Emery's modeling debut!

So I get to officially, finally, share my pics from Emery's first modeling shoot.  The business... Little Bow Dazzle.  The photographer.... ME!!!  :)  And special thanks to Amy Horn for the help and assistance!   I came across this gal on facebook.  She was looking for a model Emery's age.  So I emailed her.  And Emery was hired!  I hope we can do more in the future!  It was fun!  Enjoy!

Adventures!

Well last week I had so much to say... but unfortunately never had, or made, the time to blog. Makes me sad. But here I am.  Maybe I can still do the last 10 days justice.
Well to say the least, Emery is changing changing changing!!!!  Did I say she is changing??  Sheesh!  I can't believe how quickly things are moving... including her!  Although she is not crawling yet, she is most definitely making her way around.  We will move the ottoman into the center of our (U-shaped) couch and then sit on either end and let her play in the middle.  She will roll and scoot back and forth between us, pulling herself up and over us.  Its so much fun!!  But even though I think I'm discovering the moon here, all you alum parents already know that now the craziness has started!!  She requires a lot more to stimulate her.  She is not content for as long in her exersaucer.  And the days of eating with her in my lap are history (although this one was going away a while ago).  Taking her out is still pretty easy, but naps have almost ceased in the car.  And if she does fall asleep it is short lived.  And naps.... she has cut one out officially!  Which is good and bad.... before she took 3-4 45 min naps. Now she takes 2-3 naps that are 1-2 hours.  Anyway... just another adjustment.
And then there's the thing you can't escape when they start moving... bumps and bruises!  She got her first one last wed at my friends house.  She fell (from sitting, thank goodness) onto her forehead onto their wood floor.  It wasn't too bad but she had a bruise for almost a week.  Then when you're in public, you feel like everyone thinks you abused your child.  Its awful!  Glad its out of the way.  She survived.  So did we.  But that is exactly why Sean, and now I, am so worried about her crawling on our tile floor.  (right now, since I have my back turned, I have her on a blanket on the floor completely surrounded by pillows! lol)
She continues adding to her 'sounds'.  She's got dada, mama, baba, and lala down!  Along with blowing bubbles and sniffing in and out while pooching her lips (its the cutest thing! does it all the time!!)
So much is happening!  Its not just adjusting to each new day with a baby and being parents and being "Married" parents... its all the projects Sean has going on in the house, its our jobs and thinking constantly about our future and where God is leading us.  It is constantly taking all these things before the throne and trusting them to God.  It is all a faith walk.  But it is exciting.  It is an adventure... our adventure!  :)

Just a few pics from the past week.....

 I took Emery for a walk and ended up at Grandma Dorene's.  It was a great time!

 Emery's first Halloween!

 She LOVED the candy!!  (no she didn't eat any!)

Sleepy princess!

p.s.  How could I forget??!!!!   Emery gave me her kisses today for the first time!!!!  And she did it over and over and over.  I must have got 15 from her.  I started crying on the first one and the rest were filled with laughter.  The glimmer in her eye and the huge smile on her face the entire time made me think that she knew exactly how happy she was making me at that moment!!  Priceless!  Thank you Jesus for such a truly blessed gift that could only come from you!

Pumpkin Patch!!!!

For anyone not on facebook..... here are some pics from yesterday's trip to the pumpkin patch!  So fun!!!  She is such a great and easy subject to shoot! :)

Old friends.... New joy!

Had a beautiful time yesterday with a friend that goes way back!  Dixie Brewer became a kind of spiritual mom to me many years ago, early in my marriage.  I was part of her women's bible study group on marriage and later worked with her at the church.  But over the years, grew in relationship with her.  Well she and her husband moved to Coeur d'Alene about 4 years ago.  I haven't seen her since then.  But she has been on my mind for the past year in that I just HAD to tell her about our Miracle, Emery.  I've recently become friends with her daughter-in-law, Ally, who told me they were coming to visit.  So yesterday, I drove to Caruthers and spent half the day with these two beautiful women.  It was a wonderful time of catching up, sharing the good stuff and the bad, and praising God together for the tremendous things God is doing in our lives.  I could sense the pride and love she has for me and for Emery.  I only wish she was still living her to be a part of our lives.  But I love her so much and feel so blessed to have had the time with her yesterday.  So thank you, Ally, for letting me come invade your home for the day.  What a blessing!

... and Ally's kids jumped in too!

Here are some random pics of Emery just hanging around the house....

First time hanging out on the tile... she didn't mind it!

Look at that face!

LOVE IT!! 

these were my own baby clothes I found!!!

And some fun video for your viewing pleasure!!!

she cracks me up!!!!  (you'd think she was Italian! lol)

My HALF accomplishment!!!!

City to the Sea Half Marathon 2011

Well I did it!!!  I finished a half marathon in under 3 hours only 8 months after giving birth!  Some said I probably wouldn't do it.  They were trying to be nice, and I suppose, "realistic", in helping me have grace for myself in the first year of being a mom.   But, though I respect their efforts, I didn't take their advice.  I was back at bootcamp after my 6 week checkup and starting running a few months later to get ready for the Half.  We weren't the fastest.  But that wasn't my goal.  My initial goal was to run at least half of it.  Well we ran way more than half of the Half. lol  In fact, I kept setting personal goals as I was running at the start of the race and I made it 5 miles without stopping!  An all time first for me!   

