Watching Our Girls Grow . . .

Love and Hugs from Anna

2008-11-24T22:14:00.003-06:00

We went to Branson mid-October to celebrate Travis' great-aunt's birthday. The weather was beautiful, the leaves were changing. It was a nice weekend getaway with the family. While we were there, I snuck away with Emma and Anna to go visit my friend Kate and her newlywedded husband Nick. Emma and Nick had a great time chasing each other around the yard, as Kate and I caught up on life and looked at her wedding photographs. And, what was Anna doing? Well, Anna made a friend. Meet Samwise.

I want to feel bad for this poor little kitten, but really, he just laid there and let it happen. Anna would scoop him up and carry him to Kate. Kate would put him on the ground. Samwise would walk about 5 feet away and lay down in a kitty-cat stretch. Anna would walk over, scoop him up, and they'd do it all over again. I know I love getting hugs from Anna, but do you think maybe he liked it too?

Apple Pickin' and Pumpkin Patchin'

2008-10-04T23:58:00.005-05:00

So, I realize that these are not the long-awaited birthday pictures that I promised, but since its been 5 months to the day since I made said promise, I figure some more recent pictures are more appropriate. Enjoy!

Travis' Aunt Amy and family go apple picking every year, and this year, I kind of invited our little family to join them. Friday night we drove to Jeff City for a little quality time with Grammy and PawPaw John. Saturday morning we all got up early and caravanned to St. Charles, where the Millers live. We met there, got directions, and then caravanned onward. Because of the recent flooding, we got to take two ferries across the Mississippi River to get to the orchard.

Carson and Gage are pictured here with us. Carson was the ring bearer in our wedding over 6 years ago... He's all grown up now!

Our first big stop was at this cute little roadside place to buy pumpkins. Anna was just in awe over the rows of big orange balls. :-) She had to sit on all of them to find the perfect one.

After we got our pumpkins loaded up, we continued on to Eckard's Orchard. When we got there, we had a picnic lunch.

Then we waited in line to board a wagon, which drove us out to the prime picking spot in the orchard.

Emma was amazed at all the rows and rows of apple trees. And she caught on quickly too - she really loved picking apples. She pulled them off the tree with gusto, then tossed them into the bag with just as much energy. :-)

Anna didn't have quite the upper body strength to pull the apples off the tree, so she enjoyed eating them instead. It was pretty funny - Anna would just sit in a pile of fallen apples and eat to her heart's content. Then, she'd toss that apple aside, pick up another one, and begin again.

Family Photo - three of us posing with our apples, and then Anna - completely oblivious and loving every minute of it!

After we'd eaten as many apples as we could handle, we walked back to the main orchard house. We all shared funnel cakes and drank apple cider - Anna really liked the apple cider! Then, we paid for our treasures, and headed back to the car. Back across the two ferries, back to St Charles, and then straight down I-70 headed for home.

When you figure in the cost of gas in driving all the way to Illinois, food there and back, and then the actual cost per pound of the apples, these were probably the most expensive apples ever. But, the experience was priceless.

Just ask Emma.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!

2008-05-04T22:18:00.003-05:00

I took some cute pictures this last week, that hopefully I'll be posting soon, but I wanted to jump online real quick and remind everyone that EMMA IS 3!!!! This morning, we woke her up singing "Happy Bithday" to her, and she asks, "Why am I not two anymore? Why am I three now?" Such a smarty. And now that she's 3, I guess its officially time to start thinking about schooling. Oddly enough, I have had two people ask me about our plans for preschool already. Yikes. I guess it is time to start thinking about all of that, huh? Lots of decisions to make... Be praying for us and we ask for guidance in this big decision.

Travis asked Emma what she wanted for lunch today. She said Sonic. I love that kid! ;-)

It's been a crazy weekend, and a crazy week is ahead of us...but I'll try to post those pictures soon!

Fun Friday Photos

2008-04-25T12:50:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted any pictures lately, because I haven't taken any pictures lately. Oops! But here are a few fun one from the last couple of days.

Emma's latest thing is combing her own hair. She takes her little stool and goes to sit in front of her mirror. She'll just sit there for 10-15 minutes stroking the same side of her head with the comb. Please note that she is combing the SAME side of her head...because that's the only side she combs as of yet. Her seriousness is pretty amusing if you ask me. ;-)

I think she looks a lot like my sister Rosie in the picture above.

If this is what she's like now, what's she going to be like in 10 - 15 years? We're in trouble!!!

"Look, Momma! We're ready for some sun!"
Anna found these sunglasses yesterday and she really did love wearing them. She kept taking them off and wanting me to put them on her over and over.
Good thing she likes them - we've got season passes to the zoo this year, so we'll be wearing our sunglasses A LOT this summer (if it ever stops raining, that is).

These next few pictures are from this morning. Emma is quite the multi-tasking mom. Notice how she's holding the bottle with her face, so she can take a drink. I guess she's learning from the best!

And Anna has becoming quite the little momma herself. And just in the last 24 hours. She has carried around a babydoll with her everywhere lately. Baby and bottle - and off she goes. She sits and feeds her, hugs her, puts her in the swing, and even shares her with us to cuddle with too.

I find this pretty amusing because Emma really didn't get into dolls until she was a little older. Then, once Anna was born, Emma totally embraced motherhood. I guess Anna's just been watching her older sister, because she really seems to know what she's doing.
And of course, she's loving every minute of it.
I am too.

No more Independence

2008-04-21T16:29:00.002-05:00

I know that just a few weeks ago, I was almost complaining at how Emma was growing up too fast. Well, she must have picked up on it, because she quickly grew out of that phase of life. I guess she just wanted to know that she could do so many things by herself. And now that she knows that she can, she doesn't care to anymore. NOW I'm complaining. She can dress herself (except for buttoning and snapping). She can put on her shoes and socks (except for tying and buckling). She can go on little errands for Mommy ("Emma, go put this in the bathroom. Go get Anna's shoes. Do you know where your jacket it?"). CAN is the key word here. Yes, she can. But, she's all done being all grown up. And when she uses cute little phrases, like "Will you help me?" "Will you show me how?", how can we not? I know, I know. It's pure manipulation. We do draw the line with whining, though. With her conversion back to needing us for every little thing she does, she has definitely brought with it whining, and occasionally, demanding. And that is where we say no. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you when you're whining in that little baby voice." "Sure, I'd be glad to get you more milk, as soon as you as me politely." Now who's manipulating? We're not manipulating. It's called Love & Logic, don't ya know?

DEBT FREE FAMILY

2008-04-01T15:24:00.002-05:00

Emma and Anna's mommy and daddy are now DEBT FREE! The last credit card payment went through TODAY! This is the first time in our marriage (and in my entire adult life) that we've been debt-free! This feeling is such an incredible rush!!!!!! This is one less thing to burden our family - we'll be better parents, we'll be able to teach our children about money better, we'll have a more stable relationship, and we'll be freer to do whatever God may ask of us in the future! We are so thankful that God brought friends into our lives that challenged us in this area and encouraged us to go through a Total Money Makeover! There's no looking back now!

A Room Makeover and A Milestone Moment

2008-03-16T22:59:00.009-05:00

In the fall of 2006, we transformed our dining room into a playroom. By 'transformed' I mean, we moved the table out and moved the toys in. But, it wasn't until last month, that the transformation took place. Grammy and PawPaw John came to town last month and helped us organize our room full of toys into our playroom. PawPaw and Travis cut, sawed, sanded and screwed ordinary wood into magnificant shelves. When they were all finished, Grammy and I stepped in with the bins and tubs and got everything organized. It was really a lot of fun... And to see it now... Wow. It slightly resembles a church nursery, but Emma loves it, Anna loves it, and I love it. What more could I ask for?

