RIP Original Baby Emma

Let me first say I cannot believe I’m writing a blog post about a doll but taking care of baby emma is a huge part of Avery’s life fight now.  She spends probably 75% of her time at home playing with and caring for baby emma.  She feeds her, changes her diaper, rocks her, takes her for walks, reads her books, takes her shopping, etc. I want to always remember how sweet Avery is with her babies and how much she loves caring for them. 

Sunday morning we had a massive storm come through at about 1:00 am.  Since it woke me up I decided to check on my babies, they were both sound asleep but Avery’s room smelled like vomit.  I asked Matt to grab a flashlight and sure enough, at some point she’d thrown up all over her bed.  And all over baby Emma. We woke her and gave her a thorough bath and decided it was time to say goodbye to Emma. 

The next morning before she was even out of bed Avery was asking about baby emma.

Avery: “where baby emma go?”

Me: “emma went bye bye last night.  Do you want to get a new baby emma?”

Avery: “new baby emma?” (repeated about 10 times) I don’t think she really understood the concept…

All morning long she asked, “we get new baby emma now?”  We stayed home in the morning to make sure she was feeling better and then headed out after her nap. 

We got to the doll aisle at the store and she stood there in amazement looking for her new baby emma.  I showed her a few and she would just look at me and say “no, mommy, not baby emma”.  I would give anything to know what was going on in her sweet little toddler head (we’ve never been to the doll aisle at the toy store together) but after a few seconds her wonder turned to sadness and I was sure she wanted the exact same baby emma. No substitutions.  I showed her a few other babies and started to panic.  Of course they don’t have the exact same doll, my mom bought it more than six months ago!  I was certain we were headed for a massive breakdown and lots of tears. Finally we made it to the Cabbage Patch section and I picked up a little blonde baby. Avery took one look at her and I knew we’d found our new baby emma.  Avery’s face lit up and she ran over and hugged the box J  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so excited.  We barely made it to the car before we had the box open and Avery was holding her and grinning ear to ear. 

Her new baby emma’s name is actually Erika, I told her that was her name and Avery repeated it a few times but then would look at me like I’m the child and say, “Erika. Baby Emma too.” There was no convincing her.  So we now have a new baby emma and a very happy little girl.  

Six Months

Asher,

I just can’t believe it’s already been six months since you joined our family.  How can a half of a year pass so quickly??  AJ, you are full of personality and always seem to know just what you want.  You are such a curious little guy, always wanting to be a part of whatever is going on around you.  You are full of energy, my wild guy ;).  You are daddy’s little adventurer and mommy’s cuddle bug. You love it when daddy throws you in the air or hangs you upside down and always want to cuddle with me.  At six months you:

·         - Sleep through the night! Hallelujah! You usually go to bed around 7:30 and sleep until 7:00 am 

·         - Your naps vary. At daycare, we are lucky if you take 2 naps (they are usually 30-45 minutes each) but at home you nap 2-3 times, usually an hour each.  I think it’s hard for you to sleep at daycare because you don’t want to miss a thing and there is just too much action around you. 

·         - You drink 6 six ounce bottles and eat baby food once a day (usually around lunch).  So far you’ve tried apples, pears, peas, sweet potatoes, squash and avocados.  It took a little while for you to warm up to baby food but now you eat pretty much anything we give you

·          -You are a big guy! You wear 12 month clothes and barely fit in your 12 month footed PJs. 
- - You weigh 18 pounds (50th percentile) and are 29.5 inches tall (off the charts).  

·          -You wear a size three diaper at daycare and we’re still doing cloth diapers at home.

·          -Your first tooth came in last weekend.  Bottom left and it has been very painful for you.  You had a very hard weekend; I’m hoping you won’t be in this much pain each time because you’ve been a mess.  It makes me so sad

·         - You can sit-up for a few seconds but I have to stay close by or put the boppy behind you because you always topple over.  I think you just want to move and it’s hard for you to stay still.  I have a feeling you will be an early crawler. 

·          -You love the sound of your voice!! You are so vocal and animated!

·          -You put everything in your mouth.  You are constantly soaked in drool :)

·          -You love to watch your sister play.  She is your favorite form of entertainment.  She calls you Asher bug and AJ. 

