Black and Gold Spur Verbal Prowess

Yesterday was a big day for our family for two reasons.  First, Eric and I got to attend the Steelers/Lions game at Ford Field.  And second, Emily began to speak in sentences.  Now, before I go on, I would like to point out that this is not the first time Emily hit a milestone coinciding with a big moment for the Steelers: she took her first several unassisted steps in a row on February 1, 2009, when the Steelers won their record setting sixth super bowl.  Maybe yesterday wasn't really much of an accomplishment for the Steelers franchise, (beating the Lions isn't exactly momentous) but we attended the game, so it, along with the aforementioned super bowl victory, was a big moment for us and our personal Steelers memories.  I think there's a connection here, don't you?

The Steelers once again played just well enough to beat their opponent.  If they don't learn to close games out, I'm going to have a heart attack.  What amazed me most though, was the sheer number of people in the stadium decked out in black and gold.  A radio announcer declared the stadium was probably 60/40 in favor of the Steelers fans, and I'd have to agree with that.  I wholeheartedly believe there were more terrible towels being waved than people cheering for the Lions.  Crazy!  Also, we had amazing seats, only eight rows back in the corner of the end zone. A couple of particularly awesome Steelers fans in front of us were wearing Ben's Miami of Ohio jersey and Troy's USC jersey (which I mention in case anyone reading this blog needs a Christmas idea for me).

Meanwhile, Grandma Evonne and Grandpa Don where kind enough to watch Emily while we hit the game.  She's been babbling quite a bit recently, and I've been wondering if she's trying to put several words together.  Once Eric swears he heard her say "I want to watch Elmo"!  But yesterday, those babbles undeniably became real, honest to goodness sentences.  Several people witnessed her ask "where is ball?" multiple times and then in the car on the ride home, she told me twice, "I want arf" (a.ka. her stuffed puppy dog).  What a big, articulate girl!  We're so proud of you Emily; keep up the good work!

Celebrating a touchdown late in the first half!

The picture doesn't do it justice - there were a TON of terrible towels waving at the end of the game!

All smiles for another victory!

21 months old!

Emily,

Okay, I'm a little late again with your post, but I think our readers (a.k.a. your grandparents and a handful of other friends and family) will forgive me when they learn that instead of pictures embedded in this entry, they are going to get videos.  I have a hunch that grandma Ruth will be particularly pleased.  At any rate, let's recap what you've been up to.  First, you are so, so stubborn.  Our eating battle continues, and as Julie remarked the other day, "you seem to be getting more picky - if that's possible - as you get older".  Honestly, breakfast is either oatmeal or cereal and a banana (or occasionally waffles as a treat), lunch is either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or hummus, cheese, and crackers, and dinner is whichever of those two things you didn't eat for lunch.  Now, I'm not really worried because you're gaining weight, seem healthy, and I sneak veggie juice and crushed up vitamans in with your fruit juice, but still, live a little.  Try a bit of scrambled egg, or - gasp - even a piece fo pizza for goodness sake!  But, to make up for it, you are becoming so, so smart.  Here's a video of us (okay, really just me) singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song, but you do very well with the motions (and to be fair, you do better when I am doing them along with you but as I was holding the camera, that just wasn't happening this time).

You continue to learn new words at an alarming rate, and are putting small phrases together.  For example, "where dada" or "watch Elmo".  Yes, that furry little guy continues to be your very best friend, and you angle to watch one of his videos at least a dozen times a day.  However, lest grandma Evonne or our other readers become concerned, let me reassure them that you only watch 30 minutes of an Elmo video a few times per week.  You also can remember what pages in books are coming up, and this morning, when we were reading a Spot book where flaps are hiding different animals, you made the sound of each and every animal BEFORE lifting the flap.  You knew exactly what would be there, and we've only read that book maybe a dozen times.  What a smarty pants!  Oh, and speaking of pants, you are already exhibiting signs of being a teenager.  You totally have an opinion on what you want to wear, and if I try to dress you in something you don't like, you will throw a fit.  If, however, you do like my choice, you will shoot your arms up in the air, and say "there!" when it's on properly.  It's a little scary, to be honest.  You are tons of fun, and love to listen to music and dance, as this video shows!

You continue to be very social, very strong willed, exuberant, obedient, often whiny, and always so stinking cute.  You're getting better at playing by yourself, especially when I leave to go take a shower.  You used to wail if I left you alone to do that, and now you just shout "bye!" and go on playing with Noah (a little person that you actually know by name) or whatever else has caught your attention.  Lately, puzzles continue to be a favorite, and here you are showing your prowess.  The video is a little long, but again, I think the grandparents will like it and since they're a big portion of our audience, here you go!