Join Miss Emma as she gives a tour of her beloved playroom...
Here she is at her coloring table, saying cheese to the camara. Such a funny camara face...

"This is where my puzzles go...."

"This is where my babies go...."

"These are my purses...."

"This is Mommy's shelf......way up high..."

Emma sings the cutest little song as she's putting her toys away. She learned it at church: "Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share. Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere." And she really does do her share. Its astoundingly impressive.

Oh - and Mommy's shelf...did we mention Mommy's shelf? ;-)

Continuing on in our tour, on the north side of the playroom, we have our own little library...

And Miss Anna sitting and reading in the recliner. How I wish I had another one of these mini recliners...both the girls love it, and yet, they don't like to share it at all...imagine that!

And Anna's garden.

This was her favorite birthday gift...and it was free! The garden is on loan from a family at church. When Pam first offered it to me, I said no...twice. It seemed big and bulky and it didn't really seem very fun to me. Clearly, though, I am not 13 months old!!!

She adores this garden more than I could have every imagined. Opening and closing, putting in and taking out...what's not to like? ;-)

AND FOR A MILESTONE MOMENT........
Double click on the videos to see Anna walking. You'll have to click once anywhere inside the video screen to activate the controls, then click the play button in the bottom left corner.

In the video above, she's walking to Daddy.
In the video below, she's walking to Mommy.

Now, she's not yet walking as her main mode of transportion. She still prefers crawling, walking on her knees, or walking on her hands and feet with her little baby butt up in the air (I should really try to get that on video!!! It's quite a site!). But, she's definitely taking more steps at a time, she's not as wobbly, and she's really starting to enjoy walking. She's well on her way.

A Mind of Her Own

2008-03-14T14:48:00.006-05:00

My Little Emma is all grown up. Seriously. I think she's about ready to move out of the house and make it on her own. She's still two months out from her third birthday, but if you ask her how old she is, she'll tell you, "I'm two, but I'll be 3 on my birthday at May da fort." She can also tell you her name: "Emily Rose Sappington, but my momma calls me Emma." (I taught her that, of course.) She knows all our names too, and she even knows her phone number... But if YOU don't know our phone number, you'd never understand her when she says it because she says it so quickly.

She's still the world's best mommy to all her baby dolls, although she doesn't nurse then quite as much any more. She's so particular in caring for them. Oh, and she's totally into princesses and dressing up. She loves to watch Cinderella and would watch it a 5 times a day if I'd let her...this week she figured out which button is "play" on the remote...the one with the triangle on it. Now we're in trouble! She gives commentary on the entire movie...she tells you how "those ladies are mean and they tear her dress and they are not very nice ladies." And she screams with glee any times she sees or hears about the glass slippers... Then she has to put on her own glass slippers (just regular pink fuzzy slippers, with the Disney princesses on them)...and she likes to sit down and have me see if they'll fit her. (Good thing my favorite movie is Ever After, so I know how to play along!)

She is in LOVE with dresses... A friend from church gave us some old dresses...they're definitely out of style, so I doubt she'll ever wear them out of the house, but they have bows and sashes, and poofy sleeves, and swaying skirts, so Emma just loves them. She wants to wear a different dress every hour or so, and she even tried to sleep in one the other night.

And her imagination... Sheesh! The stories she tells... She loves Little People... She has a dollhouse and cars and a gas station... She's determined that the southwest corner of the basement is the "school" and the "park and swimming pool" is at the southeast corner. One day, she lined up ALL her little people in a line. And then she added other accessories to the line.... And by the time she was finished, her line extended over 4 feet across the basement!

OH - and the other day, she wanted to go down to the basement and play... So we let her. For the most part, she was down there by herself, but we kept running down to the laundry room or to get on teh computer so that we could check on her. Oh - it was hilarious. I have NO idea what she was thinking... Well, actually, I do... She told Travis that she was hiding, so she moved all the toys into the center of the basement and hid in the middle of them... How cute is this...

Can you find her? (She's between the chairs.)

The next day, she announces that she's going to play Ring Around the Rosie with her toys. Okie-dokie... She pushed all the toys the outskirts of the room and literally lined the perimeter of the basement with toys. Each one had to touch the one next to it, too. We talking bikes, books, dishes from her kitchen, puzzle boards and the individual peices all seperately lined up next to one another, blocks, everything... It took her over an hour. We left it that night, and the next day she came right down stairs and continued on.

She plays independently and she plays with us. Sometimes she even plays with Anna. I am continually amazed by her mind...her imagination...her sorting...her mimicing...her thought process... She's an expert color-er now too. She concentrates so hard on one area of the picture until NO white space is showing. And she does pretty good at staying in the lines too.

OH - and big news - She's potty trained! Mostly. Well, 90% during the day. 40% during her naps, but we haven't even attempted bedtime yet. But, she's catching on. And she's very grown up about it. She tells me, "I need to go potty. But not you, just me." All of a sudden I'm not even allowed into the bathroom with her!!!!!!!!!!! All this from a not-even-3-year-old... Sheesh...

I'm sure all this is just typical 2-3 year old behavior, but its still mind-boggling when its your own kid. She started out this completely helpless 6 pound baby who depended on us for everything, and 34 months later, the only she needs me for is pouring her milk. What a change! Don't get me wrong, I love every minute of it... But man, she's grown up so much in the last 3-4 weeks...

Hmmmm....
Maybe I'll just never potty-train Anna and she'll stay a baby forever...
Maybe not...

How Precious is Parenting

2008-02-29T09:40:00.004-06:00

I have been contemplating my own mortality lately. In the past year, Travis and I have lost two dear friends...both that we knew from church. Both of these men had great impacts in our lives...our lives are forever changed because we knew them. These men knew Jesus, they loved Jesus, and they lived every moment of their lived for Jesus. I am sad that my children will never remember knowing them, but I am thankful for the memories I have of them. So, I find myself thinking about the people in our lives that my children will remember. Am I surrounding my kids with positive influences? Am I exposing my children to people who live their lives for Christ? Am I raising my children in a way that honors God? Am I concerned about society and the positive or negative impact it will have on my children? What am I teaching my kids? Am I a positive impact on my children? When I picture my girls in the future...10-15 years from now...what do I want for them? What kind of relationships do I want them to have? What kind of attitude do I want them to have? What kind of faith do I want them to have? It dawns on me that I need to seek out what my dreams for the future are, before I can parent my children for today.

There are some days when being a stay-at-home mom is really hard. I get frustrated, I get irritated, I get overwhelmed. I sometimes even debate going back to work. I think, "If I could just get out of the house for a while...If I could just wrap myself in something that's all mine...If I could just focus on something that seems more 'adult'..." Then I realize: I AM SO STINKIN' SELFISH!!! These precious children are all mine...every minute of every day...I am their role model...I am the main influence in their lives...my job as a parent is so much more important than my own selfish needs. But, am I being the positive influence that I desire for my children? Some days, yes; some days, less.

How do I want my children to remember me? When they look back over their childhood, what will they remember? Besides the massive piles of laundry that are never caught up... Will they remember laughter? Will they remember love? Will they remember hugs and kisses and tickles? Will they remember that they could come to me at any time, for any reason, and I listened to them? Will they remember me helping them with homework? Crying with me over silly boyfriends and heartbreak? Jumping into bed with us when the wind was too loud? Reading books together? Going on dates with their daddy? What do I want my kids to remember?

