The day after Christmas

The day after Christmas we just hung out at home and let the girls play with all their new toys.
I swear you need an engineering degree to remove the toys from their boxes. Just getting them out consumed most of our day.
Here are some pictures of the girls playing with all their stuff!!!

Emma walking with help from a hippo

Christmas 2010- Emma's First Christmas

We had a very nice Christmas this year. It was obviously Emma's first Christmas, and she was spoiled rotten and enjoyed every minute of it. I did not get one single picture of the four of us, but that shouldn't be very shocking!!! I need to remember to just ask someone to do it. It's always so nutty with the two kids that it just slips my mind.
The festivities started on Christmas Eve. We stopped by to see Phil's Grandma and wish her a Merry Christmas. Everyone at the nursing home LOVED the girls even though they were both extremely fussy and loud. After that we headed over to Uncle Tony and Aunt Karen's house to celebrate, see Santa, and visit with everyone. Both the girls were less than thrilled to see Santa, but they both really enjoyed everyone singing Christmas carols. Both the girls had a fun time playing with all the kids, opening presents, and running around. Macie finally crashed on a chair in the living room around 11:30. Emma was done by 8:00 and slept very nicely upstairs in her pack and play!!! Christmas Day we headed over to my Mom and Dad's house where there were an obscene amount of presents, appetizers and food. We opened presents, and then had a very nice dinner. It was a wonderful Christmas, and as always it went by way too fast!
Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful gifts, food, drinks, and fun!
These pictures are in no particular order.

Randoms

Emma busted out a "Mama" and a "Dada" this morning!!! Pretty sure she isn't directing it at us, but at least she's trying to talk now!
She's quite chatty the past two days. Think she realized she has a voice.
It seems to have encouraged Macie to talk a bit more too. Just hope it continues.

Our dog is a BLOCK HEAD. Heard him making a bunch of noise in the kitchen the other day. Went in to see what all the commotion was and he was thrashing around with this around his neck...
Yes, that would be the vent from our kitchen. I felt a little bad for him and promised him I would help get him out of it, but he had to wait for me to snap some pics.

Chatty Emma

I'm pretty sure she said "Dada" this morning, but I could be making that up in hopes that she'll talk someday!
I think she found her voice today. Check out the video!!!

One step closer.....literally

To walking for Emma. She took one step on Saturday without holding onto anything. Hopefully I can get a picture soon of her at least walking with help. She can stand for quite a bit without holding onto anything.

Macie

Yes, this would be my 30lb 2 year old in Emma's exersaucer

You should see how she struts around in her boots....she loves them!!!

I haven't done a whole lot of updating on Macie lately, but not much has changed. Well....I guess I can't really say that. If I were to do my own assessment of her I would say that she is just about caught up socially/emotionally with a 2 year old. She has the "throw yourself on the ground" tantrums, she goes limp when I try to pick her up to take her somewhere she doesn't want to go. She says "no" a lot, and shakes her head no. She tests me every minute of every day. She understands what SHE wants to understand, and complies with what SHE feels like complying with. I'm sure you get the idea here.

If she were talking, we might be in big trouble. She listens and hears everything I say. Every once in a while she will pick out a word in story I am telling someone else and repeat that word.

She follows directions very well, hands me things she knows she's not supposed to have, she will bring Emma her binky when she's upset, she puts her toys away when I ask, she gets "the look" from me and stops doing whatever it is that she's up to at that moment. She's very smart, she's silly, adorable, loving, and fun. She just doesn't talk. Everyone is stumped....we don't know if she is just choosing not to talk, or it's that she can't. She has words.....around 25 at least, she just doesn't use them consistently, or in sentences. She did say "tickle tickle" to me this morning because she wanted me to chase her around and tickle her. It seems to me if we can suffer (errrr ummmm.....I mean wait out) the whining, she says what she wants. It's tough to do, but we are getting better at it. She throws her fit, we keep repeating things to her and sometimes, eventually she'll say something like "apple, cracker, cookie, buhyardgans". Then I say "good god Macie, can you just talk like a big girl and we don't have to go through all that?" I think she gets what I'm saying, but it's the "limit testing". She would rather whine and cry, and get her way rather than just ask.

Anyway.....she's coming along, she's making progress still. She is most certainly a 2 year old in many aspects!!!!

Too cute not to post

These two above are Emma just waking up from her nap.

This is where Macie ended up falling asleep for her nap today. She's probably scared to sleep in the "pukey bed"!!!

