18 months and 4 days

Seriously?  My precious angel is already 1.5 years old.  This couldn't be right, could it?  Where oh where has my baby gone?  Ok, enough...she's growing up (too fast) but that's life, I suppose.  I never believed a word that people told me that they grow up fast, but they do.  And each day is more fun and each day brings new challenges.

We had our 18 month appointment last Friday and here are our stats:

Weight: 23.5 lbs (40th percentile)
Height: 33 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 80th percentile

So, if you take these stats you will get what we already knew...Tall, skinny, smart, and obviously, beautiful baby girl.  You don't have to tell her Mommy and Daddy this!

Here are a few pictures from last Friday taken at the Daily Brew in Decatur, AL.  It's a tradition to eat here and we are thankful the owner is such a phenomenal photographer!

Chattanooga trip with the Lawrence's

Yahoo...we FINALLY got to see Lilia!!!!!  Oh yeah, and Laila and Lewis too :-)

I decided since it's pretty tough to make it to Atlanta for some reason, we would make a night trip to Chattanooga to see Emme's future Auburn roommate and of course her rockn' Mommy and Daddy.  So, we booked 2 rooms at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown which is an amazing location.  We went Saturday to the Discovery Kids Museum, Saturday night at the Lookouts game (funny they played Huntsville), and spent a good part of Sunday at Rock City on Lookout Mountain.  The girls had a BLAST together and I'll have to say this Mommy really enjoyed seeing our dear and awesome friends from Atlanta!  We miss them terribly and now that we have little girls to play it's even harder to be apart.

Here are some pictures from our amazing TOO short vacation in 'Nooga (which by the way is a pretty kick butt place to go with a child).

Proof I went on this awful bridge.  There was a stone one that would have been JUST right for me

Tuckered out after an amazing short vacation

About Town With Daddy - Yeah, posting again SO soon

Well, I said it wouldn't be 2 months.  Who knew 2 days later you would all be so fortunate for another post...

Monday and Tuesday of this week Emme got to stay at home with us.  I got to keep her until she went down for her nap Monday and then Daddy took over.  Tuesday was another story.  I personally think it was Daddy's way of trying to entice HIS baby girl back to his side...yes, my little girl has become a Mommy's girl all of the sudden.  "They" say this happens many times in a child's life.  And, I'm sure it does.  I don't know that though.

So, here are a few pictures that were texted to me while I was at work (trying not to have to use any more vacation right now...).

Eating at Clementines - yeah, Daddy knows how to make the ladies give a look...bring the baby ;-)

Watch out, I will throw this at you.

Come here, Daddy.

Playing in the ball pit

Holy Smokes. It's been 2 months

I knew it had been a while but didn't know it had been 2 months since an Emme post came about.  As usual, so much has happened.  The saddest part of the last 2 months was Sissy (a.k.a. Blue to the rest of you) had to be put to sleep.  It was so fast and honestly so unexpected at that very moment but totally the right thing to have done for our most loving companion we've ever had.  We all know Blue was the most awesome dog for our family and she'd been with us for everything big in our lives.  We got married after we had her, she's lived in Atlanta, moved to Huntsville, had a stint in Priceville with Mimi and Opa and of course, was here with us when the biggest and most awesome blessing on Earth happened.  The birth of Mary Elizabeth Speaks.  Boy, did she love Emme.  She loved to kiss her and she loved it when Emme started eating table food!  Blue will forever hold a special place in our hearts.  May you continue to Rest in Peace.

We went to Gatlinburg the day after Blue was put down.  It came at a great time for us and we really had a nice time in the Smoky's.  Honestly, I could do without Gatlinburg but the mountains, etc were gorgeous.  We went to the Ripleys Aquarium, Cades Cove, and just relaxed.  

 Playing with sticks, errrrrrr matches.  It's safe, right?

The view from our cabin.  Not so shabby to wake up to in the morning and go to sleep to at night!

  

Easter has come and gone and I am ashamed to say we did not get any pictures of Emme in her beautiful Easter dress.  Well, actually I think Heather did - and the beauty of Facebook allows me to download it.

Mother's Day has come and gone as well, and boy was it special.  Emme and Daddy made my Mother's Day gift this year.  I'll have to admit, that just about beats any jewelry Chuck could buy for me.  I'll take homemade gifts any day of the week.  I'd post a picture of that, but Cici hasn't received hers yet and I'd hate to spoil it for her!