One of the men who died passed away last Saturday. His "celebration service" is tomorrow. He has three kids, all near my age. To hear them talk about their dad...it's amazing. It really is. He was there for them. He mentored them. He inspired them. He was a huge influence in their lives. His youngest son, Joel, wrote a song about him a few years back, and he recorded it Sunday...the day after his dad passed away. I can't download it to my playlist, but if you would like to listen to it, go to : http://www.myspace.com/driskellsongbook. The song "Dad" should start to play automatically. The neat thing is, on Joel's site, he has other songs he's recorded...and several of those songs are songs his dad, Gary Driskell, wrote. Gary was amazing. Not because Gary himself was amazing, but because he lived his life to honor God. He really did. He was the worship leader at Maywood for over 13 years. He also wrote many Christian songs that we're familiar with today...and his office walls were covered with Dove Awards and other recognitions. But still, he lived in Independence, MO, and he served as the part-time worship leader at Maywood Baptist Church. I'm sure there are many people who wondered why he wasted his time here, instead of being out in the music industry, making it big. But, Gary's idea of making it big, was to make God BIG. That's the type of influence I want to surround my kids with.

The newest song I added to our playlist here is "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. He was inspired for this song by his littlest girls...during bathtime and bedtime, no less. It reminds me that every minute of every day that I get to spend with my girls is precious. Sometimes I'm tired. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed. But I need to get over myself. I need to get out of my own world. I need to get off the computer, get down on the floor, and just be with my girls.

I know that when they grow up, they won't remember what life was like at ages 1 and 2. But, I hope and pray that the relationship I establish with my kids now, at these young ages, will continue to grow in a way that they will know how loved they are...at every stage and at every age. And in some way, they will remember...

Christmas Morning

2008-02-23T11:49:00.003-06:00

We spent the first part of Christmas Day at home...just the four of us. We opened presents, had fruit salad for breakfast (in honor of Emma's love for the Wiggles), then got ready to drive to Ashland, MO, for the next stop in our Christmas Adventures.

I love Emma and Anna's faces as they're opening their gifts!

Here, Emma is just so excited about opening her presents.

Anna is ooohhhhhing over her riding/walking toy.

She loves all the gadgets on it!

Emma is the perfect little mommy, complete with her new doll carriage.

Stacking rings for Anna.

Emma had a big hand in decorating our Christmas tree this year. For one thing, I was too lazy to go all our with the lights and decorations, and for another, I didn't want to get all our fancy glass ornaments out and up on the tree to have one of the girls accidentially knock the whole tree down and injure themselves. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Anyway, Emma and I painted wooden ornaments, hung candy canes, and made a long paper chain out of cute Christmas scrapbook paper. Emma really enjoyed helping in every aspect of the tree trimming this year.

(This pic was taken a few days after Christmas, after Anna finally got the hang of walking along with her toy. Here is she, hollering with glee!)

Belated Christmas

2008-02-06T15:57:00.000-06:00

See, I told you I was going to post Christmas pictures eventually. ;-) Here's my plan... I'm going to upload the pictures now (whilst both my precius ones are sleeping!) and I'll come back and "journal" them later...
Here we go... Christmas Eve (at my aunt's house, with my dad's side of the family)

Little Momma

2008-01-17T12:29:00.000-06:00

So, Emma's been doing the cutest thing lately. Mimicing me, as I'm mothering Anna. Used to be, she'd just do it to her baby dolls, but here recently, she's been Anna's second mother.

We're teaching Anna to sign a few words...more, finished, and drink. So, when we're at the table, Emma's constantly saying, "More, Anna, More, Anna. Do you want more, Anna?" as she signs it out.

And we're working on her verbal vocabulary as well. Emma thinks she's my teacher's helper, I guess. Just now, as I'm sitting here working, Emma is building a tower, working on a puzzle, cooking at her kitchen, etc. As she goes from activity to activity, she is teaching Anna...

"Anna, say puzzle. Say puzzle, Anna."
"Anna, say red. Red, Anna. Auntie Am's favorite color is red. Say red, Anna."
"Puzzle. Puuuuu-zzzzzzzz-le. Say puzzle."
"Pants. Anna, say pants. Pants, Anna."
"Anna, say ball. Anna, say blocks. Anna, say table. Anna, say puzzle."

You get the point. It's really cute...especially in her little sing-song voice. She's a really good big sister when she wants to be. :)

And, yes, I will post pictures soon. Or at least eventually!

New Playlist

2008-01-01T18:13:00.001-06:00

Isn't technology great? A friend of ours showed me how to upload a playlist to our blog, so http://www.playlist.com/ has been my latest internet disctraction. Turn up your speakers! The featured songs are ones that Emma and Anna just love to dance to. Even tonight, as I was surfing back and forth between webpages, I accidently closed out of the playlist site, so the music stopped. Emma stopped playing with her farm and said, "Ut -Momma! Where's my music? Turn it loud please!" So, enjoy these songs, on behalf of my boogy-ing babes! I think there's even a way to download this playlist, or to create one of your own to your desktop, so you can enjoy these tunes any time you'd like.

And, yes, I'll be uploading Christmas pictures soon. ;-)

November Travels

2007-12-04T16:38:00.000-06:00

Oh, the places we go! Some months, we're homebodies. Other months, it seems like we're gone every weekend! I really love spending weekends at home - Family Togetherness Time, I call it. But I guess we were just itchin' to spend hours in the car with two kids two and under this November. ;-)

At the beginning of the month, we headed south. C of O Homecoming activities, family time with Travis' "bra" and sister, and visiting friends from our Branson days. It funny...sometimes it seems like just yesterday when we were still living there. Then, all of a sudden, it hits me - that was TWO years ago! Wow - so many changes since then... But, I digress...

So, here are some pix from our trip to Branson...

Family Photo after the Homecoming Parade

Sheesh - my girls sure do make Lake Honor sparkle, don't they?

While we were in Branson, we stayed with some friends. They're just the sweetest couple, and they were so hospitable to us. Plus, their home is beautiful and the view is just spectacular! I'm glad we got to see the trees as the leaves were changing colors. It makes me miss Autumn in the Ozarks. In the picture below, Travis and Emma are enjoying the nice weather and the great view. Emma loves to do things with her daddy, and just like her daddy. Every once in a while, she'd steal a look in his direction, as if to make sure she was doing it just right. So sweet.

Anna was a little sniffly, so she stayed inside (notice her in the window).

At the end of the month, we headed to Jeff City. Travis' aunt and uncle and their extended families live in St. Louis area, but they come to Jeff the weekend after Thanksgiving so everyone can celebrate together by eating Chinese food and spending an entire day together. We catch up on everyone's lives, let the kids play together, and most importantly - plan the rest of the year...lining up scrapbooking weekends for the ladies and baseball trips for the guys.

Travis and PawPaw John put up Christmas lights while we were there. Emma just loves how everyone is decorating their houses. I had Travis take Emma out to show her the lights, and I asked him to take the camara...with specific instructions on WHAT to take pictures of: Emma looking at the lights, Emma being amazed by the lights, Emma reaching for the lights, etc. Travis looked at me in utter amazement and said something like, "I'm glad you told me, because I never would have taken ALL those shots." Yeah, its funny how scrapbooking can completely change the type of photographer you are. Its really helped me to open my eyes to different camara shots and situations, in order to really help capture the story behind the picture. I have to say, my darling husband did pretty good.

Travis and Emma - reaching for the lights

PawPaw and Emma - admiring the lights

PawPaw and Emma - reaching for the moon (she loves the moon, too)

To culimate the visit, everyone sat around and watched the MU v KU football game. I brought along a little surprise - this adorable cheerleader outfit we got from Travis' cousins (they live in Columbia, of course!).

Even if you're not an MU fan, you have to admit, she looks too cute in this little outift! And Emma loved learning how to cheer. We made her pompoms, Aunt RaeRae taught her a few moves and kicks, and Cousin Gage even tried teaching her gymnastics. Just the thing we needed to wear the girls out before the late-night drive back home.

