12 month stats

We had Emily's one year doctor appointment yesterday and you all know what that means....shots.  They just don't get any easier the older she gets.  That look on her face kills me every.single.time.

She's off the charts for height- 33inches long!!  About 95% for weight- 25 pounds.

We have been slowly adding whole milk to her bottles and I think she is getting used to it pretty well.  Her Dr. just said to try to get 16 oz a day but if that doesn't happen it's nothing to worry about.  She's down to 3 bottles a day- when she wakes up in the morning, before her afternoon nap and before bed.  We need to switch her over to a sippy cup in the next couple of weeks.

Emily is a great eater.  She loves eggs, black beans, peas, cheese, any kind of fruit, grandma's homemade waffles, chicken, ground turkey, avocado, pretty much anything at this point.  Raspberries and Cheerios are still her absolute favorite thing to eat.

She has been sleeping pretty well lately.  She wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00am then takes about an hour nap at 9:00 or 9:30am, her afternoon nap varies from an hour and a half to two hours and it's usually at 2:00pm.  Bedtime is 7:00pm.

Emily has 4 teeth on top, 5 on bottom and I think she is working on one of her molars right now.

She is taking about 5 or 6 steps at a time and is SO proud of herself!  I love the look on her face when she's about to take a step, priceless. 

one baby, one year, two parties

Since we have family in two states, we had two birthday celebrations for Emily.  I'm sure this won't happen every year, but #1 is kind of a big deal (for mom & dad)!

So, last weekend we flew to Illinois and I don't think I'll do that again for a loooong time, at least not until Emily is much older and can be entertained by a movie.  She refused to sleep and got to that extremely fun over-tired state.  Jumping back and forth between Steve and I, eating tons of snacks, and waving to every passenger on the plane could only keep her happy for so long.....at least we made it there safely.

On Saturday, we had a double party for Emily and her cousin Erin at my sister's house.  I did a cupcake theme for E, simple and sweet.  My sister made E's smash cake, a huge cupcake- it was awesome. I got her outfit, banners, and a bib on etsy.

She loved opening her presents and tearing up the paper!

 

 

But when it came to smashing the cake, she was not having it... at this point she was tired and ready to throw a full on fit.

We got her calmed down and she dug in a little, I think our girl has a sweet tooth!

Last night, we had Grandma & Grandpa G. over for lasagna and carrot cupcakes.

She got to open more presents and eat more sweets it was a perfect birthday for a perfect girl!

Happy birthday Emily!

"I wanted you more than you ever will know, so I sent love to follow wherever you go...

...You are my angel, my darling, my star...and my love will find you, wherever you are."

-  Wherever You Are by Nancy Tillman

To my baby girl, Emily Bonnie:

One year ago when you were born, my heart expanded and I felt complete.  I will never forget holding you to my chest, looking into your big blue eyes for the first time and thinking- this is my daughter, forever.  You are our miracle baby, our fighter, our little honey badger and you are so smart and beautiful. Your dad and I are beyond grateful that you are a part of our lives- we are so proud of you, always know that!

Your first year has gone by too fast.  I can't believe how much you have changed and how much having you in my life has changed me. We have learned so much together in this past year, sweet girl.  Thank you for teaching me how to be a mom and making me a better person every day.

I love you forever and ever.

Mommy

Dear Emily (Badgey, Lil Tiny, Ninja, Zsa Zsa and soon to be Big Sister);

The first and most important thing I want to say is how amazing it is to have you in our lives and that your mom and I love you so, so much. 

Before you arrived, we fought so hard to start our family and we wound up being blessed enough to get you, our amazing little girl. You have taught me so much about life and I only hope that I can do the same for you. 

You are the funniest, smartest and most beautiful little girl that I just can’t get enough of.  Your smile makes my heart swell and your laugh makes it melt. I loved you before you were here, I love you every day and I will love you forever!

Love,

Daddy

11 months of Emily

Tomorrow is the big day, our little honey badger turns one! I was looking back through all of her pictures and I can't believe how much she has changed- this year has gone too fast!

the very beginning, 8 cells big

 

1 year ago today, 40 weeks 4 days pregnant

welcome to the world Emily Bonnie!

1 day old
 

1 month

 

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

flying home

This weekend we are flying back to Illinois for an early birthday celebration for Miss Emily ....yes, I said flying....with an almost one year old.