I'll just post a few pictures that have been taken lately...as in the last few weeks.  She's growing like a weed.  Not getting fat, getting tall!  Emme is beginning to really become opinionated.  And for all you people, YES, I KNOW WHERE THIS COMES FROM!  But, I like it.  And yes, you will all remind me that I admitted to this in her teenage years.  Ugh.  Don't.want.to.think.about.it!  One of her favorite things now a days is to tell us what song she wants to sing.  We sing Bumblebee, Row Row Row Your Boat, and BaaaaBaaaaa Black Sheep.

At Brown Farms picking (I mean eating) strawberries.  For someone that didn't like strawberries before this excursion, we now have a strawberry lover on our hands.  Obviously she has good taste, only straight from the vine for this girl!

Walks are so tiring.  Shouldn't it be me, Daddy, or Bubba in the stroller with our feet up?

Sweet girl on Mother's Day playing with mulch.

Fort Emme was completed and it pretty much rocks.  I don't have any pictures of it quite yet - we enjoy swinging briefly.  We really enjoy being up in the fort and playing PeePie.

Well, I'll try not to wait another 2 months before posting again.  I know everyone, especially the followers are waiting with bated breath :-)

15 months and 1 day...technically

Today, we had our 15 month appointment.  It was nice to go to the doctor today for a WELL visit!  We got to sit on the UNcontaminated side.  Wow, we've come so far in a week!

Emme weighed in at 21 lbs (25th percentile), 31 inches (75th percentile), and I believe her noggin was 16 in (again, 75th percentile).  Her big ol' head had been in the 90th percentile so maybe the rest of her lil' body is catching up to her head!

She had 4 vaccinations today which were in 2 shots (YAY for only 2 shots).  Of course, Mommy disappeared during that time - we'd hate for them to hear a big ol' thud on the ground and have the smelling salts (whatever they are called) under my nose to wake me up out of my stupor.

Because I can't bear to give you an Emme update with no pictures, here are a few pictures from school from yesterday and today and one from the weekend wearing just her t-shirt and some shoes.  Yes, they take my angel's shirt off to eat.  She's not.that.messy.

It's been a while and boy have we done a lot

Where to begin...let's see.  The last time we talked we had just completed another Daddy photo shoot at Big Spring Park, Daddy sure is getting good at these picture sessions. 

Since then, we have gone to the Birmingham Zoo, played at Railroad Park in Birmingham (we got to see Uncle Whit, Aunt Priscilla, and my only two cousins...Hugh and Tempie), Emme supervised Daddy while he built a BIG shelf in the garage for all of our stuff, and the worst thing of all...we had our first and hopefully last stay at the Big House (Huntsville Hospital).  Of course, we are having lots of fun everyday just playing around the house.  And just today, we dragged Mimi and Emme to the Home Builders Show so we could get out of the house.  Well, the most awesome part of the entire trip today, getting to see the circus animals walk through to their performances.  Since we failed to take Emme to the circus this year, sort of thought she was maybe still a bit young, we did get to see some cool animals.  Unfortunately, we will be there next year. 

Wow, 15 months has been a blast so far.  Emme has figured out that it is cooler to walk than be carried at times (yes, my back appreciates this and I know Daddy likes this too).  She makes lots of friends, especially as we walk in public places.  At times, she is extremely outgoing (Mommy and Daddy shake their head at this...) and other times she is extremely shy to strangers (Mommy and Daddy like this...).  Not that I want my child to crawl behind me every single time she sees a stranger but to me it's important for her to understand strangers.  Guess we will figure that out in due time.

Daddy pretty much kept her home all this past week and boy did he teach her a lot.  We now know our head, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.  We know how to play patty cake and UNFORTUNATELY, we have discovered we can pick our nose!  <sarcasm on> YAY <sarcasm off>

Here are some pictures taken in the last month - really most were taken the day of the zoo and park.  Wish we had been able to get some of Emme with Hugh and Tempie.  But obviously, that for some reason didn't work out.  And just today our video watching the elephants walk RIGHT past us at the VBC!  Now, that was worth dragging her to the Home Builders Show!