hmm...wonder where she got that?!

"Hi!" This has been quite the week for EmJ. She was sick - for the first time in her little life - this past weekend. We'll spare you the details, but I will say it was no fun! Even though she wasn't feeling well, EmJ did pretty well - considering. She just sat in our laps and hung out, not wanting to do much of anything. Jeff got this picture that captured perfectly how EmJ was feeling... Sad, I know! Anyway... EmJ is much better now! We've been doing all kinds of fun things since she's been feeling better. We played with flour the other day - which was hilarious! EmJ enjoyed kicking her feet around in it more than playing in it with her hands, but she definitely enjoyed herself! Colorado weather has been beautiful, so we've been outside as much as possible lately. We've gone to the park a couple times and EmJ LOVES to swing, we've gone on some walks, and we even hung out outside last night while Jeff grilled some dinner. EmJ really likes to be outside - hmm, wonder where she got that?! Probably her parents!

As I always say, EmJ is learning new things everyday. She's saying a few words now! Some sound just like the word and anyone could tell what she's saying, while others may sound like baby babbles, but we know what she's saying! She says hi, da-da, mom or mama, nana, papa, more, all done, and is learning bye-bye. She even says "hiiii da-da" when she sees Jeff - SO cute!!! She signs more and all done like a pro and has recently been actually saying the words when she signs them. Those words sound sort of random, but she says them the exact same way each time she signs, so we know that is definitely what she's saying. She's also learning to eat more and more things - and is doing quite well with new foods. It's funny because she's much more apt to try new foods when she's not in her highchair. Stubborn kid - hmm, wonder where she got that?! Her dad, I think! HA! :o)

EmJ's most favorite thing to do right now is read. It may sound funny, but she's most happy when we're sitting with her and reading her books! She stays interested for a long time - and she already has favorite books that she'll listen to over and over and over! Once again - hmm, wonder where she got that?! Her mom, duh!!! :o) If she was reading Golf magazines, I'd say Jeff... but it's books she likes!

Things are great - EmJ is fabulous as always! She continually keeps us on our toes, teaches us new things, and never fails to make us laugh!!! We are blessed beyond measure...

9 months?!

That's right.... EmJ is now 9 months old! I can't believe it! :o) She is so fabulous and so much fun right now. We really enjoy watching her learn and grow and be so stinkin' cute!

EmJ has been giving kisses for a long time now - and she's so cute about it! Just ask her for a kiss, and she'll lean in (open-mouth and all) and give you a kiss. She also kisses when we say, "What does Mommy need?" or "What does Daddy need?" Thanks to Daddy for teaching her that and to Kimmi for the idea! :o) She also kisses when you tell her you love her, which is pretty much her way of saying "I love you too!" LOVE IT!!!
She's been doing the "So Big!" thing now when we ask her how big she is - it's pretty cute. Here's a picture of "so big" - she's great! She also waves at anyone and anything. She'll wave hi and bye-bye and she's pretty good at it. It's one of her favorite things to do right now. She's over her stranger anxiety totally now (we're still getting over the separation anxiety with mom) and she loves to wave at everyone. If someone waves at her or talks to her she gets a huge grin, but once they turn away she usually loudly tries to get their attention again. It's pretty funny!

Some other fun things she does now - she's been clapping for awhile and has recently figured out how to clap with her hands open all the time. When you say, "Yea, EmJ!" she squeals and claps and grins! She also signs "more" like a pro - and is so good about doing it when you ask her to. She just recently learned to sign "all done" too. We're working on "please" and "thank you" now. Another fun thing - she can pick up her own food and feed herself now - woo-hoo!!! She's also drinking from a sippy cup on her own - she sometimes needs help lifting it up enough, but she's doing awesome.

She's still not crawling, but she's definitely getting more curious about it. We just got back from Oklahoma to visit our best friends and Chloe is a crawling queen - and I think EmJ watched enough to want to do that! She's really funny because when she's done playing with her toys, she'll throw them out of her reach. Then she makes me laugh even more because when she wants a toy she'll reach and reach to get it. I got a couple of funny pictures - so many times I think she's going to flop over (and she sometimes does!), but often she keeps her balance. She's hilarious! She's also just started to get very interested in pulling herself up. She's been doing it for a long time with us when we put our fingers out for her to hold and tell her to "stand up!" But now, when you're near, she'll grab your fingers, your shirt, anything she can, and stand up on her own. It's fabulous!

I think that brings you all up to date on EmJ... she's pretty much the cutest and most fantastic baby ever! :o)