Milestones

Emmy's had a big couple of weeks! The biggest thing (and I'm almost afraid to post it!) is that she went 6 hours between feedings at night...two days in a row!!! Everyone reading this, knock on wood three times RIGHT NOW! Mom is a new person after getting to sleep for longer than an hour and a half at a time. We're hoping that we keep this up! How amazing would that be! Here's Emmy contemplating if she's going to be nice to Mom and sleep again tonight.

She also started smiling and cooing! I worked every day for a month talking to Emmy and asking her to smile at me and she got to the point where she would almost do it. Then of course Gigi and Pops came over last weekend and she smiles for them right away. Then she smiles for her Daddy three times. She made me wait last...little stinker. It hasn't been documented with a picture yet, but we'll get it on as soon as we can.

We went to our first playgroup with Aunt Betsy and Caroline. There were a lot of cute older men there so we had to get dressed up cute. Play is kind of a strong word for what we did, but they invited us back anyway! I think she was just playing hard to get.

Poor Emmy has her mom's chicken legs and unfortunately she also doesn't have a butt (NOT from her Mom) so that means that all clothes are simultaneously too small and too big. Everything's short and wide on our little string bean. We made it work and rocked our short sleeve shirt on a 40 degree day. All the other kids at the paygroup were in turtlenecks, sweaters, and

courdouroys... oh well... CPS didn't come, so I guess we're ok.

I also decided I would join the Bow-Head club. She's gotta have something until we can have a real bow! Here's a pic of where the bowhead (or maybe scarf?) spent most of the time it was on her head, or guess I should say neck.

We also got dressed up for a big lunchdate with Aunt Rara. We went though the Chick-Fil-A drive through. Hey, baby steps....As a general rule, we HATE outfits... A lot of screaming is usually involved when we wear one.

We went on our first trip to the mall to get our one-month birthday pics taken (yes, I'm obsessed with pictures) and I ran into Macy's to exchange something. Yeah, we're not quite ready to go to the mall yet. It was a LOOOOONG five minutes for me and the lady doing my exchange. You'll notice a repeat of the bowhead, but it's the only one we have and after that trip to the mall, it might be a while before we get another one!

The great-grandparents Maw Maw and Paw Paw and Great Aunt Jane also came for a visit!

We've got one special trick that we're working on. She's pooped out the back of her diaper on the last six outfits. I'm not quite sure how the physics of it works, but she's manages to get it halfway up her back, and she' really good at it. We're going for the world record on "Consecutive outfits pooped at least halfway up the back by a newborn in a 24 hour period". Somebody quick, call Guinness...

I also just packed up all the newborn diapers and newborn clothes. She's such a big girl we've grown out of both! I know one day I'll look and won't be able to imagine that she was this tiny. Don't worry, I'm cherishing every moment! =)

Moving Right Along...One Month Old...

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Emerson's 1st Christmas...Part 1

Twas the night before Christmas,
and strapped to her car seat,
Emmy was not stirring,
no longer "Kick Kick Kicking" her feet.

Our baby was held by Pops, Lannie and Boppa with great care,

In hopes that little Emmy would have a smile to share.












Our child final settled all snug in her bed,
while visions of her next feeding danced in her head. Kristen in her sweat pants and I in my briefs,
knew silence was golden and so was any sleep.

When out in the living room GiGi struck such a pose,
delivering numerous Christmas gifts for our dear Emerson Rose. Out of the spare bedroom we struggled to rise,
stumbling, bumbling and rubbing sleep from our eyes.

The Holidays

No. I have not forgotten about my child. The little one has been enjoying the holidays for the first time and we have been busier than ever. Guess it is a blessing that I have had back to back short weeks and no school so that I could spend some quality time with the peanut. So my absence from the blog has been part tired, part busy...but all necessary. As for Christmas and New Year's, Emmy was the star! One SPOILED star! The grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts and great uncles went overboard making sure that her transition to the world was celebrated with an overload of gifts. Kristen and I filled up the Tahoe with clothes, and toys, and chairs and a number of other things that the little one will one day use. As for now, she only enjoys the swing. THANKS AGAIN LANNIE AND BOPPA! Sometimes I don't know how we can get along without the swing! But seriously, we appreciate all that she has received. She will use and cherish each and every gift and the people that gave them to her.

New Year's Eve was celebrated without much fanfare. Caroline, Collin and Betsy spent the evening eating, drinking and enjoying the unending fireworks displays that our neighbors so graciously shared...don't they know that babies hate loud noises...At one point, both of the girls got hysterical, crying because they wanted to eat, or they didn't want to eat, or because they were tired, or because they had dirty diapers. The parents looked at each other and realized that New Year's Eve would never be the same. Collin...just think one day down the road when we are celebrating New Year's and are worried sick about our daughters out and about with their friends. A restless night of crying does not seem so bad now, huh...

Please note the green dress in the picture to the right. She hated it...but she's cute in it...so she's wearing it...

Thats How the Pros Do It!