Nine Months

2007-10-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Its offical - today marks the day that Anna's been living outside of my body for as long as she lived inside of my body. Weird, huh? And that's about as exact as you can get, because she was born on her due date. Crazy - nine months ago she was this itsy bitsy little thing. All she did was cry and cuddle. Now, she's more than doubled her weight and she's just all over the place. She's like Speedy Gonzales on her knees. AND - big milestone here - she's cutting her first tooth!
She'll chew on anything we leave lying around - shoes, toys, clothes, the dog, furniture, babygates, you name it. Fortunately, not all things have changed - she's still the cuddliest little baby! She'll grab hold and pull herself against me and just cling on tight. I love it.

She's full of new talents, too - I just love watching babies learn new things. And she's quite the mimic-er too. Grammy and Pawpaw John came to have lunch with us on Sunday since Uncle Daniel and Aunt Rachel drove up from college to spend the weekend with their neices. Anna was playing patty-cake with Grammy - clapping her hands like a pro.

And Travis and Rachel taught her how to blink on command. Oh - that is JUST the most adorable thing! She's so intentional in her blinking - she smiles wide, and squeezes those little eyes shut.

Ah - its cute - I'm telling you. She's great at repeatings sounds, and she and Emma have the great hollering contests. They just holler with glee back and forth, back and forth. I love it when our house is filled with laughter.

Passionate About Popcorn

2007-10-18T17:47:00.000-05:00

Check out these pictures of little Anna. I know the pictures just can't do the experience justice, but here's the setting... We were sitting on our bed a couple of nights ago, waiting for Anna's Tylenol to kick in, and Travis was eating some popcorn. Anna loves crinkly-sounding things and food, so she was especially attracted to her daddy and this magnificent smelling crinkling bag. She was smiling her wide-open toothless grin, and flailing her arms up and down. This spontaneous motion was making her bounce up and down on the bed as she was hollering with glee. At one point, she got so excited that her arm-flailing got the better of her and she flung herself right into the bag of popcorn. Travis and I couldn't stop laughing.

Later, with the same gumption (is that how you spell that?), she picked up her bottle tried to drink from it. She doesn't quite realize the affect gravity has on self-feeding - it was quite hilarious to watch her growl at the bottle as she tried fervently to get the milk out. Silly girl.

Travis said that Anna may be as determined as Emma. But, then, the longer we watched her, he changed his mind... Emma's determined. But, Anna . . . Anna's passionate.

Charlotte's Web

2007-10-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

For a short while, we had our very own Charlotte. I think Emma noticed her before I did...back in August. It amazed me how she was always sitting right in the middle of the web... I thought spiders built their web, then went to hide while bugs unsuspectingly flew into the web. But not our Charlotte. She was so big and captivating, I'm sure she probably drew them to web. I knew in my head that she was suspended at least 3 or 4 feet above my head, but I still couldn't help but duck just a little when I'd walk under her. I think its just a spider-reflex. I would have had Travis move her, but Emma enjoyed her so much, I endured her.

Then, about the same time I started noticing spiders turning up next to the drain in the basement, we noticed our Charlotte was gone too. I haven't noticed an egg sac or anything, so she must have hid it pretty well. Maybe next year...

Here's a question, though... Why do spiders die upside down? I mean, I'm glad they do, because then I know for sure that they're dead, but doesn't that seem a little bizarre? They spend they're entire lives on their feet, then suddenly, seconds before death, they flip over like pancakes. (I've never seen that happen, that's just how I imagine it in my head.) Just one more completely unnatural thing about spiders...

Who makes these rules?

2007-10-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

So, I went to this joke of a parenting class last week. I guess it wasn't that bad, but I didn't exactly come home with a lot of practical ideas. I guess maybe I just didn't know what I was looking for, or what I was in for. Either way, I didn't get much out of it. Take, for instance, the "rules" she encouraged us to put into place in our own homes.

1. Respect yourself.
2. Respect others.
3. Respect things.

Now, don't get me wrong...I agree with all these rules. But, you try explaining them to a two-year-old. "Emma, it's important to respect the dog. Throwing your books off the couch so that they land on him while he's sleeping is not respecting him." Sure, maybe that's what I should say. But, then again, how on earth does she know what respect means. Maybe when she's older, those would be good general house rules. But for now, they're a little too general, if you know what I mean. Instead, here's a sample list of some of the "rules" I've heard myself say, just in the last few days. I don't mount them on a chart in the living room, or anything, but they're enforced all the same.

You may not throw books at the dog.
You may not kick your sister in the head.
You may not bang spoons on the window.
You may not touch the TV.
You may not stand on the table.
You may not tear paper into itsy bitsy pieces.
You may not dump bathwater out onto the floor.
You may not climb on Mommy’s scrapbooking bags.
You may not lean through the banister railing and climb on top of the entertainment center.
You may not bend Daddy’s glasses.
You may not climb into the pack-n-play with Anna.
You may not try to pick Anna up.
You may not fling ANY object.
You may not go outside by yourself.
You may not go in the garage by yourself.
You may not go in Mommy’s craft room by yourself.
You may not tear pages out of books.
You may not yell at Anna – phrase of choice nowadays…“NO, Anna, NO!”
You may not write on the couch with a pen.
You may not touch the lamp…even with your toes.

I try to be positive. For instance - You can only drink from lidless cups in the kitchen. OR If you’re going to take a toy from Anna, you must give a toy in return.

But sometimes, a rule just needs to be a rule - You may not pull Anna across the floor…or off the couch…or anywhere…ever.

And of course, as matriarch, I can add to this list at any time. ;-) I don't that I'm stifling her creativity or injuring her self-esteem by enforcing our own, realistic, household rules. And usually, I'm guiding her, or training her. I'm teaching what respect is, by modifying her actions on a daily basis. Fortunately, she doesn't usually push me on them.

And how would I explain that she's disrespecting herself by climbing onto the entertainment center? Safety is the issue. Not so much respect. And tearing paper into little pieces? Sure, its good that she's developing her fine motor skills, but not so good for Anna, who puts everything in her mouth, or for me, who has to pick up all the pieces that the vacuum misses.

Sure, these things all fall into the categories of the three magical rules listed above. But, until Emma (and soon enough, Anna) has a better grasp of "others," I think we'll stick with our own growing list. At least for now...

The Prettiest Flower Girl

2007-10-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

Our friends, Scott & Heidi, got married this past Sunday. Guess who they asked to be their flower girl? Well, Miss Emma, of course!!! Emma had been preparing for the big day for about a week. She tried on her gorgeous dress several times, and she wanted to wear her flower girl shoes everyday - no matter what outfit she was wearing! We watched the wedding video from our wedding (*sigh* - oh the memories!) to help her grasp what a flower girl does, and we even went to church early last week to practice. If you ask Emma, "What's a flower girl do?" she'll tell you, "Walk and throw flowers...walk and throw flowers." She was all ready for the big day!

Isn't she just darling? When we practiced at the rehearsal Saturday night, we told her to walk down to Scott. So, come Sunday, she did exactly as we told her to do - She walked right down the aisle with flower petal in hand and handed it to Scott...too cute! Come on - she's TWO - what did you expect?!?!?

And just because I love weddings, here's a picture of the "altar" (Is that what you call it?) where they stood and took their vows. They got married on Heidi's parents' property, in front of a lake. I love this picture - such a peaceful place to have the ceremony.

But I mentioned it was hot, right? We brought a change of clothes for Emma, so she'd have something cool to wear after the formal pictures were taken. The bridesmaids weren't so lucky - so a few hours into the reception they decided they'd take matters into their own hands - and they jumped right in the lake!!! I wish I had pictures of that!

