Hello Old Friend!

I realize it has been months and months since I've updated this blog.  And one of my goals this month is to (hopefully) catch up on the stuff I've missed.  But I wanted to just write a little bit about a special little lady in my life:

Emma started Nursery this past Sunday.  I can't believe she is 18 months old already.  The night before I was going through some of my emails and got one from the Baskin Robbins birthday club.  The subject was:  "A free cone for Emma's half-birthday!"  I realized she had six months until she turns two.  And I burst into tears.  I seriously had a breakdown.  How did this baby get to be so big?  It is one of life's sad truths.

But I wanted to talk a little bit about Emma at 18 months.  She hasn't had her well-checkup yet, so I don't have any stats, but she is so dang cute lately and is getting so big.  She eats mostly anything we give her.  Her favorite things to eat are frozen waffles from Costco (waiting for them to come out of the toaster is a test in toddler-patience), fruit, peaches and cottage cheese, green smoothies (probably the only way I have to get vegetables in her!) and cookies.  And the thing she asks for daily is chocolate milk.  She'll go into the pantry and grab the Ovaltine and bring it to me.  I try to limit it to 3 cups a day, and I justify it by saying that she's getting vitamins!

She isn't talking very much yet, but she can say "Mama", "Dada", "Baby", "Nana" (for banana), "Uh-oh", "Hi", "Bye" (usually said in a Texas accent) and a phrase that sounds like "I want that."  She'll say "Thank you" in her own way, and tries to say "Amen" after when we pray.  She also has learned to "choo-choo" her trains and likes to howl like a wolf.  She's learned "Elmo" and "Nemo" although they sound like the same thing.  And with two older sisters in the house who love Justin Bieber, she has learned to sing "Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh..."  But as my Dad pointed out, she doesn't need to talk because she has 4 people getting her whatever she wants or needs!

She has recently learned how to play like a bigger kid.  She loves to play "babies" and will wheel her baby around in her stroller.  She'll pretend to feed it and put a diaper on it.  She has also learned how to go up and down our little slide in the backyard by herself and loves playing outside.  She even goes out and plays with her sisters on the trampoline sometimes!  Yesterday we went to a playground with some friends and I turned my head and looked and she was at the top of the big slide and was about to go down.  She hates being by herself though.  If she's home with me she has to be in the same room with me, and loves being around other kids.  She loves to watch a couple of videos we have, "Baby Einstein" and some "Madeline" videos.  She has also learned to go to the office chair and say "Elmo" and sits and watches YouTube videos of Elmo. 

With all her sweetness, she can be fiery though.  She has been known to make her wants clear and if they're not met, watch out!  She loves to throw big fits and will throw herself on the ground and flail her arms and legs.  She can get easily frustrated sometimes, and throws little fits.  Our new expression in the house is "Throw your fit, Frida" because we nicknamed her Frida Kahlo because of her unibrow. 

She likes baths, and is not afraid of the water.  She will stick her head under the faucet to get her head wet, and will lie face-down in the tub and put her mouth in the water and blow bubbles.  I'm so glad she is not afraid, it will come in handy when we eventually teach her to swim and take her to the beach.  Her favorite things to do are to read books in her chair, play, and help shut the garage door and help unload the dishwasher (mainly the silverware.)

I have gotten her down to one nap a day, but I have to be careful because if I miss her window then it is over, especially if she falls asleep in the car.  She likes her blankie with her binky attached, and two other blankets in her crib.  I have to clean up her toys in her room or she gets distracted by them and won't sleep very well.  And she'll say "bye bye" to you when you shut the door to put her to bed.  But she is a good sleeper and always has been.

As for her first day of Nursery, she did great!  She went right in and had no crying or seperation issues.  I went to pick her up and she yelled "Mama!" and came and hugged me on the leg.  The Nursery workers said she was a dream.  I'm so glad that she, like my other kids, have had no problems going to Nursery.

Love you Emmers!  Quit growing Girl!

Seven Years

Camie turned 7 yesterday.  On September 17, 2004 I became a mother.  As I sat and watched the 10th anniversary tributes about September 11 this year, I was reminded of how Camie's due date was September 10th.  I prayed and prayed that Camie wouldn't come the next day.  And luckily for me, she came a week later.  But Camie's birth was very typical of her and her personality.

