Little princess!

Here's Emma playing dress up with a Cinderella tiara and a fancy wand. She seemed to like the way she looked in the mirror, but then again she loves to look in the mirror anyway!

.

Weekend pictures

Amazing technicolor bathrobe!! This is a robe that Miranda wore as a little tot. Emma wore it after her bath and she's barely tall enough not to trip in it when she walks (or runs the other way)!

My aunt Jan is in town from New Hampshire, and it's the first time she has met Emma! She has been able to follow along on the blog though, which is a big reason I do this!

With great Grandma and cousin Brooke!

Here's four generations! Do we look alike? From 1923 to 2007!

I got an early cake, and I had two very interested parties hanging out waiting!

Wheeee! Not only can Emma ride in this little push buggy, but she can push her doll (and New Hampshire moose!) as well!

.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This was Emma's second Thanksgiving. Boy, this year sure was different than last year! Both years were great, of course! Emma must not have been too hungry at dinner time, because she just ate a little bit of turkey, stuffing and potatoes and then she wanted down! As usual, Zoe got to eat some turkey that "fell" off of Emma's tray.

She did try pumpkin pie for the first time and seemed to like it. Here I am feeding her the first bite while taking the picture!


Yum, that's good! I think I want some more!

(That's Brinkley in the background having to be held back by Bryan so she doesn't get the pie! Earlier Emma had fed Brinkley some Cheerios, so I think she was getting used to the idea of having a baby around that drops food!)
.
Now for another trip down memory lane (I really like to do that!!). Here's Emma on Thanksgiving last year!

.

Hippo-hippo-hooray!

Hey, look at my jammies, they have dancing hippopotamuses on them!!

.

I like to lounge...

.

Do you know the song "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas?" I heard it on the radio this morning (yes, a station has been playing all Christmas music since mid-November!). It's a very silly song, but I thought it was appropriate! I hope Emma doesn't get any ideas!

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

Only a hippopotamus will do

Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy

I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

.

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?

He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue

Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

.

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs

Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes

To see a hippo hero standing there

.

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

Only a hippopotamus will do

No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses

I only like hippopotamuses

And hippopotamuses like me too!

.

Puppy kisses

Here comes Zoe. Wonder what she's up to?

.

Oh no! Puppy kisses! Mom help me!!

Hat!

It is really fun to watch Emma learn and develop her little noggin! First she got all of the Tupperware type containers out and they were strewn everywhere. We all pretended that the bowls were hats. Then, later this evening daddy said "Emma, wear the bowl like a hat, that's funny!" but Emma wandered over to the bookcase instead. She stood there and looked up at the top. Well, there were two of Ed's hats sitting up there! I picked her up and she reached out and grabbed one of the hats. So, hats off (or on!) to you Emma!

.

Zoe kisses! What is it that Lucy from Peanuts says about Snoopy? Ew, dog germs, yuck!!

.

Evening pics

Before bedtime! Drat, this picture is a little blurry (sometimes I don't slow down enough - what else is new!), but you can see how Emma has daddy's blue eyes! I love her smile here too.


Gotcha Mr. Cow! Emma still loves her mobile. We stop each animal and say what they "say" - moo..... I am just waiting to hear her say all of their noises one day!

.

Cheeeeese!

Emma knows what cheese is, and I don't just mean the kind you eat! First of all Emma and Zoe just love to eat cheese. It's so tasty. However, Emma also knows how to flash a smile when you take her picture and ask her to "Say cheese!" My little ham :)


Here she is at a whopping fourteen months old today. She's in her jammies because I almost forgot to get her picture! I've taken her picture on every 20th day of the month. I have to be consistent!

.

Three's a crowd!

This tent is a bit crowded for a dad, a baby and a dachshund/beagle/lab!!

.

Time for some belly tickles!!

.

NICU reunion

Tonight we attended a NICU reunion at the hospital. We weren't sure if we'd see any doctors or nurses that we knew, but fortunately we saw a few! We saw one of Emma's three main neonatologists, and she was impressed by what a big girl Emma is now! I know that it's the parents that get recognized first, because obviously the children change quite a bit over one year!

This picture was taken in one of the very rocking chairs that we used to sit in by Emma's bedside! Emma was very smiley and happy while we were there, and so she's being a little silly in this picture. She's also wearing a nametag that says "I'm a NICU graduate!"


They also started a family advisory group there last year. It's for parents that have had a NICU experience to be able to help parents out who are just now going through it. I stopped by the table twice and sort of was thinking about it, but you know our experience was a pretty easy one compared to some of the babies that were there. I felt slightly guilty, like "What could I really bring to someone?"

Well, in steps Kim, who was a NICU nurse for 25 years and a Nurse Practitioner while Emma was there. We recognized her, and started talking. It took less than a minute for her to convince me to sign up. She reassured me that whatever experiences we had would be helpful information to someone in the future! What if there's another 29-weeker who has relatively little complications? They could learn from me that there is a light at the end of the NICU tunnel and to see how well Emma is doing! Anyway, Kim is really nice and so I'll be happy to help her out with this project.

I also learned that in two years they are going to have a separate 7 story tower for the children's hospital, and each NICU baby and family will have their own private room! Instead of babies being lined up in isolettes with hardly any privacy, each baby will be in a room and it will also have a parent bed, a fridge and a sink. WOW! I shared with her my experiences with lack of privacy and how hard it was to not be distracted by the neighboring child and their issues (What? That guy has a lung infection? Oh no!). She totally understood and is very excited about the new building. That will be a nice thing for those future families that have to spend some time in the NICU!
.