She has never flown before and I am a nervous flyer as it is.  Thankfully, Steve used to be a frequent flyer and has no problem with it.  The whole trip will take about 5-6 hours including a 2 hour layover- which is not bad at all compared to a 10+ hour drive.

I have a million types of snacks and a few new toys and books to keep her occupied.  Is there anything else I can do to make this as painless as possible?

Tell me all of your tricks to keep a baby (honey badger) happy on a plane, pleaseandthankyou.

Mornings are my favorite

On a good day, I hear Emily chatting away to herself in her crib over the monitor.  It's usually 6:15 or 6:30.  I roll over and nudge Steve and he says, "is she ready to get up?" 

He lets me stay in bed and I listen as he goes into our little girl's room to get her up for the day.  I can just hear the happiness in the noises she makes when she sees her daddy and it makes my heart swell. She flips herself over so fast (Steve calls this her ninja move) and stands up to greet him.

They go into the living room together, he feeds her a bottle and when I come out they are sitting on the overstuffed chair together talking.  She smiles and waves at me when I come into the room, always so happy to see me, I hope that never changes.

She helps daddy make his lunch, get dressed for work, eat (and share) breakfast, and put in his contacts.  He carries her all over the house doing these morning tasks and she sits up in his arms so proud that she's daddy's helper.

During this hour, I get to watch my husband be a father and it's the best thing to see.  I drink my one cup of coffee and revel in the happiness of the morning, feeling blessed that I have these two (almost three) people in my life. 

birth options

When I planned for Emily's birth, I wanted to do it naturally.  I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and it amazed me.  It wasn't that I wanted a medal or praise for getting through childbirth without drugs, it was that I wanted to give birth in a way that so many women before me had.  I wanted my body to do what I knew it could do and I wanted the experience of having my hormones bond me to my baby in the way that happens with natural birth. 

Things didn't work out that way thanks to scar tissue on my cervix that wouldn't allow me to dilate. An epidural was needed so my midwife could break up the scar tissue or I would have ended up with a c-section. 

I still bonded with my baby and even though my labor didn't go as I hoped it would, when I think back on it I have nothing but positive memories.  If it were possible I would go back to the same hospital, with the same midwife, and the same doula. My birth team was awesome and Steve was fantastic. There was a lot of laughing and happiness in that room.

Since becoming pregnant this time, I've been going to an OB group. I loved the first Dr. I saw, he was kind, took his time and I felt comfortable. I've seen three other Drs since that visit and I haven't been a huge fan of them.  My appointment last month was the one that made me re-think the practice. It was right after I had been feeling very down and I asked the Dr. about depression during pregnancy. She blew me off.   I left there feeling disappointed.  I came home and told Steve about the experience and we decided that we would look for a midwife and transfer. 

We found a group of midwives in the area that deliver at a free standing birth center or at a local hospital.  I have heard very good things about the birth center and one of our friends recently had her baby there.  They have very strict guidelines about who can deliver at the center and they are extremely cautious. But at this point, we are planning on a hospital birth with the midwives. And after meeting one of them today I am so happy that we transferred.  She spent an hour with me talking about my previous losses, Emily's pregnancy, this pregnancy, everything.  They have an "open chart policy" which means, every time I go in I am handed my chart and allowed to look through it and see what notes were made in previous visits- I thought this was wonderful.

We have also chosen our doula. She is a Bradley Method childbirth instructor and she has been to over 100 births. I'm learning more about this method and I'm reading Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.  If any of you have used it successfully let me know!

The pieces are coming together for *hopefully* another amazing birth experience- only 109 days to go!

Fall is in the air!

Last weekend we took Emily to a local apple orchard for a Fall festival and we had an amazing day!

We had the best apple cider and Amish donuts and of course we couldn't leave without honey crisp apples, a homemade apple pie (it was for baby boy, I swear), and apple butter.

It started out a little rough until we realized E needed a diaper change- and of course there were no bathrooms other than porta potties.  So, we had to find a spot in the grass without a million people around to change her, but after that she was all smiles. 

She was so curious and she thought everything was for her to eat.  Apples, pumpkins, corn...everything! 

It looks like Emily is a fan of Fall just like her mama!