 months

 Emma got her top two teeth in this month.  We were happy to see them finally come in after all the fussiness and short naps with teething.  Emma is sitting up by herself, she loves to sit up and watch Baby Einstein on TV.  We limit her TV time because she could watch TV for hours.  She is a happy girl, we can hear her laughing to herself in the mornings in the crib or while she is playing with her toys.  She now likes to suck on her toes and loves watching me fold laundry and do pilates- she thinks it's hilarious.

First 4th of July

We dressed up like cows to get free meals at Chic fil a.  This will now be our new family tradition each year!  Emma liked looking at all the cows at the restaurant.