The Curse of the Internet

In my excitement over our recent vacation, I broke the number one rule of this blog. Never, ever brag about baby's sleep habits -- or you will be punished.

Right now, I'm listening to my sweet little baby scream her head off and I'm self-medicating with Amstel Light. It's been a long day of her not sleeping well, and at this point she's running on fumes but won't give in. David and I have tried all our soothing techniques but nothing is working. She won't take a bottle, won't take a paci, and she'll only stop crying if I hold her.

Emmy, I love you to pieces but I can't hold you for the next 12 hours. Since I know the best thing for you right now is sleep, I'm going to let you cry it out. Even though it kills me.

So, for now, I'll crack open another Amstel and turn up the TV to drown out the noise. Sorry kiddo. I hope you still love us in the morning.

End of Summer

One cool thing about being a parent of little ones is that you get to experience things through the eyes of a child. Things like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc. all take on a different meaning as a parent. Summer is no exception. Although summer has always meant time outside, beach, camp, etc. - it's fun to experience it with kids. With that said, here are a few random pictures from this summer that haven't been posted. So it's time to close the books on Summer and get ready for football season!

Vacation!

August has been a busy month so I haven't been on the computer much. A few weeks ago we took our annual beach vacation. We all had a great time -- David and I loved every second of it. Papa Sonny and Deb were nice enough to lend out their fabulous ocean-front condo, and Grandma and Pop were brave enough to take the girls for the first few nights. That means David and I got to enjoy late-night dinners, the movies, and sleeping in. It was wonderful but to be honest, we began to miss the little buggers after a few days without them. The rest of the week the girls stayed with us at the condo, and we got in tons of beach and pool time. Abby is becoming quite comfortable in the water, and I've officially realized that Emmy truly is the most happy, easy baby. Honestly, everyone who comes into contact with her tells me so.

Here are some highlights from our vacation:

- We took Abby to her first Japanese restaurant and the child ATE WITH CHOPSTICKS (ok, training chopsticks) while the rest of us stuck with forks.

- As we were leaving the beach one day around 5pm, a wedding party was arriving for a beachfront wedding. Abby saw all the bridesmaids gathered together and gasped "look Daddy, princesses!"

- Emmy slept like a champ both at Grandma's and at the condo. We put her down around 7-ish and don't hear a peep until at least 12 hours later. YIPEE!

All in all, we had an amazing time and we're already excited for next year's trip. A big thanks to Papa Sonny/Deb and Grandma/Pop!

xoxoxo

Emerson's First Word

Dear Emmy, We had your 6 month check up this week, and the doctor agrees that you’re perfect. Here are your stats:

Weight: 16 lbs, 1 oz (50%)
Length: 26.5 inches (70%)
Head Circumference: 42 cm (25%)

You had to get three shots this time, which made Abby and I sad. Abby covered her ears so she didn’t have to hear you cry. You were pretty loud at first, but you quieted down just as soon as I picked you up and kissed you. Little girl, you are too sweet for words.

You also said your first word this week: Dada. How’s that for a birthday present for your father? The first time you said it, your father and I looked at each other and were like “did she just say Dada? I think she said Dada." Then the next night, Mama Jo and Uncle Erik were over for your dad’s birthday dinner. I said “Emmy, can you say Dada?” And clear as a bell, you said it. This time there was no denying it. We all started cheering and I’m pretty sure your dad and I high-fived each other. (We’re officially turning into those dorky parents we used to make fun of). Anyway, by the end of the night you were babbling like a brook and your dad said you were just showing off now.

For the record, Abby’s first word was also Dada, which I always thought was so ironic. No offense to your dad, but I’m the one who did all the work here. I carried you girls around for nine months and endured heartburn, backaches, hemorrhoids, restless leg syndrome (yes David for the last time it IS a real syndrome) and many other discomforts, and that’s all before I got my stomach sliced open! Then I fed you both using my own body. And then, a few months later, you open that sweet little mouth and utter dada as your first word. Unbelievable.

But the truth is, I loved being pregnant with both of you and I truly believe that women are the lucky ones. We get to carry you and protect you before anyone else, and even after you’re born, no one knows you quite like your mother. So since the moms get all of that, maybe it’s nice that most babies say Dada first. Girls, I feel so lucky to be the one you call mommy. And Emmy, I’ll take it whenever you decide to say it.