Kurt came home on Tuesday after picking Emma up and asked, "Did you know that Emma sleeps on a cot for naps at daycare?" I was completely surprised by this and said that I didn't. He said that apparently she's been on a cot now for about 2 weeks! I guess they forgot to mention it to us which is why we were so surprised!
When I picked Emma up on Wednesday, I asked how they put her down because surely, my little mover and shaker would never willingly go lay down on a cot for nap time! They said they just hold her for about 5 minutes and pat her back and she just goes down. Huh. Imagine that! Maybe we will try that here on weekends since it takes forever to get her to go down for a nap!
We can't believe how big our little girl is getting!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Blueberry Picnic
This past weekend, Emma and I drove up to my parents on Friday for the weekend. Kurt had to be at work on Friday, so he joined us Saturday morning. Emma was an absolutely awesome travel buddy! We only had to stop once for a diaper change and a snack. We stopped at a McDonalds and I got a breakfast sandwich and Emma had a banana. She did great on the changing table (Emma fights changes at home, so I'm always a little worried when I'm alone and in public restrooms with her), stood right by me while I ordered, and had a lot of fun sitting in the booth beside me eating and waving to people on their way into the restaurant. She even got right back into her carseat without a fuss!
When we got to Mom and Dad's she went right to Grammy and gave her a hug! She did the same when Grandpa got home that afternoon too. She was also excited to see the dogs, and warmed up to them quicker than the last time we were there. She had fun wandering around a couple furniture stores while Grammy tried to pick out a new chair and even picked one out for herself that Grammy ended up buying for her. It's the cutest little rocking chair. She had fun climbing up into it all weekend and reading her nursery rhyme book.
We also stopped at the store where Grammy works and she spent a fair amount of time taking toy ring stackers off the shelf, lining them up perfectly, and then putting them back on the shelf when we asked her to! Such a smart little girl!
That evening, she played with water on patio furniture and had a grand time wetting her hands and making hand prints. When the water dried a bit, she figured out how to press her sippy cup just right so that water would come out of the spout. Such a smart little trouble maker!
On Saturday, family and friends came over for the blueberry picnic. Emma even learned how to pick ripe berries and eat them! She thought they were yummy, but I'm not convinced she actually chewed them to taste them! She had a lot of fun meeting new family and running around the yard, climbing on chairs and coolers, playing in icy cooler water, and getting lots of attention from everyone!
We headed home on Sunday and Emma was a great little travel buddy again. We stopped a couple times for change and snack breaks but she willingly got back into her carseat every time! Similar to her reaction when we got back home from the 4th weekend, she was very happy to be back in her own living room with all her toys.
When we got to Mom and Dad's she went right to Grammy and gave her a hug! She did the same when Grandpa got home that afternoon too. She was also excited to see the dogs, and warmed up to them quicker than the last time we were there. She had fun wandering around a couple furniture stores while Grammy tried to pick out a new chair and even picked one out for herself that Grammy ended up buying for her. It's the cutest little rocking chair. She had fun climbing up into it all weekend and reading her nursery rhyme book.
We also stopped at the store where Grammy works and she spent a fair amount of time taking toy ring stackers off the shelf, lining them up perfectly, and then putting them back on the shelf when we asked her to! Such a smart little girl!
That evening, she played with water on patio furniture and had a grand time wetting her hands and making hand prints. When the water dried a bit, she figured out how to press her sippy cup just right so that water would come out of the spout. Such a smart little trouble maker!
On Saturday, family and friends came over for the blueberry picnic. Emma even learned how to pick ripe berries and eat them! She thought they were yummy, but I'm not convinced she actually chewed them to taste them! She had a lot of fun meeting new family and running around the yard, climbing on chairs and coolers, playing in icy cooler water, and getting lots of attention from everyone!
We headed home on Sunday and Emma was a great little travel buddy again. We stopped a couple times for change and snack breaks but she willingly got back into her carseat every time! Similar to her reaction when we got back home from the 4th weekend, she was very happy to be back in her own living room with all her toys.