Emma- 10 Months

Little Ems-

I'm so sorry I am late posting this. All of us have been very sick the past few days, and there isn't much time to sit and blog right now. It all started with Macie on Monday night. She woke up throwing up, and it's been downhill for all of us ever since. Mommy was pretty much in bed all day yesterday. Daddy took most of the day off to take care of you and your sister since I couldn't function. During lunch, you projectile vomited your entire meal. That's when the fun started! You've been sick since. I never imagined how difficult it would be to see you and your sister so sick. It brought me to tears a few times, and made me feel helpless.

It's so hard to believe you are 10 months old already. Time is just flying by. You are so busy learning and exploring. You are pulling yourself up on everything you can, and surfing all the furniture like a pro. Most of the time you are just curious what your sister is doing. I have seen you let go of things a few times and stand on your own. You have also taken a few steps on your own, but with the help of your hippo walker. You are trying to stand up from a sitting position, but can't quite do that yet. I think it's just a matter of time before you are walking. Grandma has threatened to tie your shoelaces together, and I am starting to think that's not such a bad idea.

You watch, and imitate everything your sister does. It's not always a good thing. Macie taught you how to take the gate down at the bottom of the stairs and climb up the stairs.

You are so laid back like your Daddy. Nothing really bothers you except a wet diaper and an empty tummy. You are still very cuddly which I adore. If I sit on the floor you come flying over to climb up on my lap and give me a hug. You are giving kisses, but the open mouth drooly ones.....still adorable!

It's so hard to believe we will be celebrating your 1st birthday in two months!

Love you to pieces little one!

Mommy

Already?

Emma just took her first few assisted steps. She used the hippo walker toy.
Man....things seem to be going much faster with Emma than they did Macie! I have predicted that Emma will be walking before her first birthday so we shall see! I am absolutely NOT ready for her to be walking, she's trouble just crawling and surfing furniture!
I am trying to get a picture of her using the Hippo, but she won't do it for the camera!

Emma- 9 Month check up

Emma had her 9 month check up today. I know it's a little late, but we had to cancel the first appointment that was closer to her 9 month birthday.

Weight- 20lbs. 13oz. - 70th percentile
Height - 28" - 50th percentile
Head - 17 3/4" - 75th percentile

Dr. says she's doing great. We are/were a little concerned about her not talking (saying "Mama", "Dada", etc.), but the Dr. assures us that it's ok at this point, and we will discuss having her evaluated if she's not saying anything at her year check up. He says our concerns are understandable as Macie is still not talking much. Macie was actually saying "Mama, and Dada" around 8-9 months so it was concerning to us that Emma isn't saying either.
Emma had to have her finger pricked to check for Anemia, but she's fine. She cried, then fell asleep. No vaccinations this time around.
She's eating great, we just need to start introducing more things to her, and doing one less bottle a day.

Just some cute pictures

Despite the look on her face, she LOVES her new boots!

As usual....up to no good!

Doesn't she look like she just got busted?

Chillin' on top of my clean, folded laundry.

The girls drawing together. Pretty sure right after I snapped this picture Macie smacked Emma upside the head.

They really are starting to like eachother.....I swear!

Emma getting ready to go to the Dr. today!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Is it me, or are stores and people putting out Christmas decor earlier and earlier every year? I like to take it one Holiday at a time, but that's me. I'm ok with getting our tree right after Thanksgiving, but NOT before. So, the Sunday after Thanksgiving we (Phil, the girls, my mom and dad, my brother, sister in law, and my niece and nephew) headed to the tree farm out near Braidwood (I can't remember the name of the town) to hunt for, and cut down our Christmas tree. The pictures are all out of order, but you get the idea.The final product.The girls freezing their tooshies off.Emma posing in front of the tree.Phil cutting down the tree. It's a bit odd in shape, but I chose this one thinking it was the best fit for our little living room.

Monkey see monkey do

I haven't done much blogging lately, at least not like I was before. I am feeling a bit guilty for not blogging as much, but I can't find the time (or the energy really). Emma is into EVERYTHING. She is surfing furniture, into cabinets, loves electrical cords for some reason, she's almost standing on her own. She's pretty much imitating everything her big sister does, and we are SCREWED when she starts walking (have a feeling it's not too far off).

This is the latest trick Macie showed Emma-

Macie is now constantly going upstairs since she figured out how to take the gate down. Emma watches her every move, and was quick to give it a try herself!

Sorry for the terrible picture quality. I have a new phone, and can't even figure out how to call people on it let alone take a picture!

Cheerio stealing Cousins!

I would LOVE to know what they are both thinking in this picture above...