 You see last year I signed up for the Nike Women's Half marathon in S.F. but ended up 6 months pregnant.  I was so sad as I watched my friends and all those runners take off at the startline (ok, I sobbed).  So this was a makeup for me and my good friend Kristin.  And we did it!!  I trained each time with Emery in the stroller.  Man, its so much easier without her! lol  

The best part was seeing Sean within a mile of the finish line!  He walked a bit with us and then we took off again.  I almost took Emery with me across the finish line. :)  It meant sooooo much to me that my husband and our daughter were there to celebrate this achievement with me.  I can't even express it in words.  But it meant the world to me!

  There's John, Kristin and me (don't know the girl in front) lol

That's us!!!

Crossing the finish line!!!  

Best siting of my day!!!  :)

 

 Traci, Kristin and I at the finish line

Amy ran the 5K but waited for me at the finish and cheered me on!

 My blue-eyed baby!!!

 Me and my training partner for the last month

And this is Claire..... we first stayed at her hotel (referred to us by Brent and Lisa) last summer when we went to SLO for my birthday.  I was pregnant then and she was just so excited for us (Lisa told her our story).  In the past year we have stayed with her a few times.  She is so amazing.  I think she is from Lebanon and she is truly a doll.  The most precious woman!  People keep coming back to the Peachtree Inn for Claire alone.  

 Claire (our hotel's manager) had her turn loving on Emery also!

Emery was trying to help Claire on the phone!

on the move!!!!

Emery is officially beginning to move today!!!! Well actually I noticed it first last night.... but today she has done it every time I try to have her take a nap. She starts at the center of the mattress and within 20 min she is head smack dab in the corner! I think she is pushing with her feet. She's always kicked and stuff but not actually moved herself! Yikes! Well... no more couch for her! Its all floor baby!!! This little baby of mine (ok, ours, in case your reading, honey) is growing so quick. Its really true... that all of the sudden they start changing with every passing day. I think it started right at 6 months. In just two weeks she was sitting up all by herself. She's now in a big girl high chair. And now she's moving!!!! What next? A wedding?!!!! Sheesh! Ok. Slow it down girl. You have at least a few more years until you have to worry about that one. Well we just LOVE watching her grow and change. It is sooo much fun. And I am amazed every day of what a marvelous little being we created. Man! God is so good! And faithful!

Emery's First Wedding and our first trip to SLO as a family!

This past week has been filled with fun and excitement. And with that.... exhaustion! :) You can never have fun without being tired. This past weekend we attended a wedding in Cayucos. All five couples went together to celebrate the marriage of our sixth couple in our Life Group bible study. It was Emery's third vacation! And her First wedding!!! I was more excited of course. I found and bought her beautiful dress 3 months ago!!!

Saturday most of us met up in downtown SLO and ate at Woodstock's Pizza!~ So yum!!! Then walked around a bit. Then we all headed to Cayucos to help take care of our friends' twins while they were at the rehearsal. After that we headed to Avila Beach to have dinner at the Custom House. Though it was 'cold', we sat on the patio (it felt sooooo good!). It was a beautiful evening!!! Such great company!!!

Dinner at the custom House

The day of the wedding was busy and hectic.... whether someone was setting up the wedding and reception or just plain taking care of babies! (we had 4 babies under 7 months old!) It was a tiring day. But the ceremony was beautiful, there on the beach, and the reception was a fabulous time eating, celebrating, and dancing! The twins and Emery were worn out by the end of the night... as were we! All but two of us couples returned home that night after the wedding.

Our family on the Cayucos Pier

The babies at the beginning of the evening!

The Newlyweds! ~ Lazaro & Niermin Santana!

Mommy and her daughter

Daddy and his daughter

My two favorite people!!

And.... the babies at the end of the night.... lol

But the next day, the Taylors (and twins) and we bummed around the hotel awhile then headed into SLO again, ending up at woodstocks for lack of seating at Firestone. We got our coffees at Peets and took off for Avila Valley Barn. Though it was really fun to finally experience this place, I had the privilege of taking home one, very undesirable memory.... A painful, itching, swollen arm. Something either bit me or stung me. It was so painful! (It continued getting worse over the next couple of days with intense heat, hardness, extending redness and swelling and unbearable itching. Went to the dr and got a shot in my butt and 10 days of abx! yippee!!!! :))

Me and Lisa with the babies at Avila Valley Barn

After that we headed toward home... but we had to make one stop....

.... Cass Winery!

Yes, I had to stop and get a couple bottles! :) Sean and I tasted in order to decide. I was worried that Brent and Lisa might think it was a wasted drive. But I LOVED sharing that time with them at my favorite winery. I just wanted them to experience the beauty and peacefulness there. I figured we could hang out and taste and have snacks and feed the babies. But of course nothing turns out the way you think. But I think they still enjoyed it. I know I did! Thanks guys! Then it was on to home!

Tuesday Emery and I were exhausted. She woke up and ate and went right back to sleep for 3 HOURS!!!!

On a random note.... I looked over at her this morning and she looked up at me with her toy still in her mouth and tons of spit up coming out of her mouth and gave me that huge sweet smile. There's truly nothing sweeter.....

back to mommyhood.....

just for fun.... our friends showed off their amazing swing skills!!!! :)

(Love you Lis!!!!....)