Sick Babies = Sad Momma

2007-10-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

Latest stats:
Emma - 2 years, 5 months - 23.5 lbs.
Anna - 8.5 months old - 16 lbs. 9 oz.
Both tested positive for strep ;-(

The doctor still called them "beautiful babes," but it was a rough appointment. They both cried when he swabbed their swollen, red, infected throats. Then, Emma turns to me with her sweet blood-shot eyes, holding her throbbing throat, and says, "Doctor hurt me here, Momma." It was enough to make MY throat tighten up.

The cuddling is nice...that's all we've done the past two days - sit on the couch and cuddle. But you know there's something wrong when a two-year-old will sit through an entire movie. And when its over, she's turns to me and says, "Watch it again, Momma."

Don't get me wrong, they still have their fun-loving moments, but they're short and sweet. Yesterday Anna stood, balanced, for about 3 seconds, while she was laughing at her sister. But you can just tell they don't feel good.

I think there's some maternal instinct that goes into overdrive when your kids are sick. Usually, if/when the girls get up in the middle of the night, I begrudgingly get up and get them back to sleep as quickly as possible. But, I haven't really minded being up with them the past two nights. Tuesday night, Emma woke up at 4:00am, with the nastiest croop-y cough. She wouldn't drink water, and she just cried and cried. You know the crying had to make her throat hurt even more - she sounded like barking seal. So, we fixed it by turning it into a hands-on project - making juice. She really enjoyed helping me pour the water and stir the juice. And in the morning, she was very proud to tell her daddy how she helped her momma make juice so she'd "feel all better now." And Anna - she's just not sure about all this. She doesn't have the cough, but she looks at me with these sad, sad eyes...I can just feel them saying, "I don't feel good. Make it stop." She doesn't cry or anything, but that almost makes it worse. There's nothing worse than that feeling up utter helplessness at 2am... Of course, I sleep less soundly, so maybe that's why I don't mind getting up. It does break my heart, though, when I have to wake a child up in the middle of the night because she's burning up - to force her to take Tylenol. That's happed both nights - a different girl each night. BUT - we're on antibiotics, so I know they're on the mend, even it if doesn't seem like it yet.

Okay, duty calls. Emma's finished watching "Wiggles" and now she's ready for "Charlotte's Web" again.

2007-10-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

Emma just loves to sing... And I love to scrapbook. But, I can't possibly scrapbook fast enough to record all the cute things she does every day. So, I'm very thankful for this blog, my online scrapbook. Here's a list of some of the songs she likes to sing. You get to see how smart she is, and I have a place to record some of this good stuff until I actually put it in her scrapbook...

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
Jesus Loves Me
Happy Birthday (to anyone)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Old McDonald has a Farm
Five Little Ducks
ABC's
If You're Happy and You Know It
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
Ring Around the Rosies
Hokey Pokey
Clean Up
Miss Pattycake's Praise Parade (Bubblin' Up, Hop, the Basket Song)
I'm a Little TeaPot
Everyday by Hillsong United...and most of the other songs from the DVD
Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Not to mention the numerous songs I make up and sing to the girls all the time. I may not be the world's best soloist, but I sure can make up a song about just about anything. Of course, since you're not one of my children, you'll never hear any of them . . . ;-)

"help your daughter"

2007-09-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

Funny story, but you'll have to picture it with me to get the full effect...
We have this huge 6 panel baby "fence" surrounding the computer desk and the treadmill. Safety first, right? Well, its moved right now because of some plumbing problems we had last week. I've been too lazy to rearrange everything back the way its supposed to be, so now Emma can squeeze through and be right next to me as I'm on the computer. So, Travis, Emma and I were downstairs tonight, and Emma and Travis were coloring at her table and chairs (on one side of the fence) while I was doing some stuff online (on the other side of the fence). Truth be told, I wasn't paying them full attention because I was distracted by checking my email, paying some bills, mapquesting, and blogging. Unbeknownst to me, Emma carried one of her little chairs through the gap in the fence, over the treadmill, around the dog's crate, and was trying to situate it next to me. I finally noticed her and said, "Emma, what are you doing?" She looks at me and says, "Help your daughter. Please, Momma. Help your daughter." What? When did my two year old learn to talk like that? "Emma, what did you say?" "Help your daughter, Momma," she repeats, a little impatiently. I started cracking up laughing. Travis said, "Did she just say what I think she just said?" I nodded and said, "Where on earth did she learn the word daughter?" Travis looked at me like I was crazy...apparantly he noticed her carrying the chair over to me and told me, "Help your daughter." I guess I heard him, because I finally noticed her, but his words just didn't register in my memory. So, all I hear is my little Emma saying, "help your daughter." Such big words for such a little girl. So, the rest of the night, we were having her say things by referring to herself in the third person. "Read to your daughter," she'd say. A little sneaky, I know, but sooooo stinkin' cute! Picture her - big eyes, filled with seriousness - "help your daughter." I just couldn't help but laugh. And, then of course, I gave her a great big hug!

I'm sure the lesson to be learned here is that I need to pay more attention to those around me when I'm online. And, that Emma is picking up and repeating everything we say, so we'd better watch out! At least this time she was repeating something we found just adorable!

beanie babies

2007-09-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

Grammy should be proud - her granddaughters are definitely BEANie babies. I'm sure everyone was worried about my children being as picky eaters as their mother is, but fortunately taste buds aren't hereditary. Anna started eating green beans this week and she doesn't mind them one little bit. Actually, I think she might really like them! She likes the texture, and of course, she likes stinking her fingers in her mouth so she can "feel" what she's tasting.

Emma is still a huge fan of soybeans. I held up the camera and said, "Show me the soybeans," and this is what she did.
Silly girl. But really, as much as it grosses me out, I'm really quite blessed to have a daughter that loves all her foods...soybeans, broccoli, peas, carrots, pretty much every vegetable except potatoes (unless they're in french fry form). She loves fruit too - everything except strawberries in August. She's not the biggest carb eater, but I figure that will serve her well later in life, right? And of course, she loves ice cream - now THAT she gets from her momma!

Sunday night, after a nice cool-temperatured week, Travis said that he felt like baking. So, he went to the store, and then Emma and I made him chocolate chip cookies. Emma was ready to dive in and participate in every aspect of the baking process, but my controlling instincts kicked right in, so we got most of the ingredients measured correctly. Travis and Anna snacked on green beans while Emma and I baked those yummy cookies.

Everything else is going great. Auntie Am is in town for another week. She's definitely keeping us busy. I'm sure I'll devote an entire post to her visit eventually...probably after our little road trip.

Imagination at work

2007-09-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

Emma's really into make-believe play right now. For those of you who don't know - it is what it is...Emma pretend to be whatever she decides to be. It's amazing to watch her...she's so serious in all that she does. And, it salmost impossible not to laugh at her seriousness...but I try so hard not to, because I don't want her to feel embarassed or become shy and timid. Her imagination is just incredible!

She loves her daddy and is constantly asking where he is. He's usually in one of three places, according to Emma: at work, at home from work, or at church - singing with Scott. So, she's incorporated her love of her father into her own little world. She wants me to zip up her jacket, she puts on her shoes (usually on the wrong feet, but that's beside the point), and puts ALL her purses over her shoulder. Then, she's off. "Going to work, Momma," she tells me. Anna and I get hugs and kisses, and off she goes. She comes right home, giving more hugs and kisses. "Home from work, Momma," she says. "How was work, Emma?" I ask. "Oh, fine," she says, with such seriousness. Then, she's off again. I asked what she does at work, and you know what she tells me? She goes to see the cows. How great is that? She's incorporating a trip we took in July (and I have yet to post pictures, I know!) into her little story. So, she tells me all about the cows. She feeds them from the bottle and they say "mooooo." It's just great to hear her go on and on.