4th of July
Emma celebrated the 4th of July in the U.S. this year! (And she was much more active than she was last year!) We spent a relaxing long weekend at Kurt's parents house where Emma got to run around in a big yard, look at fishies in the creek, be intrigued by her first camp fire, eat cookies whenever she wanted (she WAS at Grandma and Grandpa's house afterall!), and pretty much have any one of at least 10 people's attention whenever she wanted. It was a 13 month old's dream come true! And all while that was going on, Mommy and Daddy got some time to relax and even go out to dinner without Emma for the first time in the States!
Funny stories from the weekend:
We arrived at Kurt's parents' house just before lunch and nap time on Friday. After lunch, we just put Emma down for her nap on the bed in Kurt's room, which is in the basement, since we hadn't unpacked and set up her pack and play yet. We all go off to do our own things for a bit, Kurt gets on the computer, I read in the living room, Kurt's Dad is cooking in the kitchen for the party. The house is pretty much silent. After an hour or so, he thinks he hears something and goes over to the basement steps and there is Emma, half way up the staircase. Apparently, she woke up, climbed off the bed, and figured we were all upstairs and was coming to look for us! We were all amazed that she wasn't scared at all and knew exactly how to find us!
Grandma and Grandpa bought a little kiddie wading pool for Emma. We were all excited to get her into her swim suit and put her in it to play. She on the other hand, did not think that was a great idea! We finally coaxed her into it but she would only stand. She was playing with a toy and got water on her tummy and started bawling. For the rest of the weekend, she would only play on the outside of the pool. Finally, late on the 4th, she did get back in for a few minutes.
We bought Emma a booster seat while we were in Pennsylvania. She was SO excited! She initially showed interest in a friends' booster seat a couple weeks earlier and we put it on our list of things to look for. Since we were visiting, we thought it would be a good time to get it so that she could have her own seat. She feels like such a big girl in the seat!
On Sunday morning, we met up with the entire extended family for breakfast. We ended up going back to the house for a few hours afterward. We could tell that Emma was severely disappointed that we weren't staying in the car and heading right home. Although she enjoys visiting and seeing family, she was more than ready to get back into her own house with her own toys and back into her normal routine. She went to the front door a couple times and said "Go." When we arrived back at our house, we set her down in the living room and she just looked at her corner of toys and said "Woah!" and "Wow!" She took it all in for a minute then ran up to her chair, climbed in and just sat there for several minutes admiring her toys and her living room. I wish I had been recording the scene! It was so cute!
Funny stories from the weekend:
We arrived at Kurt's parents' house just before lunch and nap time on Friday. After lunch, we just put Emma down for her nap on the bed in Kurt's room, which is in the basement, since we hadn't unpacked and set up her pack and play yet. We all go off to do our own things for a bit, Kurt gets on the computer, I read in the living room, Kurt's Dad is cooking in the kitchen for the party. The house is pretty much silent. After an hour or so, he thinks he hears something and goes over to the basement steps and there is Emma, half way up the staircase. Apparently, she woke up, climbed off the bed, and figured we were all upstairs and was coming to look for us! We were all amazed that she wasn't scared at all and knew exactly how to find us!
Grandma and Grandpa bought a little kiddie wading pool for Emma. We were all excited to get her into her swim suit and put her in it to play. She on the other hand, did not think that was a great idea! We finally coaxed her into it but she would only stand. She was playing with a toy and got water on her tummy and started bawling. For the rest of the weekend, she would only play on the outside of the pool. Finally, late on the 4th, she did get back in for a few minutes.
We bought Emma a booster seat while we were in Pennsylvania. She was SO excited! She initially showed interest in a friends' booster seat a couple weeks earlier and we put it on our list of things to look for. Since we were visiting, we thought it would be a good time to get it so that she could have her own seat. She feels like such a big girl in the seat!
On Sunday morning, we met up with the entire extended family for breakfast. We ended up going back to the house for a few hours afterward. We could tell that Emma was severely disappointed that we weren't staying in the car and heading right home. Although she enjoys visiting and seeing family, she was more than ready to get back into her own house with her own toys and back into her normal routine. She went to the front door a couple times and said "Go." When we arrived back at our house, we set her down in the living room and she just looked at her corner of toys and said "Woah!" and "Wow!" She took it all in for a minute then ran up to her chair, climbed in and just sat there for several minutes admiring her toys and her living room. I wish I had been recording the scene! It was so cute!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Vocabulary
Emma's vocabulary seems to be growing in leaps and bounds daily. She experiments with new sounds and tries to repeat what we say more and more frequently. Although she sometimes can't (or won't) say some words, she defintely knows what objects are called and will point them out to us.