·          -You love to be outside and often fall asleep in the swing on the patio. 

·          -You like to splash in the bathtub, I have to constantly keep my hand on you because you’d probably wiggle right out of the baby bath if I let go. 

September

My bedtime is quickly approaching, I'm worn out and ready to just pass out in bed.  BUT, I really haven't posted pictures in almost a month and that makes me so sad. I just don't have time.  I know I've said that before.  I feel like I'm always busy but these past three months have been an entirely different type of busy.  Like I never knew I could have such a long to-do list busy.  Most nights I don't go to bed until 11:00 (which is WAY past my bedtime) and I'm up before 6:00.  This is life right now.  We never sit down, we never get eight hours of sleep.  My house is never clean.  But from the time we walk in the door until the time we fall into bed each night, life is good.  I'm so blessed and so thankful.  And so very tired.

Quick little recap of the past month...


Matt went hunting, I played "single momma" for a weekend.  We spent a morning at the park. They loved it.

Avery is completely potty-trained!! Took her to Target to pick out a tee-tee present... she picked out the baby care kit.  This girl is a momma at heart.

 

This guy is always moving. Always smiling. Always drooling.

Failed attempt at a sister/brother photo shoot before church

Matt turned 30!!!  He repeatedly insisted no party, no big fuss.  We had a quiet evening at home and celebrated our favorite guy :)

Summer is winding down (actually officially over) but it is still in the upper 90's here in Dallas.  We're getting in all the pool/swimming time we can. 

Okay, that's all I have tonight. Wouldn't trade all this busy-ness for the world though ;)

Cooler Weather

Friday night we headed to Temple to see Matt’s family and celebrate Grant’s 8^th birthday.  We almost didn’t make it thanks to a sweet little boy who had pink eye in both eyes and a double ear infection.  But he’s a trooper and barely even batted an eye at his various ailments. It was a short trip and we headed home ready to enjoy the cooler weather!

  

Oh fall… I’ve been waiting for you for five months now.  I know it isn’t officially fall yet but on Sunday we were able to sit outside in the middle of the afternoon and not sweat!  Let me just say I am definitely not a southern girl who “glistens” and I dread the Texas heat more than I can possibly explain so the first sign of relief and cooler weather is a big deal for me! Matt and I even set the alarm for 6:30 Saturday morning (yes, I know we’re crazy) so we could sit out back and have coffee date while the weather was cool (a beautiful 63 degrees) and the kids were still sleeping.  With two little ones and no family close by to babysit, we take “date time” whenever we can get it! 

We tried to have a little photo shoot in the backyard.  I need a new picture for my desk at work.

We spent hours cleaning out both kids’ closets to make room for fall clothes. I’m ashamed to admit this but Avery’s closet was such a mess you could hardly even see the floor.   I still had baby clothes hanging up in the back!! Oh how I wish I was more organized.  After a very productive morning I trashed my “to-do” list and we played outside for hours.  Avery played in her little splash pad, Asher loved lounging in the swing and we grilled burgers and just enjoyed each other’s company.  It was perfect.  Just perfect.  

5 Months!

This past month has been full of changes and I feel like we’re finally turning a corner.  I’m very hesitant to put this in writing because the last time I did you made me eat my words but you are sleeping through the night (again)!  We are so thankful for this and hopefully it will become a habit now.  We’ve also been trying to work out some tummy issues this month that I think are the cause of much of your unhappiness. We switched to a low-lactate formula and you get a bottle of apple juice every day to help with constipation. It is helping but I’m not sure we’ve completely solved the tummy issues. You LOVE to talk and squeal and shriek and are giggling more and more.  AJ, I think you’re going to have big personality and it’s so fun to watch all of your facial expressions.  You make us laugh all the time.  You still love to watch your sister; she can always make you smile.  You are a drool machine and want to put everything you touch in your mouth – including your arm, fist, all toys, my hair, my hands, etc.  I’m starting to wonder if you’re teething. 

You are wearing 9 month or 6-12 month (depending on the brand) clothes

You are still wearing a size 2 diaper at daycare and we’re doing cloth diapers at home

You’ve tried rice cereal, applesauce and sweet potatoes.  You tolerated the sweet potatoes but wanted nothing to do with the cereal and applesauce. 