I love you Emmy!

Mommy

Not me Monday

One of the blogs that I typically read has a weekly column tradition entitled "Not me Mondays".  This is where you can write a post about all of the things that you most certainly did not do (except of course, that you actually did do them and now can get all the guilt out of your system while having a laugh at yourself in the process).

Here are my not me moments for the past week:

I did not decide to take Emily for a walk but forget to pack some kleenex in case of a runny nose.  When her nose started to run, I definitely didn't search for something to use and end up wiping away her snot with a leaf.

When we returned from a weekend in Ann Arbor last Sunday, and Emily was dog tired, having had a fun filled weekend with less sleep than usual, I definitely did not use an Elmo video to get her to stay happy until bedtime.  I would never use videos as a babysitter for my child.

When I couldn't find my deoderant one day this week, I didn't decide to use Eric's instead and then spray some feminime body splash under my armpits as well to make me smell girly.

And finally (I think this was actually last week), I did not decide that I needed chocolate so badly one night that I delayed Emily's bedtime, and took her (in her pajamas) to the grocery store so that I could find some.

Care to join in the fun with me?  Leave a comment about what you definitely did not do in the comments!

NFL Opening Night

Here we go Steelers, Here we go!

Visitors!

This weekend, our good friends Brandon and Annie came to visit from Washington, D.C. They came to see us and our other friends, Josh and Kristy. They also came to meet Josh and Kristy's baby, Micah, and see Emily as a toddler. (They hadn't seen her in over a year. Needless to say, she's a little different now). The visit was a lot of fun, with lots of good food, fellowship, and laughter. We played Scattergories, made sand castles, and alternated turns taking care of the kiddos. We remembered why it's so important to hold on to old friendships, and also made new memories. Here are some pictures:

20 Months Old!

Emily,

Another month, and more milestones. This has been the month of random attachments. It started, I think, when we took our family pictures last month.  You did great, and we got some awesome pictures, but almost all of them have "arf" in the background.  Ironically, this small stuffed dog was your dad's when he was little.  You became attached to this recently, and it complements your love of your baby blanket quite nicely.  I think it's absolutely hilarious that you have chosen the same two respective comfort objects that your parents cherished as children.  And I swear it was all on your own; we actually didn't push you to like these things.

Lately though, you've decided to carry around a couple of plastic food items everywhere you go.  Corn and grapes, for whatever reason, amuse you to no end.  They must go together, and you can't find one without searching for the other.  Speaking of foods, Emily, why don't you eat vegetables?  Seriously, the closest you come is hummus, and I'm so worried that you're missing out on essential nutrients that I let you eat hummus until your heart is content (which roughly translates to, well, a LOT of hummus each day).   Also, you are not what I would call a graceful eater.  No, you stuff food in your mouth until you look like a chipmunk, mumble something that sounds like more, and cry when I won't give it to you until you've finished chewing.  It's crazy, child.  Slow down!

You want to do everything by yourself, from buckling your own straps on your booster seat and car seat to walking up and down stairs (with my hand) to brushing your teeth and washing yourself in the bath. You throw tantrums a LOT, but you also listen really well. So, if I tell you it's time to leave the library, you'll cry and say "NO" but then, after a minute or two, you stop and come. It's almost funny, or it would, if it didn't attract so much attention. One final thing, Emily: your dad is a good guy who loves and cares for you every bit as much as I do. So, do you think one day - just one - you could decide to attach yourself to his legs instead of mine? That'd be great. But remember, only one, because although it drives me to the brink of craziness, I'm sure I'd miss it, and you. Love you!

Love, Mom

P.S. - This was also a big month because we found out that you will be gaining a second aunt. Your uncle Jeff got engaged to your soon-to-be aunt Kara, and someday you'll appreciate how cool that is! Congrats Jeff and Kara!

Learning

One of my favorite things as a parent thus far has been watching Emily learn new things, and master new skills. She's so proud of herself, and it's fun to know that every month, she can do things that she couldn't do just a few weeks ago. Today we got out the wooden puzzles again; they hadn't been used much lately. Earlier this summer, Emily could match up the pictures well enough, but couldn't quite ever get the pieces in. Today, not a problem! She not only matched the pictures, but would twist and turn them until it fit right in (or occasionally ask for help if she got too frustrated). She completed six puzzles in under ten minutes while also making all the animal sounds and having the kangaroo hop all over the floor (because I could never think of a noise for him)! It's the small things sometimes, isn't it?

P.S. Yes, Emily is wearing pants and a long sleeved t-shirt because it was 45 degrees when we woke up this morning. In August. Yikes!