Introducing Our New Blog

We have decided to launch a new blog, in addition to this one, to chronicle the life of the new baby through year one. The hope is that it will hold me accountable to preserving memories for the little one just like I did for Emma. Please take a look!

http://morewoodstales.blogspot.com

A Day in the Life this Summer

The weather has been sooo hot and Emma has been stuck in the house with Mommy most days. We did have the opportunity to go to the pool with Aunt Amy and the kids last week and Emma LOVED the pool and playing with all of the kids. Emma has been really fun and has been playing all day long with her babies and animals. Here are a few pictures to capture everyday life around here right now. Along with that, here are a few of the priceless observations/statements that Emma has come up with recently (I really wish I was doing a better job of keeping track of them).

"Mommy, Daddy at work. Jesus at work today tooo."

"Mommy has a boo boo."
"No, Emma. Those are freckles."
"I hold one..."(and tries to pick one off)
"Emma, they don't come off."
"Why, Mama?"
"Because that is how God made them."
"Jesus put them on Mommy's arm."
"Yes, Emma, He did!"

Emma has been putting all of her babies in the corner behind the recliner and playing there all day long. We made a house/tent today for her to play in. She thought that was so funny.

Emma's "House"

Painting with Daddy

I just liked this picture

Dressing up in Daddy's clothes

Emma put all of her "friends" aka her animals behind the chair and declared that it is the zoo. She spent the entire day telling me that she was going to the zoo.

Each time she went to the "zoo" she took her baby "Lucy" in her cart with her purse.

While at the "zoo" she decided that the ottoman was the train and would sit there with Lucy and say Choo-Choo.

Emma has a table in the kitchen now and is able to eat lunch there. During lunch yesterday she got her teddy out and gave him a plate and spoon and shared her broccoli with him.

Grammy and Poppa's

Emma and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend 8 days in St. Louis with my mom and dad. Aunt Erin and Uncle Ben drove us to St. Louis with them and then Daddy came out on Friday and spent the weekend with us and we drove home as a family. We were busy in St. Louis. Over the course of the week we went to the zoo, went on walks, watched the baby robins in their nest, watered the flowers every day, drank chocolate milk with Poppa every morning after breakfast, went to "Poppa's Church", swinging, swimming, colored, played with chalk, bubbles, and on and on. On Saturday Uncle Andrew, Aunt Abby, and Sammy arrived. Emma and Sammy were so sweet together. They love each other so much and had so much fun playing together. It was sad that their time together was so short. We had an awesome trip! Now we are home and preparing for the baby to come join us. Less than five weeks to go!

Emma enjoyed the time she got to spend in the pool on the porch. Grammy had a special duck waiting for her to swim with and between that and her watering can, she was a happy girl.

Emma braved the water and was very proud that she could swim on her tummy and back. I can't wait to take her to a real pool. I think she will enjoy swimming. Bath time has already become much more interesting.

Grammy had a tea party with her special china tea set. Emma had four cups of tea and a piece of chocolate cake. Since we have been home, she has been getting her tea set out for her and her baby and saying that it is a tea party.

Emma has a lemon obsession. Grammy was very happy to indulge that obsession.

Making cookies. Grammy got a little flustered with Emma's constant snatching of the dough.

Decorating cookies with Grammy.

First blueberry pie. Loved it!

Sharing a moment with Sam before church...who knows what was said. They were in nursery together and so very sweet with each other the whole weekend.

Cousins swimming

Emma and Grammy in front of Grammy's beautiful roses.

As they were sitting together on the sofa, Emma leaned over and kissed Sammy. So cute!

Aunt Erin taught Emma and Sammy Ring Around the Rosy with Poppa's help.

They all fall down! The kids loved it!

Emma loved her time with Aunt Erin. The pigtails make her look so old.

Grammy introduced Emma to chalk. She loved it and would draw something then hop three times and skip then draw something else.

Clarification

Just to clear the air, in the last post I mentioned that the room was big enough to hold both girls beds. We DO NOT know that we are having a girl - if you have talked to Mike recently you know how much he is hoping for a boy to "even things out around here". I guess I talk about Mariela and Emma as "the girls" enough that I subconsciously wrote that. I do not have the self-control to know that information and not share it. I did wonder what Ben's comment meant until Mom called to ask about it. Oh, pregnancy brain!

The Nursery

With less than two months until the baby is scheduled to arrive, we figured we should work on getting ready for his/her arrival. The first big step was to set up the second crib -thank you, Saxbys - and move Emma into her "big girl bed". She was so excited about her new bed with her new sheet. She spent the morning helping Daddy put things together and moving the furniture around in her room. We weren't sure how a new bed and new bedding in a new corner of the room would go over, but she was so excited to sleep in her new bed and we had no problems at all. This past weekend we framed and hung up pictures from Emma's favorite book Ten Little Ducks. All done! It was so much easier and MUCH cheaper this time around! We are anxious to add a brother or sister to the room as well.

New bed day! Emma was SO excited!

Helping Daddy put the new bed together!

Emma making her bed when she thought it was all done.

Both beds - we are so thankful for such a large room to hold both kid's beds and the guest bed.

Emma's "new pictures"

Emma's new bed complete with a flower sheet! She was so excited for a week about her flower sheet in her big girl bed!

All ready for the little one to come take a nap!

These are Emma's flowers that we planted. She talks to them and waters them each morning. It makes the "new room" complete!

Emma Ballerina

Emma insisted upon wearing her dress that matches her baby. What a fun gift from Mrs. Ferone - she is amazingly talented! Along with the dress she wanted her ballet shoes to show the baby how to dance like a ballerina. So fun!

Thanks, Nana and Papaw

Nana and Papaw came over with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Keith and Sarhea to celebrate Mother's Day and Papaw's birthday. Nana and Papaw brought Emma some fun presents including new bows for her hair - she was so excited that you would have thought it was a new baby - and an apron! Emma is excited to have an apron just like Mommy to help in the kitchen and with art projects! She was also excited to see her name on the apron. What a fun gift!