Just when you began to think that Kristen and I did not care about our baby, that we did not take enough pictures, that we did not want the rest of the world to see our daughter...we decided to have a pro take some shots of the little one. Our beautiful little girl had her first (of several I'm sure) professional photo shoots. And while she acted like a newbie (peeing on Mom once and one of the props another time) the shots really show how special she is to Kristen and I. I have copied them over from the photgraphers website so you can see them easily, however, if you go to her blog and comment about the photos , we will get a free 8"x10" of our angel. All we need is ten comments so help us out! (Under the pic of emmy in the tutu, click on the purple link that lists how many comments we have.)

http://www.krisevansphotography.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think of the pics. If you know me, you already know my opinion.

One Week and Counting...

Time is flying by! Emmy is already one week old!

We went to the pediatrician this morning (12/18) and she's growing perfectly! She's already grown a half inch! That makes her 21 inches long and puts her in the 97th percentile for her length. She's gained back almost all of her birth weight and is right at 7 lbs; the 25th percentile for her weight. That means she's offically a string bean!

We live life in three hour blocks. Feed for an hour, clean up, stare at the wall for 30 minutes untill you wake up and realize you've been staring at the wall for 30 minutes, and then have have 30 minutes to do something productive. I never understood why they give new mommies a sheet of questions to ask themselves. One of them is "Have I eaten today?". I always thought I'd remember to eat, but now I seem to look up and it's 2:30 in the afternoon!

Emmy has decided that she's a party animal and wants to sleep all day and stay up all night. Her and GiGi have been having lots of tea parties at 1 a.m. GiGi went home last night and let Blake and I have a go at it alone for one night. After about five hours of straight screaming, we asked GiGi to come right back. Thank goodness for GiGi!

Emmy is already starting to try to hold her head up and is getting to where she can keep it up for a few seconds. We're playing on our mat and kick-kick-kicking (at 3 -5 a.m. when we're awake and she's not screaming)!

This weekend we'll get ready for Christmas and for taking our newborn pictures on Monday!

I'm WAY behind on calling people back, so I PROMISE that if you've called I'll give you a call soon!

A Day of Firsts

Kristen and I finally took Emmy home yesterday afternoon. After three nights at the hospital, we both welcomed the chance to stretch our legs at the house. I really just couldn't wait to sleep on a real bed again. The bed I got at the hospital was much like a mat a child sleeps on at mother's day out or in kindergarten. No wonder kids don't like naps. I hated that thing. The Sansom clan welcomed Emmy home and Kathy stayed the night. This was GREAT! I got to sleep. Feeling great today! Mom crashed after I got up. Even in her sleep she is all about the baby, snoring loudly enough to provide vibration that soothed our new daughter as she slept.

After a few more cycles of sleep, poop, eat, it was time for Emmy's first bath at home. Now from previous posts and ultrasounds we were well aware that my daughter was a bit of an exhibitionist. Bath time only goes to prove that theory. Even in the dead of sleep, naked on a bath mat, my daughter took the time to let us know that she was indeed a girl. It seems I really am going to have to keep an eye on her.

Kathy is going home tonight to give Kristen and I go at it alone this evening. Another first. Wednesday, I go back to work and have to take my last final of the semester. I should perform great on that exam...real great...

Emmy's Visitors

Pops

GiGi

Aunt Megan

Boppa

Lannie

Very Proud Grandpas

Aunt Betsy

Ms. Caroline (The Best Friend)

Mr. Benjamin (The Boyfriend...I'll be watching...)

Dijo

Leslie

Ann G.

Alice

Thanks to everyone. And Aunt SuSu, GanGan, Doug, Jeff, Amanda, Bubba, Michelle, Court, Brandon, Collin, Laura and Sean. Thanks for coming and I promise you can hold her.

For The Grandparents

"This Is What I Do!"

"Stop Looking at Me."

My Whole World

One Week Late

EMERSON ROSE VACEK

December 11, 2008

11:26 a.m.

7 LBS, 3.3 OZ

20.5"

Mommy had a C-section after 13 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing. Both Mom and Daughter are doing well.

The Day of Induction

Here I am, sitting in a hospital room, watching my baby eat ice chips and popsicles. The oxytocin has been administered because my daughter is stubborn...a week past her due date...She has been waiting all this time for her grand entrance. Today, it snowed. Snowed, in Houston. Enough to stick. Enough to cause panic on the freeways. But Kristen and I are tucked in the hospital room with a number of visitors. Its better anyways, Kristen hates the cold, and I am sure my daughter will as well. She just wanted to show everyone that she was important enough to have the snow fall on the day she would arrive.

But we sit here and wait. Will she show on the 1oth, one and a half hours left, or the 11th? There are merits to both days, The 10th, we get on to baby time faster. The 11th, she shares a birthday with a dear friend and has the fun 12/11/10 2nd birthday. Kathy says the 10th. Dr. Mata has informed us it will be the 11th. My money is on the doc.

Its almost eleven and shortly Kristen will be receiving an epidural for the discomfort she is feeling. I don't think it can get here fast enough. I won't give you the details, but Kristen does not like what is happening.

The drugs are helping. Kristen is in what she refers to as "a warm bath". Its great to see her finally settled, needing some sleep to prepare for what is about to happen. Sometime between 4 and 6 a.m. we will become parents. I'm going to be a Dad. I can't wait...