Two

On Saturday Emmary wanted to eat her goldfish snack in her castle in her playroom. She knows that we only have food at the table, however, it turned into a big fit and fight. Emmary wound up in her room for timeout and was very, very mad. Well, before a minute was up, Emmary started banging with all of her might on her door. Gordon went to her room and asked her what was going on. She said, " I am busting a hole through this door so I can get out of here!!"

4 Months

Ellasen had her 4 month appointment on Friday. Everything was great- she weighed16lbs and 10 ounces and was 25 inches long. So she is growing despite her milk allergy. Dr. Cabiness said keep on with everything and to wait to give her cereal and First Foods until she is about 5 to 5 1/2 months old- so we will! She did really well with her shots this time but we didn't use band-aids and I think that made a big difference! We can't believe how big she is getting- we won't have a baby much longer!!!

Tickly Toes

Ellasen found her feet not too long ago- and they are her most favorite toy. She will play with them and talk to them for quite awhile. She also has very ticklish feet. It is so much fun to tickle her feet and see her laugh. It is also a great way for Emmary to play with her! That way I don't have to worry about her being bonked on the head or something poked in her eye or mouth. Although this happens frequently enough. Ellasen is a tough cookie and loves her sister. I think they are going to be great playmates.

Bath Time!

We finally got Ellasen her own Ducky tub this weekend!! This tub was the best thing in the world when Emmary was her age- and it seems to do the trick with Ellasen too! She loved it! She has gotten to big for a plastic baby tub but is not quite big enough for the big tub- so the wonderful Munchkin Ducky tub is perfect! She was splashing and carrying on trying to get the cup I use to wash to her hair- it was so cute. She has really gotten into grabbing things and loves to sit up so we had a fun bathtime!!!

Emmary watching Wonder Pets!

Collage

Emmary loves to use glue so we make a lot of collages. Today I was cutting some pictures out of a Cookie magazine and found a really good one of Snow White. So we glued her down and I cut out a picture of a Wonder Pets movie. Well, we got distracted with squeezing more glue and I cut a few more pictures when Emmary said "Where is the TV?" I asked what TV she was referring too. She said, "The TV for this Wonder Pets movie- Snow White wants to watch it." Ohhh- of course, that TV. Well, most parents/kids magazines don't encourage TV, so I could not find one. I had to sneakily cut the screen out of a Sony camera. However, it did the trick and Snow White was able to watch her movie.

hot elbows

Yesterday we went to Target to pick up some trash bags and some dish soap. Target is Emmary's favorite store- I am pretty sure it's her favorite because she usually gets an icee. However, she only likes the white icee flavor. Well, yesterday they only had blue and red. She about had a panic attack. " Mommy- what am I going to do??? My elbow is hot and it needs an icee!" Hmmm... I offered to get a red or blue icee- but no she didn't want one of those. So, we decided to think about what to do while we got we needed. While we were checking out, Emmary said "Mommy- both my elbows are hot now- they are burning up- I think I need to get a Chick-fil-a ice cream." So that is what we did. This morning we were getting in the car and Emmary said, " Mommy, my knee is hot- it is burning up. I need a Chick-fil-a ice cream!"

little artist

Emmary loves to paint- any kind! It is a great distraction while I want to get something done- it is about the only thing she will sit still to do. She likes to paint just about anything and to help her practice I like to buy the thick-lined coloring books at the dollar tree. They are basic pictures and they are great for helping to learn to stay inside the lines. She has gotten pretty good at staying in the lines- however, it is a little difficult with paint!! The finished product is to be hung up in Daddy's office.

Doing pretty good...

Emmary has been doing really well without her pacis and her juice. She does not even ask for them anymore. (At least not too often!) She likes to have two stories when she goes to bed- I usually read one and then Gordon usually reads one. Tonight, when it was Gordon's turn to read, he asked her to go pick her story and she said, "I can't- I am too nervous." Gordon asked her why she was nervous and her reply- "I am nervous because I don't have my pacis."

New Toys!!!!!

We went to Babies R Us on Friday and Ellasen got some new toys. She has had the most fabulous weekend with her new toys and she knows that they are hers. She has already learned that you have to be protective of your things when Emmary is around. When Emmary takes one of the new toys away she yells a little shriek and waves her arms and then starts crying. She is saying give that back to me- now!!! It is too funny. It is so neat that she can communicate her wants so early.

Smarter than Mommy

Emmary is really good about using her napkin on her face when she eats. However, she has a hard time remembering to use her napkin for her hands and instead tends to use her clothes. I was reminding her to use her napkin when she asked one of her "whys?" "Why do I have to use a napkin?" I explained because food stains ruin our clothes and when clothes get ruined you can't wear them anymore. She very plaintively said, "Well, I guess I will just go naked."

Friday Pool Time at Gammy's!!!!

Bumbo baby!

We discovered the most wonderful Bumbo seat when Emmary was little- My mom actually ordered it for us from South Africa- Now, of course, they have them everywhere. Well, now that Ellasen is sitting really well, still not by herself, we have been putting her in the seat for the last week or so, and she loves it. She thinks she is as big as Emmary now!! I think I am going to get the tray for it pretty soon. They did not have those when we got the seat for Emmary. It will be wonderful for snacks and toys!!

Franklin's

Today was our Friday playdate with my mom and sister. My mom had to pick up some giftcards at Frankie's Fun Park for church, so we went with her. Well, Emmary's new favorite place is "Franklin's." It was so funny, she did not care if the game was working or not, she just ran around and pushed the buttons and steered the wheels of the games. She had the greatest time. She can't wait to go back to Franklin's.