You usually go to bed at 8:00 and sleep until 7:00

You take four naps during the day ranging from 30 minutes to two hours.

You drink 5-6 5 oz. bottles

You roll over all the time – both tummy to back and back to tummy

You still don’t like the car seat and spend most of your time in the car crying

We really like your new “teacher” at daycare, Miss Amy.  She is so sweet and you flirt with her all the time

You like the exersaucer but tend to get bored if no one is paying attention to you.

Asher bug, we love you so much and you are at such a fun stage right now! You love interacting with us and we love entertaining you!  You are so curious and love to be the center of attention! I feel like you’ve changed so much during the past month and I can’t believe how quickly you’re growing up.  I love cuddling with you but it’s so fun to watch you play with Avery now and I can’t wait to see you two playing together in the coming months. 

Outward Appearances and Encouragement

This morning I was sitting at our staff meeting feeling grumpy and having a pity-party for myself.  The first day back to work after a long weekend (or any weekend for that matter) is especially hard for me.  It’s hard for me to shift gears and get back in touch with “work me”.  Asher has pink-eye in both eyes and I was daydreaming, wishing I could be home caring for him instead of sitting in a cold, sterile conference room.  I stoically went through my weekly “to-do” list when my turn came up.  I tried to sound peppy and happy but made sure to keep my spiel short and to-the-point.  When I got back to my desk this little note popped up in my inbox. 

Wow.  Really!?!? Me, inspire someone?  I sat in disbelief for a minute or two trying to understand.  Trying to keep my tears at bay, I wrote her back and thanked her and explained how I was having a hard morning; wishing I was at home taking care of my baby.  But it got me thinking how you just never know what kind of day a person is having and how important a quick note of encouragement can be.  A few simple words can change someone’s day.  It’s easy to get caught up in our own story, and forget to look around and be there for someone else.  The funny thing is she’s the one that inspires me.  She’s the one who is positive and selfless and caring.  The one who I often think “I wish I could be more like that”.  So, I’m going to try!!  Try to get out of my “funk” and stop feeling sorry for myself and open my eyes to how I can impact someone’s day in the same way she’s changed mine.  

I’m so thankful for small acts of kindness and God's grace.  

Clothes Sale - Blog Link Up

Thanks for stopping by, I have very gently worn toddler girl clothes and infant boy clothes for sale.  My kids are on the upper end of the growth charts and seem to outgrow clothes super fast so most of this is basically new! If you see something you like, make me an offer, I'm willing to work with you. Prices do not include shipping,

 

Please checkout www.lambertslately.com for more great sales!

If you would like to purchase an item, please leave me a comment with your paypal email address and I will send you an invoice.

Thanks!


Freckles and Kitty Boutique Clothing - 3T Pink and Gray Striped Dressed with Polka-dot Tulle.

NWOT - It came this way.  Purchased on Zulily for $28. It is too small for my daughter, runs more like a 2T

$18

 

Children's Place Seersucker and Ruffles 3T. EUC Condition, only worn 2-3 times. $10 Sold

2T Gymoboree Poodle A-Line dress, NWOT.  $10

2T Gymboree Leopard Print A-Line Dress. GUC. $8 sold

9Month Leopard Print Jacket.  Only worn once, perfect for the holiday season! $15 shipped SOLD

24Month Zebra Print Jacket.  Only worn once, perfect for the holiday season!  $15 shipped SOLD

2T Old Navy Smocked Peasant Dress. $5 SOLD

2T Rosalina Smocked Dress, worn twice  Perfect for Christmas!! $20

6month Hanna Anderson organic cotton PJs.  Nice, thick material, EUC $5 sold

6month Hanna Anderson organic cotton PJs.  Nice, thick material, EUC $5 sold

3Month Ralph Lauren Polo Gently Used. $7

3Month Ralph Lauren Polo worn once. $7 sold

3Month Ralph Lauren Polo worn once. $7 sold

0-3M Old Navy Chevron PJs EUC $5

0-3M Old Navy Striped PJ's EUC $5

Thanks for looking!