Monday, December 30, 2013

Emma: 15 Months!

Dear Lou Lou,

This month has been a big one for your vocabulary!  You are definitely starting to say a lot more words, including your newest one, orange juice.  Ha ha!  You don't even like orange juice, but I think you just like saying it.  And this month came the dreaded favorite toddler word, no.  For now it's still very cute when you say it, the way you pucker up your little lips :)  But I'm sure in a matter of weeks it'll be all you want to say.  You also have started to say Holly (which sounds more like Ha-EE).  You run around calling her name and trying to give her her toy.  Other new words are baby, hat (you LOVE hats), purple (for your beloved purple blanket), and cheese (for the camera!).

You would wear this hat all day (and become a sweaty mess!)  if we let you :)

Here you are cheesin'!


You are really starting to understand a lot more and this month you started shaking your head for yes when you want something.  It's wonderful to see glimpses of you being able to really communicate with us.  I would say that by far your favorite word is Addy.  You say it all the time, and if she isn't around you are always looking for her :)  One of my biggest hopes if for you two to grow up to be the best of friends!



This computer toy is one of your recent favorites, which is so unfortunate because I do believe that it is the MOST annoying toy that we own.  But you tote it along with you everywhere.  While the rest of us were decorating for Christmas, you had important work to do on that laptop ;)


Another favorite "toy" is my phone.  You love toy phones too, but you nab mine whenever you can reach it.  You can even swipe to unlock it and scroll though apps already!  You often hold it up to your ear in this backwards kind of way and it's so cute. 

Busy busy :)

We went and saw Santa and you were skeptical at best.  You are in a mommy only kind of phase and were NOT happy when I put you in Santa's lap.  But you managed to hold it together for a few photos :)


(Yes I know that Santa looks miserable.  They really need to work on a better Santa for next year.)


So, what else is new?  You have started going down the steps by yourself, although I now realize that I don't give you a whole lot of opportunity to do that because I'm usually carrying you.  You and Addy are in a battle for Mommy's attention these days, and though it can get exhausting, I'm not complaining.  I know it'll just be a blink of an eye before neither of you will let me hold you anymore.  So now when it's "Hold me!"  "No, hold me!!", I just try to divide up my time equally and enjoy the snuggles.

One random, funny thing that you have decided to take up is sucking on a pacifier.  It's just here and there, but we have one floating around in the basement somewhere, and if you find it you pop it in your mouth like you've been doing it since day one.  It's so funny!



You love Christmas balls, and while we thought this was such a cute photo op, it ended in shattered ornaments.  Oops ;)


Speaking of ornaments, somehow you and your sister did not bother with the ornaments on the tree.  I hear of so many people having to keep ornaments on the top half of the tree or even putting a baby gate around the tree to keep their kids out.  I thought for sure we would fall into one of those categories, but we didn't.  And even after Tina wrapped all of her gifts and put them under the tree WEEKS before Christmas, you two didn't mess those up either!  It was a Christmas miracle!

We had our first snow of the season and you and Addy got to play in the snow for the first time ever!
You had a bit of difficulty moving at first, ha ha!

But you figured it out fast!



And if I'm holding you...

...or if we place you on the sled or in the snow, you love it!  You even get excited when you see your snowsuit coming out of the closet!


I love, love, love this new coat and hat from Aunt Sue and Uncle Lee:
Cutest little thing EVER!

Cruisin' :)

We went to Hershey Park for Candylane and you LOVED the carousel!  Addy was terrified at your age, but you had no fear.  I think you will be a bit more willing to try new things than your cautious sister is ;)

On the carousel in your beloved hat...you are in heaven!

And of course, to finish off this letter, what would December with a "baby" be without tons of Christmas outfits.  Many (most) are hand-me-downs from Addy, but some are yours too:







And I'll finish off with one of my recent favorites of you:

Chillin' at the Cracker Barrel with your Cindy Lou Who shirt and your giant hat :)  I love it!

Emmy, my sweet, sweet lady, these times with you are so very precious to me.  I thank God everyday for blessing me with you, and I know how lucky I am to be able to stay at home with you and Addy during these fleeting years.  I'm sure I'll turn my head and you'll be all grown up.  Even though I am with you all day every day, I still can't get enough of you!  I could smooch those little cheeks and hands all day long!!  Happy 15 months Lou Lou!  Mommy loves you so very much!




Thursday, December 12, 2013

November Self Portrait

Oops, time got away from me and I realized that I never posted a November self portrait.  Well, by far the thing that sticks out in my mind about November is that we bought a house!  So I have two pics that I am posting for November:

Mike and I after we found out that our offer was accepted!
We're about to be PA Homeowners!!



And then I had to include this one of me and my sis/best friend.  After all, our lifelong dream of living within 5 minutes of each other (OK it will be a 6 minute drive, but close enough) is finally going to be a reality!  We are beyond excited!

We aren't closing on the new house until mid-January because we didn't want to deal with moving around the holidays.  And now we will be able to spend Christmas with Tina and Jay, and bombard their lives for just a little bit longer..... :)  

Happy holidays everyone!