A picture is worth a thousand words

Eric and I enrolled Emily in baby swimming classes at the YMCA because our peanut loves the water.  Little did we know that the instructors have pretty high expectations for these kids, including teaching them to flip from their tummies to their backs and float by the end of the class.  They also find it plausible that if the kids keep up their lessons they could swim on their own by the age of two.  That's all well and good, but I was just hoping to have some fun splashing around with my baby.  Emily loved the first class, although she's not crazy about being on her back anywhere (including the water apparently).  But, she wasn't feeling very well before the second class, and the photo above shows her uncertainty about what's to come...

Most of the class went fine, and she did quite well with the skills but near the end she got sick in the water and the whole entire pool had to be evacuated because of us.  That was the beginning of a pretty awful week for our family as we all experienced a gastrointestinal virus of some kind.  Thankfully, we're all recovered now and eager to tackle the water again tonight.  Here are some of the my favorite pictures from last week:

Ten Minutes

Do you know how long ten minutes is?  Perhaps it's a stupid question, but my concept of how long ten minutes really is has changed since having Emily.  Before, ten minutes was nothing.  I could (and did) easily waste ten minutes on a regular basis.  But you see, ten minutes is approximately how long it takes Emily to sit in her high chair and drink her bottle and this is one of the only times during the entire day (naps aside) that I have to get things accomplished without a two foot high ankle hugger following me around.  And now, I am amazed at how efficient I can be!  I can fold an entire basket of laundry in ten minutes.  I can unload and re-load the dishwasher in ten minutes.  I can vacuum the entire downstairs in ten minutes.  I can become completely rejuvinated by sitting with my feet up on the couch sipping hot chocolate.  And, I can write an entire blog post, which is what I've done right now.  Hooray for ten minutes!

Ten Months Old!

Dear Emily,

You are ten months old today! Your uncle Jeff frequently exclaims how big you are when he sees you (though he does see you on a fairly regular basis so I'm not always sure where the shock comes from). But lately I have to agree. I simply can't believe how much bigger you are becoming. I look back at pictures from a few months ago, and I'm shocked by your sheer size, by the things you can do now that you couldn't then, by the incredible amount of hair you are growing! Fall has come to Michigan, and you have enjoyed partaking in a few traditions: exploring pumpkin patches, crawling through leaves, and sitting in hay to name a few.

You have begun to get your first two teeth this month, and while that's exciting and will help you chew foods (right now if I give you finger foods they just sit in your mouth for a long, long time), it seems to be making you a little cranky and uncomfortable. Also, they are taking a long time. You have been getting your first two teeth for a few weeks now, and I wish they would just hurry up and come all the way in.

That picture of you in the high chair there, that's often how you like to view the world. It's amusing, and you also do this in your stroller when we go for walks prompting strangers left and right to approach me and tell me how tired you are, how much you need a nap, and how I better hurry up and get you home. Clearly these people are not familiar with your wily ways (and why they feel the need to give me such advice is beyond me) and a few seconds later your head will pop up like a jack in the box and, eyes gleaming, you'll smile at me like it was all a big trick on your part.

Speaking of tricks (and treats), you also experienced your first Halloween. I wasn't about to spend $25 on a costume that you would wear one time, but I did pony up the $3.77 for an outfit on eBay, and if I do say so myself, I think it was an excellent selection.

You weren't feeling particularly well on Halloween, but you did enjoy finding the leftover candy the next morning and protested loudly when I tried to take it away from you (but not before snapping this picture!).

Finally, this has been a month of transition as I have gone back to work part-time. It's been great though, as you now usually get to spend one day of the work week with your daddy, two days with me, and two days playing with your friends down the street. Frankly, you seem to be having a blast with this arrangement and now I can honestly say that I enjoy (even treasure) the days that our just ours. Thanks for being my sweet little peanut - I love you more than words can ever say!

Love,

Mommy

The things we do for our kids...

This morning was an interesting one in our household. It started off ordinarily enough: I woke Emily up in the morning (after she slept 12 hours!), gave her some breakfast and then set her down in the living room to play with some toys while I went to the bathroom. I made sure to close the door tightly and latch it because Emily has taken to pushing that door open when one of her parents is trying to have two minutes peace. Sure enough, I soon heard her pawing at the door and when I went to open it and rescue her, I could not. No matter how hard I tried or how many times I wiggled the door knob, I could not get the door to open. I was stuck in the bathroom and my daughter was quickly losing her cool on the other side of the door.

I considered the facts: it had to be approaching 8 o'clock and Eric should be coming home soon, so I kept fiddling with the door knob when suddenly I panicked. Had I closed the door to the basement steps? Was Emily's 15 seconds of silence because she had fallen? Swallowed something she shouldn't have? Learned to walk, open doors, and was now running out in the middle of a street as a speeding truck approached? I knew I couldn't wait any longer. What if Eric went out to breakfast with his night shift cronies as he has mentioned to me that he might do one of these times? So, I searched the bathroom for a blunt object, settled on a plunger and began beating through the door. My plan was to make a small hole, reach my hand through and try to open the door from the other side. I made the hole all right, but it still wouldn't budge, so I kept going. Soon enough (after a LOT of pounding and wood chips flying) I had created a hole I could fit through (with some considerable squeezing). I rescued my sobbing baby, surveyed the damage, and not two minutes after I was freed Eric walked through the door to quite a scene!

We are family!

Having my side of the family visit from Pennsylvania is always a treat. My mom absolutely adores Emily, and the feeling seems to be mutual. My sister, Elsa, also enjoys every moment that she gets to spend with her favorite (okay, and only) niece. I love it when they visit because living so far away has gotten exponentially harder for me now that Eric and I are building a family of our own. We wish that we could be closer to both sets of our parents, and are hopeful that one day circumstances will allow us to do so. Meanwhile, we'll travel east as much as we can and welcome our families to come and visit whenever they can (hint, hint). Here are some of my favorite pictures from their recent visit!

Happy, Happy, and More Happy

Emily,

I thought I'd write you a quick note before you get the idea that your mother is the only one writing to you (after all, let's not forget who started this here blog).

Today you have been extremely happy.  Not only did you go down for your morning nap without so much as a single peep (nearly unprecedented behavior), but upon waking, you discovered that most everything you encountered in your little world is cause for either smiling or giggling.  To wit:

• oatmeal with applesauce


• your Momma


• making really high pitched sounds of different kinds


• keys


• the couch (I'm not sure why)


• Oscar


• yours truly (that one I understand)


• yours truly doing push-ups


• peek-a-boo (you always like that though)


• those same toys that you spurned only yesterday

I attribute a good part of this to good napping (something your mother and I have been trying to tell you since day one).  I am glad to see that you enjoy life so much, and I hope this is the start of a trend.  I certainly think you're going to be a happy and fun little girl as you grow up.

Praise Be to God!

Many of you know about my struggles trying to balance being a good mom with wanting to continue to work part-time outside the home.  It's been a trying process, frustrating at times, and occasionally it seemed hopeless that anything would work out (especially with Michigan's economy these days).  But, I'm so profoundly happy to report that God is faithful, and He's answered my prayer in a way that I didn't see coming.  I interviewed this past week for a part-time position as a payroll coordinator at Calvin Theological Seminary and it went well, but God had slightly different plans in store for me.  The end result is that I will be working in the Admissions Office at the Seminary on a part-time basis and starting the week after next.  It's a position that I'm really excited about and I'm glad that God opened this particular door.  Praise Be to God for His faithfulness to me and our family!