The Gardener

Emmary loves to go out to the garden with PopPop and Grandma. At the beginning of spring, she requested a "salad" garden and she got one!! She loves to eat salad with "olive gard" dressing. It has been so much fun for her to be able to go and pick the vegetables and fruits and get to eat them. She follows her PopPop around the yard and garden doing everything he does- she thinks she is so big.

The littlest seagull

Ellasen has the craziest hair. She was born with a lot of hair and none of it has really fallen out. When we wash it, it sticks straight up all over and we can't get it to comb down. People used to actually ask if we put product in her hair. We have really struggled with how to get it to look cute and we have finally settled on two little pigtails. However, when we take the pigtails out, her hair doesn't really go anywhere. It is the cutest, funniest thing. Gordon calls her little seagull. He thinks her hair looks like that '80's band Flock of Seagulls. I have to agree with him.

So Big!!!

We got the exersaucer out for Ellasen this weekend and my mom got her a horse jumper on Friday- and she has been loving it all!! She thinks she is hot stuff and is so so cute! She will play in the exersaucer for a good 45 minutes- which is fabulous!! She likes the jumper too- if you jump her. Her little legs are still too short for it! She has short little legs and tiny tiny feet. She still can't wear a size 1 shoe- just socks! But I know she will be a jumper once she can reach really well. Ellasen is growing so fast! She has really started to be interested in toys and wants Emmary to play with her. It means so much to see them interact with each other.

The first night...

Well, tonight was the first night without any pacifiers and without juice in Emmary's cup. She finally went to sleep at 10:30 p.m. and actually did pretty well. I think she might have gone to sleep sooner but it has been thunderstorming all night. Emmary is afraid of thunderstorms right now. We had some big storms where we lost power for a few hours earlier this spring and it made her very scared. She gets upset anytime it rains or if there are dark clouds in the sky. I am praying that she gets over this fear pretty soon.

Anyways- when we put the pacifiers up she got very upset. However, I told her the story about my Strawberry Shortcake blanket and she loved that. Then, we got my blanket out and she is sleeping with it tonight. I told her about how I got my blankie when I was two and slept with it until she was born. But when she was born, there wasn't room in my bed for my blankie and for her so I had to put my blankie up because I loved her so so much. It was so precious- when we gave Emmary the blanket, she said, " Don't worry Mommy, I am a big girl now, I will take good care of your blankie- I am so glad I am a big girl so that I can have your blankie." And here I am taking away her most precious things- it breaks my heart.

Hopefully she will sleep all night- we will see!!!

The Dentist

Today was Emmary's first visit to the dentist. We had been putting it off but recently decided that she just had to go. Emmary hates to brush her teeth. It is a horrible struggle every night to get her to brush her teeth. I hate to say it, but I don't even try it in the morning. Gordon and I have to tag team her before bedtime. One of us holds her down while the other tries to pry open her mouth and brush. So we knew the dentist would be drama.

We read Dora goes to the Dentist fifty times this last week. So, thankfully, she was a little excited to see what it was like. I am happy to say that Emmary did really really well. We were so proud of her. Gordon held her in his lap while the hygienist cleaned her teeth. Emmary did not like the toothpaste- but everything tastes "hot" to her- even skittles.

However, Dr. Amy broke the news that she can't have her pacis anymore and that she can no longer drink juice in her sippy cup. Emmary didn't have any cavities- but her teeth are starting to overbite from the pacifiers. She could also see where the enamel was starting to decay from the juice. But she thinks it can all be fixed if we make the right changes!! So- here we go!!

Two Talkers

We have two talkers in our family. Emmary did not start talking until she was about 20 months, but once she started she has not really stopped. She has an extensive vocabulary and a wonderful memory. So, she will tell any and all about everything. Nothing is private anymore, and we can not say or do anything we don't want the cashier at Target to know about. For awhile she constantly asked, "What does ________ say?" It could have been dirt, a book, a person, a tree, a leaf, an animal- anything, and she needed to know what it said. She still says that sometimes, but we are now in the famous "Why?" stage. She needs to know why for everything and sometimes it can be a little daunting. I have read enough articles and books to know that I don't have to always give the best answer so that helps. But she can definitely get me thinking about things sometimes. If it is an all out tough question, I usually resort to saying that God made it that way and we should thank Him for making it so wonderful. That is usually the end of it. However, Gordon, Mr. Science explains everything to tiniest detail. He spent 35 minutes explaining the Earth's rotation the other night. The question was, "Why can't we pick when it is day and when it is night?"

I think Ellasen is going to be an early talker. She is already trying to keep up with Emmary. She talks and talks and talks all the time. She talks and coos herself to sleep. Emmary never really did that, so it is so sweet and so much fun to hear. Ellasen thinks she tells some of the funniest, biggest stories. She will talk to you with all of her heart and then laugh and smile like it was the best joke in the world.

Sisters

It is so neat to watch how Emmary and Ellasen are growing together. Emmary has really started to pay attention to Ellasen and interact with her. Ellasen watches everything Emmary does, talks to her, and constantly wants her attention. This morning Emmary was reading the Pat the Bunny Kisses book to Ellasen and she would take her hand and press it on the kiss. Emmary got so excited because she was "teaching" Ellasen. One time Ellasen did it by herself, I am sure it was just an accident, but Emmary jumped up and came over and said, "Mommy, Mommy, I showed Ellasen how- I taught her, aren't I the best big sister??!!!!!" It was so sweet and so precious. I hope that they grow to be sisters that have that special sister bond.