Because I was a week over with my first, my doctor decided to induce me.  The labor went very long.  I got started on pitocin about 6am, and wasn't ready to push until 11pm that night.  I was so tired and weak from not having eaten over 24 hours, but it was time to do the hard part.  I remember realizing then that this labor stuff truly was not for the weak.  It was hard, and there's a reason why they call it "labor."  Minutes turned into hours.  I had pushed about 2 hours, and Camie wasn't coming out any further.  My doctor came to check me and gave me the option:  push for another hour or so (or however long it took) or he could use forceps to grab her head and help her out.  Being so tired and weak, I chose the latter option.  Looking back, I laugh, because it was so typical of Camie's personality.  Even with pitocin running through my body, she was not ready to come out.  Because it was someone else's idea, she was not having it.  Camie does things in her time, on her terms.  This goes with all her milestones, showing affection, having ideas for things, participating in activities, you name it.  The doctor literally had to get forceps to force her out. 

She was a big baby, 8 lbs. 15.9 oz (so basically a 9-pound baby.)  From the get-go, Camie has been on the go-go-go.  She was not a super cuddly baby.  She didn't like if you held her or snuggled for a long time.  As soon as she could start scooting and crawling around, she did, and she took every opportunity to learn and explore (and most of the time) destroy.  I remember when she was about 9 months old, Jeff came home from work and I cried to him while sitting outside on the balcony.  "I can't do it!"  I said.  "I have to entertain her 24 hours a day!  I feel like a cruise director!"  Now we call her "Cruise Director."  She is always wanting to know, what's next?  And we wonder with her, what's next?  Because with Camie, it's always something.  She keeps us on our toes.  We have to be two steps ahead of her, which can be exhausting.  But she is a smart cookie.

Camie on her blessing day, October 2004

I'll never forget being in a Sunday School class when Camie was about 3 years old.  We were discussing parenting, and the challenges of it.  One of the ladies in the class brought up such a good insight.  At the time, I was having a hard time with Camie with behavioral problems, things that were driving me crazy.  She made the point that she thinks that the oldest children are the ones in heaven who say, "Here I am, send me.  I'll be the oldest.  I'll be the one who makes a lot of mistakes and where my parents make a lot mistakes.  But I will be the example and try to lead my siblings as best I can."  When I thought of it that way, I cried.  It is so true.  "Camie is such a leader", as her kindergarten teacher told me after having her for 2 weeks in her class.  "She is definitely a leader, not a follower."  And although it can be trying as the parent, I am so happy for that and so proud.  Camie is so confident, and she doesn't care what anyone else thinks (which can be good and bad.)  As long as I can steer her in the right direction, and make her think it's her idea, there's no stopping her.

My sister jokingly calls her "CEO." She is definitely the Queen Bee sometimes.  She is a doer and has a lot of drive.  She is athletic and picks those things up easily.  She is so sweet in that she's practically had to share her whole life with a little sister.  We joke that when Camie goes to college, and it's time for Maddie to go, she'll probably go to the same school and be her roommate because she can't live without her.  Camie's had to share every birthday but one with her little sister Maddie:

Her first one she had to share, her second birthday September, 2006

And this year, when she had her big friend birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's, Maddie was right there again to help her celebrate and tag along.  And I love that they have such a great bond and are the best of sisters.  They even share clothes already.

Happy birthday Camie.  We love you and don't know what our lives would be like without you!

Maddie's Hawaii "5"-0!

Maddie is our second birthday in August.  Her dad's is the first one on the 10th, and Maddie's is less than a week later, on the 16th.  This year Jeff and I were fortunate enough to go to Hawaii in July for a work trip, and when I asked Maddie what kind of birthday she wanted this year, she mentioned a Hawaii or a beach birthday.  It was easy enough so we did it!

Years ago I had a good friend who told me that growing up, she and her siblings (she had 5 or 6) would only have a big "friend" party every four years or so.  It would start at about 4 years old, and then all the big milestone birthdays like 8, 12, and 16.  Being the oldest of two kids, I was a little shocked.  I had a big birthday party pretty much every year.  How horrible to not have all your friends come over on your birthday and have a huge party!  But now that I have three kids, whose birthdays are within 4 weeks of each other, I decided that the every 4 years thing is a pretty good idea!