Beauty Salon - that's also one of her favorite things to do right now. We visit my aunt's salon every other week or so and she just loves it there. She plays in the curlers, she plays on the computer, and she talks to the sweet old ladies who come in to get their hair styled. So, at home, she wants me to fit her hair and make it all pretty. This is sooooo new to her - because for the longest time she wouldn't even let me comb it, except for right after the bath. And even now, its still very much when SHE wants it done, but oh, when she does, we go all out! All the bows and ribbons and everything. She sits so patiently and wants me to put every single hair peice in her hair. Silly girl! Check out these pics from this morning...

And babies. She loves babies right now. My good friend Heather had a baby in August and she's just fascinated with Baby Meadow. And, Heather's nursing, so Emma's especially fasincated with that. Emma will walk around the house nursing her own babies too. And by babies, I really mean anything and everything...mostly her stuffed penguin, baby dolls, and fish bath toys. It's quite hilarious to watch her walk around cuddling and "feeding" these big plastic fish! But, she's oh-so-serious in all her baby-care. These are the best cared for and best feed creatures, I'm telling you!

My youngest sister Angie gave Emma her old play kitchen a few weeks ago. Emma's been busy learning all about this kitchen - how to turn on the light, work the microwave, etc. And while I'm hard at work on the computer, Emma's right by my side, keeping me fed too. I get corn and hot dogs and chips and bagels and cookies and so much more! She encourages me to eat and drink and sit with her at her toddler-sized table set. She's so sweet and delicate about it too.

I'm really enjoying this part of Emma being two. Just watching her mind work - making those connections, imiating what she sees us do, and learning how to put it all together. I'm so thankful I get to be home with her during this time. It's very humbling to know that I'm the one she's watching all day long. I'm the one she's learning from - at every moment. I'm the one who's teaching her...not how to be 2, but how to be 28. Wow...that's a little bit scary!

New layouts

2007-08-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Bear with me... I'm trying to figure out how to add this cool "email notification" icon to the site... That way you can subscribe to our site and everytime I update it, you'll get an email telling you so. But I keep getting all these error messages, saying that it won't work with my template. So, I'm experimenting with various layouts and templates... So, while the colors and styles may change, don't worry - it's still us!

And if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

So close...

2007-08-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

"She's almost there. She's so close. I think she's going to do it today."

So, I've been saying that for over a week now. It's killing me almost as much as its killing her. Well, that's probably not true... Anna truely doesn't mind her butterfly/breaststroke/bellyflopping movements across the living room floor. And I shouldn't mind them either. Because, soon, she's going to be crawling for real. And then parenting will get a whole lot more challenging.

Until the infamous crawling milestone occurs, though, here's a pic of her up on her hands and knees. She's just thrilled with herself and her newfound perspective on life. Oh yeah, and the dog...he's no longer safe. ;-)

And in the true sense of growing up, the baby bathtub is just too little now. Or, Anna's too big now. In any case, we've graduated to the sink. I have attempted the double bath - with both Emma and Anna in the big tub, but you'll have to wait on pictures of that... There's just no way I can hold onto slippery little Anna, and take pictures at the same time. Shouldn't moms get more hands as they have more kids?!?!?!

Sitting up...she cannot move into this position on her own yet, but she's getting pretty good at balancing once I sit her up... Well, kind of...

How time flies . . .

2007-08-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

May 2007 - Anna is almost 4 months old.

June 2007 - Anna is 4 and a half months old.

July 2007 - Anna is 5 months old.

August 2007 - Anna is 6 months old.

Summer fun

2007-08-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...its been a long time. But, better late than never, right? ;-) Anna had her 6 month checkup this week, so I figured this was as good a time as any to get back to blogging! Here are our stats:

Anna - 6 months old
Height - 26 inches long
Weight - 15 pounds
Interesting Trivia - Anna's weighs almost 2 pounds more and is an inch longer than Emma was when she was this age.

Emma - she didn't actually have a checkup, but we threw her on the scale just for fun.
Weight - 23 lbs.

Erin - Well, I'm not divulging my exact weight, but I have gained five pounds in the last two months. STINK! Guess I'll be getting on that treadmill after all.

Okay, so that was the latest from this week... What else have we been doing this summer? Well, there's the library. Emma has read almost 180 books this summer. No, wait, I have read 180 books to Emma and Anna this summer. ;-) They each earned a free book for every 20 they read, thanks to the Summer Reading Program. So, we earned 11 free books, a cool library tote bag, a plastic star-shaped ring, and a cool dog tattoo. Have I mentioned that Emma just loves the library?

This has been "the summer of the garage sale." I'm sooo stinking tired of garage sales, but boy it sure is fun to see that wad of cash at the end of a long hot day. We've participated in 8 days of garage sales this summer, and there are three more planned for the next two months. This past weekend, we were the hosts of our 6-family sale. We had 6 little kiddos running around on Friday and Saturday! Whew! Emma had a great time running through the sprinkler, blowing bubbles, coloring, painting, and having fun with her church friends in her own backyard. Anna was so good - just hanging out in the exersaucer, flirting with all the customers! It's amazing how kids just don't seem to mind the heat at all!

We've gone to the park, had picnics, and gone swimming, all typical summertime activities. Emma is great in the water - almost too great. She's completely fearless, and she loves jumping off the side of the pool into her daddy's arms. She'll stick her face under water, she'll blow bubbles, she'll kick her legs, and she's even jumped off the diving board once!

The girls have spent time with all their beloved grandparents, including almost a week at Grammy and PaPaw John's in Jeff City. Emma was so excited to go to Grammy and Papaw's house. When it was time for me to leave them, she just smiled and waved and said, "Bye-bye, Momma, bye-bye." No tears, no hugs, no nothing. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad she's so confident and self-assured, but a hug would have been nice! She also loves her weekly visits from her Pop, which are sure to include some yummy candies. Noni and PaPaw Chance took us on a field trip in July - we toured the Shatto Dairy Farm. They make the BEST chocolate milk! And Emma just loves it, so of course, PaPaw loves buying it for her. The cows made quite the impression on Emma. She got to bottle feed a day old calf and everything. Its been over 3 weeks now, and she'll still come running up to tell us all about the COWS. I'll be sure to post some pictures of that fun trip soon!

Anna's just growing and growing. She can now sit up for a few seconds, if we balance her just right. BUT - on her own, she can wiggle all over the place. I timed her yesterday - she moved about 6 feet across the living room floor in the time it took us to eat breakfast! She's also an expert at reeeeeeaching and stretching to grab little objects we put out in front of her. And just in the last week, she gets up on her hands and knees and just grins! I'm sure crawling is in the very near future . . .

Okay, okay, enough of the summer-fun commentary. I promise I'll post pictures soon!

Tuesday's Outings

2007-05-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm definitely getting braver at venturing out with both girls. It takes a lot of planning and positive encouragement on my part, but I'm getting better at it every day. (I'm sure that will all change when Anna outgrows her infant carseat...we'll see.) Our trip Tuesday included the doctor's office, my aunt's salon, and the library.

STATS
Emma - 2 years old
Weight: 23 pounds, 4 ounces
Height: 31 and 3/4 inches

Anna - 4 months old
Weight: 11 pounds, 15 ounces
Height: 24 inches
(And for comparision's sake, Anna is slightly longer and slightly heavier than Emma was at her age.)

The doctor's only comments were - "Beautiful babes, beautiful babes." He's a very nice man with an eastern Euopean accent, and that's been his signature phrase with us since we started seeing him. (Picture Kovac from "ER" with white hair and much less sex appeal!)

Oh - and let me tell you about the library - what fun! They just started the Summer Reading Program this week, so I signed up both girls. For every 20 books they read (or listen to), they will each earn a free book. Emma is quite the little bookworm (just like her momma), so I figure this is a perfect thing for us to do together this summer.