Just last night, I got out a bowl for dinner and she pointed and said "bowl". I just looked at her. Kurt said he told her what a bowl was earlier in the day and she remembered.
Also last night, Kurt was reading Peek-a-who to Emma and pointing out all the animals on the Zoo page. When he said jaguar, she repeated it. I was in the kitchen doing dishes at the time and walked to the living room to ask if she just said jaguar, they both smiled and Kurt said, I think so! Later, I was reading the same book to her, and worked with her to say Boo! I could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to move her mouth to get the right sound to come out. She didn't say a peep until she was sure she was going to make the right sound...not buh, but boo. It was really neat to watch!
Over the weekend, I was trying to get her to point to her nose. I said something like "I have a nose, where is Emma's nose?" She said "Eye!" and pointed to her eye instead. =)
She has also clearly said cup, book, and cheese recently. She's working on making shoes a little more clear. I think there are a few more, but I can't think of them right now.
Just last night, I got out a bowl for dinner and she pointed and said "bowl". I just looked at her. Kurt said he told her what a bowl was earlier in the day and she remembered.
Also last night, Kurt was reading Peek-a-who to Emma and pointing out all the animals on the Zoo page. When he said jaguar, she repeated it. I was in the kitchen doing dishes at the time and walked to the living room to ask if she just said jaguar, they both smiled and Kurt said, I think so! Later, I was reading the same book to her, and worked with her to say Boo! I could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to move her mouth to get the right sound to come out. She didn't say a peep until she was sure she was going to make the right sound...not buh, but boo. It was really neat to watch!
Over the weekend, I was trying to get her to point to her nose. I said something like "I have a nose, where is Emma's nose?" She said "Eye!" and pointed to her eye instead. =)
She has also clearly said cup, book, and cheese recently. She's working on making shoes a little more clear. I think there are a few more, but I can't think of them right now.
WWF
Incase you didn't know (even after reading the last post), Emma is a very physical kid. A few weeks ago, Emma started doing some wrestling moves on us whenever we would lay down on the floor. I think, generally, they're meant to be hugs and kisses that just get a little out of control, especially when a few tickles from Mommy and Daddy are thrown into the mix! There have been a few times that she has come running over and executed a perfect flying drop elbow to my windpipe. (Not too sure about the technical term for that move) Mostly we try to tell her to be gentle and calm down, but have so much fun tickling and rolling around that I'm not sure it does much good. Emma absolutely loves this time before bath. She laughs so hard and has so much fun, it makes us so happy to see her so happy!
Our Little Monkey
Emma is becoming quite the climber. She loves climbing up onto her little bench, sitting in chairs, and trying to get onto the couch. She can skedadle up the steps in no time flat. At the playground, she will specifically choose the hardest way to get up onto the platform that leads to the slide so that she has to climb up instead of walk up. We'll suggest the smaller steps and she looks at us like "I'm no baby, I can get up this way!" On Sunday, she decided to jump down from one small landing to the ground while holding onto a railing...she hung on for a split second, but I could see a look in her eye that said, hmm hanging might be fun! She also has a lot of fun with Daddy who taught her how to walk UP the slide after she slides down it. She has also taken to holding my hands and trying to "walk" up my legs to get me to pick her up.
Although she has recently started trying to get out of her high chair when she's finished eating, so far there are no indications that she wants to try climbing out of her crib; although I really wouldn't be too surprised if she did just walk into our bedroom some night.
Although she has recently started trying to get out of her high chair when she's finished eating, so far there are no indications that she wants to try climbing out of her crib; although I really wouldn't be too surprised if she did just walk into our bedroom some night.
June Pictures are Posted
While going through June's pictures, we realized that we've been slacking a little on pulling out the camera. In our defense, it's getting increasingly harder to get good pictures of Emma because she just doesn't stand, sit, or stay still in any fashion. There are a good deal of pictures that are blurs or her just running toward the camera when she sees that we're trying to get a picture of her. (She loves looking at the LCD to see herself in the picture that was just taken).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)