One year homecoming!

Today it has been one year since we brought little Emma home! She was 5 pounds, 10 ounces when we brought her home last year! Here are a couple of pictures from last November 17th:


Now, here's Emma girl today. Cheeeeeese!

.
Just kicking back...

.
This is her latest kissy fish face!

.

Underbar!

(Funny word eh?! It's Swedish for wonderful!)

Today Emma got to visit Ikea for the first time! We picked up a few kid things. This is a play tent. It looks like an igloo! (Note: it seems much bigger at home than it did at the store!) Originally I wanted to go there to get her a play tunnel, but we saw this tent and thought it would entertain longer than the tunnel. Zoe likes going in and out of it too! Emma has been very busy bringing her toys in and out to play. She also got the wooden ring stacker there too.

Have you ever seen a cooler piggy bank?! This little guy called out to us (oink)! Thankfully he's plastic because he's already been dropped a couple of times. Zoe kept trying to chew on his ears! We also put a blanket and two pillows in the tent for comfort. I climbed in with Emma, and Zoe joined us, and suddenly I felt a bit cramped...

Zoe even got a little teddy bear to chew on. Of course we couldn't bring her with us, but we did see two Lab guide dog training puppies there. Emma pointed at each of the dogs and said "Ba!"

On the way out we saw frozen Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar), so of course we had to pick some up to try for dinner! They were YUMMY! Emma really enjoyed them too.

Finally, here is Emma's new winter coat. It's reversible - the inside is pastel plaid fleece, and the front has some sparkly gems (or it's Bedazzled, as daddy said!). Today was the first day she needed it in the morning! It was foggy and chilly, but then the sun came out later!

..

I hear you knocking (but you can't come in)

Good luck going to the bathroom in peace when Emma is around!

Hello? Is anyone in there?


I think someone is in there! I'll go ahead and knock...

.

Little climber!

Emma tipped over the little play kitchen tonight and climbed up on it over and over again! It is at a bit of an angle, so she kept sliding off the low end. No matter, it didn't stop her from doing it 20 or 30 times!!


I was quite the climber in my youth, so I'd better keep a close eye on Emma. When I was two years old, I really wanted to get something off the top closet shelf above my dresser. I was born in 1976, the Bicentennial, and Grandma and Grandpa Apling gave me a ceramic Betsy Ross (in a rocking chair, sewing the flag) that played music as she rocked back and forth. I really enjoyed playing with it, but it was simply out of reach - as well it should have been for a two year old!

Anyway, one day I pulled out the dresser drawers and climbed up them like stairs. I was standing, reaching, on top of my dresser when my mom came in. "How did you get up there?" she asked me. I said "The wind blew me up here!" and apparently I was convincing enough that she turned to see if the window was open. Ha ha!

My middle name is Elizabeth. Betsy is short for Elizabeth. Last name Ross. What a coincidence!!!
.

Hey Boo Boo!

Emma got herself an owie this morning :( She was sitting on the floor in her room, and pulled out two large hardcover books. One of the corners popped her just under her right eye. Ouch!! She was okay soon after, but it hurt the poor dear.


Gatorade anyone? Hmm, I think Emma would make a super watergirl! (She loves to move the groceries around when we get home from the store!)

.

Interesting statistics

The March of Dimes published their national scorecard today on the 50 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) in relation to their preterm* birth rates.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/padpetition/scorecards.aspx

Interestingly enough, Oregon was ranked 2nd with a rate of 10.2%. Vermont rated the lowest at 9.0%. Washington ranked 5th, with 10.6%.

The state with the highest percentage of preterm births? Alabama, with 16.7%.

Please be sure and sign the Petition for Preemies to your right! Thank you for your support!

(*Before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy)
.

Wednesday pics

Do you like my new purse?! Actually, it's more like a gear bag, but I've noticed Emma sure seems to have an interest in purses! Why not - it's good to have something to carry your toys around in!

.

Snuggle time with Daddy and Elmo!

.

Bam Bam!

Emma has been called Pebbles several times when she has a ponytail atop her head. However, tonight she was resembling Bam Bam a little bit! Look out - she has a bat and knows how to use it! (Oh, and she doesn't want to miss that important call either!)

.

Cracker snacker

First of all, Happy Veteran's Day to all the veterans out there! This country wouldn't be the same without you!

Emma has a favorite past time, and it's feeding her doggy!

Sometimes she waves her crackers around in front of Zoe, but keeps her hands closed so Zoe can't get the food. Today I was trying to teach Emma not to tease the dog. Here she is giving Zoe some yummy goldfish crackers!


I know soon enough Emma will begin to throw the food off her highchair tray, because Zoe already hangs out underneath it!

.

I (heart) Jesus!

Today after church we were visiting in the nursery wing. There are a lot of kids around there. Emma noticed that the three year olds got to make red hearts that said Jesus on them. She really liked them! She liked them so much that she tried to abscond with two of them!

So, after lunch I got out the craft box and we made her a red heart. I wrote Jesus, but the rest of the crayon scribbles (plus the drool!) were all Emma's handiwork!


When I tried to get a picture of her holding it, she riiiiiiiped the bottom off. Noooo!! Although, if you think about it, Jesus' heart probably did break when he died on the cross for our sins, so perhaps Emma was speaking in metaphors?! And/or she was just being a little one!

.