We brought a little basket with us and got all checked in. Emma was amazed at all the books. I had hoped for her to pick out 5 books each visit, but I could barely get her to stop at 9. And how do you say no to a child who wants books??? We loaded up her basket and she proudly attempted to carry it out the door. She quickly learned a new word ("heavy!!"), but was loving every minute of it. That was Tuesday. Today is Friday. We'd read each book at least three times by breakfast, so we headed off to the library again today. Again, she loved carrying her basket and picking out her own books. And of course, the librarians got the biggest kick out of her straining and moaning and saying, "Heavy!" I think weekly trips to the library are definitely in our summer plans!

The only downside of her newfound love of the library - it literally takes us about 6 minutes to walk in, return books, pick out new books, and check out. That doesn't leave much time for me to do any good old-fashioned book-browsing of my own. Guess I'll start browsing online and putting holds on the books I want to read. Then they'll be waiting for me at checkout. The sacrifices a mother makes...... :-)

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

2007-05-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day was very good to me! ;-) Church, family, and a day of celebrations. What more could I ask for? And, I even got to spend it with all my mothers! I love you all - thanks for all your support and for helping me on my own journey through Motherhood!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We started off the day at church, with Anna getting to participate in the Baby Dedication prayers. Of course, she slept through the entire thing, but I think it still counts...

Then we headed back to our house for a picnic lunch and Emma's birthday party. Lots of family members were able to join us, so Emma had a great time with everyone. Her birthday theme, of course, was Elmo.

(Aunt Rae Rae shared her cake decorating skills with us!!)

Emma really enjoyed us singing to her. She looked all around and everyone and just savored the moment.

"For me...?!?!?!"

It took her a few minutes to blow out the candles...after all its a lot harder to blow out TWO candles than just one!

Opening presents was hilarious. She took her time opening and examining each and every gift. Then, she'd hold up her adorable outfits, and turn a a complete circle, so everyone could see what she got. And she quickly caught on to us saying, "Awwww." Soon enough, she was ohhhhhing and ahhhhhhing over everything. What a ham!

"Ohhhhhhh!" she says.

So much has changed since just last year. Look at her now - sitting in a big girl chair, and using a fork to eat her cake like a big girl.

One of her favorite presents was this puzzle. Brianne was a little worried about the age-appropriateness of this gift, because it said for children 3 and up. But, our little smarty proved them all wrong - she's an expert at puzzles and at matching, and she had this puzzle mastered in no time flat.

We do this puzzle at least twice a day now. I'll have to work on teaching her how to sing her ABC's next. But, until then, we'll stick with "S is for Snake."

Look at our cuties in their coordinating outfits. Not matchy-matchy, just coordinating. ;-)

Look - even Daddy coordinates. And Emma's such a goofy drama queen!

This is my favorite picture of me on Mother's Day - too bad Emma's not looking at the camara too.

Momma and Anna - I wish you could see how big and blue her eyes really are!

My Girls and Me - what a perfect Mother's Day!

Morning Time

2007-05-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

If I can time it JUST right, Anna wakes up hungry around 6:30. (Note the sarcasm there.) I'm usually falling back to sleep around 7:30 or 7:45...just in time to really get to sleep when Emma calls for me from her bedroom - around 8:00 or 8:30. Some mornings, I confess, I'm pretty grumpy. But, Monday morning, I woke up fairly well. Pleasant, even. Maybe its the weather. I love being able to keep the windows open all night. Listening to the birds can really be a relaxing way to wake up. Emma and I started the day just hanging out and cuddling in her room. Here are a few pictures from our morning together. (Please excuse my morning face.)

Emma loves watching the neighbors out the window. She spies the trucks, the cars, and dogs, and the lawnmowers.

Here are a few pix out her back window. They're fuzzy because I took the pix through the screen. Sorry about that. But - Emma loves listening to the chirping of the birds.

Our neighborlady, Sharon, says this is the first time she's seen an oriole in the yard.

You can barely see it, but there's a little baby birdie sticking her head of the birdhouse. I'm so glad the former homeowners left them for us.

Funny - Sunday morning we woke up to the sounds of thunder crashing all around us. Travis and I were laying in bed just waiting for Emma to wake up crying. When she finally started hollering, Travis ran in there. Of course, he expected her to be sitting in bed, scared. But no. Instead, she was at the window - all upset because the birdies were getting wet! What a sweetheart!

Self-discovery

2007-05-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

Anna in the "Aqua Center."

Wow, she says, who's that pretty red-headed baby?

Anna's first baseball game & Emma's birthday baseball game

2007-05-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

Poor Anna - her first baseball game was rainy and cool.

Not to worry, though; Anna was all bundled up - safe and warm. She didn't feel a drop of rain the entire time.

Maybe that's because she SLEPT the entire time!

But, despite the fact that it had rained ALL morning, we HAD to go to the game on Sunday - they were giving away the cutest Koala Build-a-Bears in honor of the koalas that are at the zoo this summer. And, we'd already bought tickets. And, we were going as part of Emma's birthday celebration. And, if you've met my husband, you know that any excuse is an excuse to go to a baseball game. ;-)

How old is Emma? TWO (twice)

Despite the rain delay, the drizzling, and the cool afternoon, we had a good time. And the amazing thing about Emma is that she's pretty oblivious to what I would consider nasty, miserable weather. Emma didn't mind the dampness. Emma didn't mind wearing her hood. Emma didn't mind that the seats were wet. Emma didn't mind the goosebumps. Emma just had a great time - hollering "WooHoo" and shouting "Baseball Team" and just hanging out.

"Woo-Hoo!!"

Smoochin' on Momma (yes, she's pinching my cheeks)

It was a nice day of family togetherness time,

and I LOVE FAMILY TOGETHERNESS TIME!

Notice Travis' hat and glasses behind us - he was getting in on some of this kissing-action too!

Flash Back

2007-05-04T12:11:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today, the most amazing thing happened to us. I knew I would love my child. I knew having a baby would change our lives forever. I knew our baby would be a huge blessing to us. But I never imagined how much! Hearing the words "It's a girl!" literally changed our lives forever. The doctor placed Emma into my arms and I watched and cried as Travis cut her cord. I immediately loved her more than I could have ever imagined. I literally sat on the couch for the next six months and did nothing but cuddle and love on my precious baby. Every day I became more and more amazed at that little girl. My heart grew at least ten times. I don't even think Emma was three weeks when I stood in the living room, watching her sleep; I was all but crying when I told Travis I wanted another one. I loved that tiny little girl so very much - and I wanted a hundred more just like her!

Fast forward to present day - and a HUGE reality check! I still love that little girl even more than I could have imagined. I can't hardly believe that I have a two year old daughter. AND - a 13 week old daughter. I don't get to sit on the couch and cuddle either of them as much as I would like, but I'm still amazed by each of them each day. I think my heart is still growing. I love my little girls so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMMA ROSE!

Look who can hold her head up now!

2007-05-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, folks, check this out - Little Anna is a growing girl! And even though she hates it most days, that tummy time is really paying off! Look out world, Anna's watching!

And just so you know, this last picture with her tounge sticking out makes for a hilarious desktop background! Something about the upclose eyes and tounge, with the gawking head bobble... She almost looks like a turtle or a fish - a very adorable turtle or fish!

So many emotions

2007-05-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Poor Anna...so many emotions to figure out... Being a woman is tough stuff - she's already learned how to go from laughing and giggling to sniffling and sobbing in a matter of seconds.