So this year we just had a family party at home.  My mom came into town the day before so she could be here for Emma's 1st, and I also thought it would be fun to take the girls to a movie.  So I took the big girls to see "Cars 2" and they really liked it.

 Here's a picture of the birthday girl and her sister.  For her birthday breakfast I made her stuffed french toast and bacon.  My sister gave me the "You Are Special Today" plate which I wanted for a really long time.

 So Jeff and I brought back the girls hula outfits when we were in Hawaii.  I mentioned to Maddie that I thought it would be funny to wear them for Maddie's birthday.  She went upstairs and came down looking like this!  I was dying laughing because I thought that she was going to put a shirt on underneath her coconut bra and she didn't.  So the pictures are a little scandalous, but super funny.

 Posing with Grandma Dunn.  Since Maddie was turning 5, I thought it would be funny to call it "Maddie's Hawaii 5-0."  I made the banner and the pom-poms to make it festive.

 Of course we had to have Hawaiian pizza!

 Camie and Emma playing with our mirror.

Emma practicing her ukelele.  Her great-great-grandpa Dunn would be proud!

Emma's "One-derful" Birthday!

I don't know why the start of Fall always makes me reflect on the passage of time.  Maybe it's the starting school, the new year, the leaves changing and the weather getting (hopefully) cooler.  Or maybe it's the month of birthdays in August and September in our house that make me stop for a second and reflect on just how fast time goes.

When we lived in Baltimore, Camie was turning one, and my mother and father came out to help us celebrate and commemerate her first birthday.  I remember talking to some older ladies in my ward who were grandmothers.  I told them that my mother was coming that week and how excited I was.  "What's the occassion?" they asked.  "My daughter's first birthday," I said.  "Oh how nice..." they paused.  "How many grandchildren does she have?"  "This is her first and only so far," I replied.  "Oh..." they mused.  "That will probably stop the more grandchildren she has.  It just gets harder!"  I'm happy to say to those ladies, that with each grandchild my mother has had (and she has four and soon to be five) she has been there for all of their first birthdays.

I am so glad that my mother comes out and sees them at this special time.  It means so much to me that my parents sacrifice to come out and be with us when these sweet babies turn one.  Sadly my dad couldn't make it this year, and we really missed him.  But we were so happy to have my mom join us for Emma's celebration.  Her actual birthday was Wednesday, August 24, but we celebrated on that Saturday, the 27th.  I decided to make panda cupcakes and decorate in that theme.  Here are some pictures of the day:

Maddie loaned us her stuffed panda bears to decorate the table.

 A picture of the birthday girl the day of her party.  My mom got her the dress and shoes.  She has been pulling up a lot and our ottoman is just the right height for her to practice standing.

 My mother got her this birthday headband to wear.  We got it at a children's boutique in Southlake.  She wanted it to be a surprise, and when she brought out the gift bag to the car, she said "You are going to DIE."  And I did.  I couldn't believe how cute it was!  It is the year of Kate Middleton and the "fascinator", you know.

 She kept it on most of the party.  This is her first bite of sugary goodness.  I'm not sure she really liked it.

 She was a little leary of the candle, I think.  When it was lit, she was not happy.  I tried to take some more pictures of her with the lit cupcake, but it was not happening.

 This, people, is why you don't have a humongous party and invite lots of people to a first birthday.  The pressure is unbearable!

Opening her presents.

Emma at this age is so cute.  She waves hello and goodbye.  She says Mama and Dada, but only usually says Mama when she's upset or wants me.  Jeff taught her how to say "Tah dah!" when she was 10 months and it's so cute. She has been army-crawling for a few months, but around her first birthday has started to real-crawl a little, although she doesn't do it full-time.  Around her first birthday, she really started pulling up on things and cruising a little bit.  She switched over to real milk the week of her birthday and has loved it.

I don't remember my other girls understanding language so much at this age.  She loves to read books with real pictures in them, and when we ask her what she likes to eat on the food page, she'll usually point to the banana or yogurt.  From age 9 months or so, if she had something in her hand or if she'd put something in her mouth, we would say, "Emma, what do you have in your mouth?" and she would immediately take it out and give it to us.  She'll get my shoes and I'll say, "Emma, do you want to try on those shoes?" she'll grab her foot with her other hand and try to put it in my shoe.  She loves to point at things and "talk."  It is usually the baby gibberish but mostly consists of the word "da-da."  Jeff calls her R2D2 because she makes sounds that sound like him.  She'll grab a hairbrush and brush her hair with it, or grab one of her sister's necklaces and try to put in on.  She loves being with her sisters, although she can be feisty and get mad if they scold her or don't want her to do something.  She'll scream at them and crawl toward them.  It's hilarious.  She's the third!  She has to have her voice and opinion heard!