Happy and smiling

Completely ticked off

Uncertain

And back to content again

Oh - and here's an emotional story for you -
This past Wednesday night, I was sitting at church with my Bible Study ladies. Anna was sitting in my lap and we were laughing and making faces at each other. (I was sitting listening of course!) Anyway, I interupted to share a story of my own, and apparantly my facial expressions were a little too much for Anna to handle. I had gone from making eye contact with her, laughing with her, smiling at her, etc. to looking above her head at all the other ladies, speaking with a raised voice and a sharp tone. Anna didn't like it one bit - right in the middle of my story she burst out in tears! I hurt my little girls feelings! I didn't mean to at all and I just felt terrible. But, isn't this proof that our tone and facial expressions mean so much in our speech and language communication? And at 13 weeks, Anna's already a professional at reading me!

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

2007-05-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

Well, she's been trying and trying nearly since the day she was born, and finally, all that hard work paid off! At 11 weeks old, Anna could successfully get her little hands to her mouth and suck on her fingers - and all on purpose!! Somedays, I think she's rather suck on her own hands than eat! Silly girl.

We've got ourselves a climber!

2007-04-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

Of course, we knew Emma was going to be an active girl...after all, she did start climbing out of her crib at only 13 month old. Here are a couple of pictures from the past couple of weeks - proof that she's always keeping us on our toes!

Use your imagination - she climbed up through a chair to the top of the table, then crawled (or walked - I wasn't watching - obviously!!) to the bouncy seat, then climbed up into the bouncy seat. She was having a nice little time!

These were taken this morning. Notice the desk off to the left of the first picture in this set. While I was uploading these pix, she climbed up onto the desk and was trying to get up on the second shelf to get my markers. Good grief - that would NOT have been fun!

Grins and Giggles

2007-04-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Do you get tired of hearing how pretty my girls are? I hope not! ;-)

Anna's really starting to respond to those around her. She's squealing, cooing, smiling, and laughing great big! It's so fun to watch her! And, she's really getting into her "Kick & Play" bouncy seat too. She's learning cause and effect and her eyes light up with the lights and sounds go off. I don't have pix of that yet, but I'm sure I will soon enough.

Until then, enjoy these close-ups of her pretty little face and her great big smile! These were taken just yesterday...

Easter Sunday

2007-04-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

On Easter Sunday, we went to church in the morning, then drove to Ashland, Missouri, to spend the day with the Sappingtons. Several of the extended family members hadn't met Anna yet, so she got lots of hugs and cuddles while we were there. Emma wanted to keep up with the bigger girls, and got frustrated when we wouldn't let her go up and down the stairs all day. It was nice to see everyone, and just have a day relaxing with family. If only the weather had been nice, the girls could have hunted for eggs OUTSIDE!

Anna is cuddling with Grammy.

Pretty Anna, cuddling with (Great) Grandma Gertrude

Emma and Shelby playing at the keyboard

Cousin Shelby and Anna share the same birthday...but oops! I forgot to get a picture of the two of them together for her scrapbook. Silly Momma!

Shelby and Emma on the pool table - ut oh!

Blowing bubbles with Daddy

Emma needed a bit of down time, so she and Mommy were coloring.

Easter Saturday

2007-04-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

We went to my mom's on Saturday for Easter dinner. Emma and Anna got all kinds of lovin', cuddlin', and junk food from my mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins. Too bad we had to throw most of it away when we got home...oh well, its the thought that counts, right? And because of the crazy-chilly temperatures, the girls didn't get to wear their cute Easter outfits. Notice how Emma's all bundled up while she's hunting for those eggs. Oh well - hopefully it will be warm enough next month - we can get all dressed up for Mother's Day when Anna participates in the Baby Dedication at church.

Anna's stats

2007-04-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

Here are the results from Anna's 8-week checkup:

9 pounds, 7 ounces; 21 inches

And believe it or not, this little lady does NOT like to get those immunization shots.

Shocking, isn't it?!?!

To really get a feel for how much she's grown, check out these pictures -

Two Days Old

4 weeks old

9 weeks old

Daddy's Girls

2007-04-09T15:14:00.000-05:00

This is back in March, when the weather was actually starting to warm up! ;-) Travis and Emma had a great time chasing each other around the yard...especially when Gizmo joined in on the fun. Anna and I were hanging out on the porch watching all the fun.

This is Travis and Anna - just hanging out watching March Madness basketball games. At 6 weeks old, I doubt she can actually see across the room to the TV, but it makes for a cute pic anyway.

Do you think both my girls are going to be Daddy's Girls????

MESSY PLAY

2007-04-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

Silly Girl! Our parent-educator recommends messy play for toddlers. Using all their senses and letting them explore and experience new things... So, when Grammy and PawPaw John came into town in February, we ran to get some shaving creme! Emma wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but since Grammy, Daddy, and Aunt Rae-Rae were having such a good time, Emma finally decided to join in on the fun. (Fortunately, I had the camara in my hands...) PawPaw John cuddled with Anna while they wrote their names in the white foam, played patty-cake, and gave cheesy grins!

Such an adoring big sister!

2007-04-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

This was just too sweet! Anna is only two weeks old here. I had her propped up on the couch, and when I turned around, Emma was reading books to her. She was a safe distance away, just rambling on, telling Anna all about it! Searching for the perfect picture is the quest of any die-hard scrapbooker, so I cautiously moved Emma closer and closer. She just kept on reading to her little sis.

Emma on the floor - this is where I first noticed her being such a good big sister!

Emma on the couch - posed by Mom.

I scooted her just a little closer. Look - I think Anna's smiling!

Oops!! Maybe that's too close!

It's about time!!!

2007-04-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

Technology is great . . . when it works! I've had some technical difficulties in logging in to this site. I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated in almost two months. BUT - now that I'm logged in, I vow not to get up from this super-comfy computer chair (thanks to my husband and father-in-law), until I've uploaded every picture I've taken lately!! Well, maybe not every picture...

Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!

Sleepy Girl

2007-02-16T14:22:00.000-06:00

Little Emma's had a lot of excitement in her life lately. Her schedule's been a little off, which means naptimes have been a little inconsistent. BUT - she still needs her sleep, that's for sure! Here are a few snapshots of all the places we've found her napping in the past two weeks. Enjoy!

In her bedroom, holding her new Elmo waterbaby.
Close up of her snoozing sitting up.
In the playroom - in her little reading corner.
Close up of her snoozing with a good book.
At the kitchen table - sound asleep!

Emma's First Haircut

2007-02-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

Emma sat so patiently as my Aunt Susan gave her her first haircut. She didn't cut too much - just shaped it up a little bit. But, after she put some hair product in it, Emma's head of curls looked so cute! Of course, did we expect anything else?

Welcome Anna Joy!!

2007-02-16T13:36:00.000-06:00

Miss Anna Joy Sappington made a quick and painful entrance into the world on Monday, January 29, 2007 at 2:20pm. She weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19 inches long. Family members hovered outside the labor room awaiting the sounds of her first cries. Travis' mom, Erin's mom, and Erin's grandparents were among the first to hold her. Later that day, we had visits from Travis' brother, our pastor and his wife, Travis' dad, Erin's good friend, and of course, Big Sister Emma! It was a wonderful and exhausting day for all of us!

New Daughter = New Blog

2007-02-14T15:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm dissolving Emma's baby website in exchange for this one. I decided it would just be too much to keep up with separate sites of each child...especially since we all know how great I was at keeping up with Emma's site in the first place. ;-)

One nice thing about this site is that you don't have to be a member to post comments, so anyone can throw in their two cents. Feel free to bookmark this page, or subscribe to it. Hopefully using this site will elimate the need for me to constantly be emailing pictures through mass emails, and then you can decide how often (or how seldom!!) you check in on us...

Let's just hope I can figure out how to post pictures... Because let me tell you - as cute as my kids are, I've got a ton of them I'm ready to get out there! Enjoy!!