Happy 1st birthday Emma.  No more for you for a while!

The Fastest Year

 (photo courtesy of Tiffany Sheppard)

The day was August 24, 2010.  I got up early to go to Baylor Hospital in Grapevine, Texas for my scheduled induction.  It was about 7am or so and I was nervous.  I had had two babies before, and I knew what was in store, but it had been a few years.  I was confident that it would all come back to me.  I'll never forget getting situated in my room and my nurse, Mary, was entering in some information about me into her computer.  She asked me where I was born.  I said, "Funny you ask, because I was actually born in this hospital when it was the old one, before they built this new one."  "No way!" she said.  "Who delivered you, do you know?"  I told her the name of my mom's OB/GYN.  She knew the name and asked the phlobotomist who was starting up my I.V.  She knew him and had worked with him before years ago.  I immediately felt so comfortable then, so at-ease.  I was also so happy that I was in some experienced hands and they had a little bit of familiarity with me in some small way.  I was also so happy that my I.V. was put in my forearm and went in lickety split the first time, without any pain (I swear, for me that is the worst part!)

The day went a little slowly after that.  I was sure that it would be faster than Maddie's birth, which took about 8 hours from start to finish.  Jeff and I watched a few stand-up bits from Brian Regan and laughed.  The nurse kept checking me and said that the baby was still so high up.  I was getting concerned that it would take a long time.  I remember it was about 4pm and Oprah was on, and I progressed very quickly.  I felt the baby drop, and I was feeling the pressure.  In about 15 minutes, I was pushing.  I pushed for about 45 minutes, and Emma was born at 5:01.  My hospital room looked out onto the street that I grew up on as a young child, Bluebonnet Street.  What a full-circle moment, to remember riding my bike in the huge dirt mounds where they were building Baylor, and now, having my sweet baby there myself.

I remember a month or so before, at our family reunion in Oregon, my cousin Marianne asked me whether I  wanted a boy or a girl.  I told her that of course I would be happy with either, but I would feel bad if it were a girl because I didn't want her to be like a third wheel, because Camie and Maddie are 2 years apart and pretty close.  "Oh nonsense!" Marianne said.  "Those two girls would love that baby girl so much, she would be like their little doll.  It will all work out."  We didn't know it was going to be a girl.  It was a surprise, and I couldn't believe it was another girl, but on the other hand, I could since that's all my family has.  They gave her to me and I started to cry.  I love that first moment when a mother meets her baby for the first time.  It is such a sweet spiritual experience, like your souls are meeting again.  I knew instantly that she was mine, that she was supposed to be in our family, and everything would be all right. 

Jeff and I also don't name our babies until they're born.  I think you have to see them, and try on the names, to see what feels right and what fits.  I love that process, because it's so special.  I remember reading in my scriptures that morning and thinking about the name Jeff and I had talked about.  The nurse brought her into me shortly after that.  As I took her in my arms and said, "Are you Emma?"  I started to cry.  I knew that was supposed to be her name.

Marianne was right.  This little girl has brought such life and light to our home, such love, such ease and comfort.  She is the sweetest, most laid-back baby and this has been the fastest year ever.  I can't believe she is one.  Almost every day I tell her to stop growing, and she's not listening.   Maddie calls her "Little Sweetness."  I didn't want to put her to bed tonight because now she will just keep getting older after one.  And that is not acceptable.

Happy birthday Birthday Girl!  We love you!

"Oh Mexico...."

"Way down here, you need a reason to move....

 (our 10-year-anniversary trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico)

 (The Mayan temple of Coba)

 

"Feel a fool, running your stateside games...

 (our wonderful tour guide Carlos with our wonderful lunch)

 (a cenote, an underground cave to swim in)

 "Lose your load, leave your mind behind....

(the Mayan temple of Tulum)

 "Oh Mexico

 "It sounds so simple, I just got to go

 "The sun's so hot, I forgot to go home

 "Guess I'll have to go now."

Hasta la vista, Mexico!  We loved you!!