Height and Weight: Emerson seems a lot bigger these days, but I don't have any current stats on her. She will get weighed and measured at her 9 month appointment next month. Everyone laughs because she's such a petite baby with monster thighs! Both my babies have had the chunkiest thighs for whatever reason. I love seeing Emerson with all her rolls!
Eating: Emerson is eating really well! She still prefers carbs (bread, puffs, crackers, teething biscuits), but she also likes yogurt, eggs, beans, little bites of meat, pasta, yogurt bites, cheese, grapes, and most purees. I rarely feed her purees at this point, but every few days I will, just to keep her stomach from getting backed up. Emerson will eat most cooked veggies like carrots, green beans, peas, etc. She is getting a little more picky about texture and will no longer eat avocado and banana bites. Sometimes I struggle with ideas of what to feed her, but for the most part, she eats a good bit each day. Emerson is going a lot longer between milk feedings which is a big change! She goes 4-5 hours between feedings now and is much less dependent on breast milk. Breastfeeding is still going well and it's hard to believe we are coming to the "last leg" of breastfeeding together. Emerson has always been an excellent milk drinker (only from mama, this chick doesn't do bottles!) and I cherish our quality time together in that way. Emerson hasn't taken a sippy cup yet, but she loves to chew on and play with Grayson's. Emerson isn't the biggest fan of sitting in a high chair, but we try to do it as much as possible. She would rather eat on the go!
Sleeping: Sleeping has been okay. Emerson cut 2 teeth this month, so that took a toll on her sleeping. She wakes up 1-2 times a night and generally goes to bed around 8:30-9pm and wakes up for the day around 8:30am. She's had some 8 and 9 hour stretches this month, but woke up twice a night this week since her top two teeth came in. Emerson is doing really well at "putting herself to sleep" instead of me always having to nurse her to sleep for bed and naps. I can lay her in her crib when she's tired and she will fall asleep with minimal crying/whining. I tend to put her to sleep with a blanket and her doll, but I still closely monitor her with the blanket. Emerson takes 2 naps each day in the morning and afternoon. If we are out and about, her morning nap is much shorter, but if we are at home, she will take a longer morning nap. Lately, she's been taking a 2.5-3 hour afternoon or morning nap, but I think cutting teeth has just worn her out.
Passed out on the boat!
Clothes: Emerson is in a size 3 diaper and 6-9 month clothing. Of course she's small for her age, so I can stretch it and a lot of smaller sized onesies still fit her.
Mood: Emerson is still our happy and laid back girl! This month she has had quite the desire to be mobile though! She prefers to be moving now rather than sitting still. She is trying to get into more and more things and is full of curiosity. Emerson grabs at everything and anything and I have to be careful of what she's trying to get and what she puts in her mouth lately. She is extremely busy! She loves to smack at everything with her hands and is very into exploring different textures and surfaces. Emerson always has a toy or any random object that she can find in her hand ready to explore and chew on. She is a trooper most days and puts up with all the toddler drama of her older brother like a champ. She's just along for the ride and loves to people watch while we are out and about. She's such a good baby and honestly I feel like I don't give her enough attention a lot of the time because she just doesn't demand it (while her brother demands all of it). She's usually happy and goes with the flow, so there are times where I feel guilty for not spending as much time with her. Emerson definitely has more opinions as the months go on and gets especially upset if you take a toy or something away from her that she is chewing on or playing with. She wants more of Grayson's toys and doesn't take it too well if he takes something out of her hands. Emerson is constantly smiling and sticking her tongue out. She's talking and screeching (out of happiness) a lot more, but she also has her quiet moments. She's such a sweetheart and loves to be cuddled by mama. No complaints there! She's still not the biggest fan of strangers holding her and starts to cry when I leave her in the church nursery. She's very aware of when I walk away and gets upset. That's really one of the only times she cries -- when I leave her (especially with a random Easter bunny or pink puppy) or when she's cutting teeth!
Not happy when I take something dangerous out of her mouth!
Milestones: This month Emerson started doing all sorts of new things! She now says "Dada", claps her hands, waves at people, takes regular baths with Grayson (no more baby bathtub), rolls over consistently both ways, is starting to react to hearing her name, and gets on all fours in position to crawl. Her movements and falls are much more controlled these days. She knows where she wants to go and is trying to get there!
Teeth: 4! I feel like she's been teething off and on for the past few weeks, but her nose has been runny for about a week and you could tell she was in more pain. Thankfully, Emerson cut her 2 top teeth this week back to back!
Loves: Bath time, splashing in the water and chewing on all the bath toys, still smiles the most at Grayson and Cedric, loves being held and carried by mama and daddy, playing with musical instruments in music class, playing with all of Grayson's toys, being on a blanket outside, playing in the dirt like big brother, messing with Grayson by swatting at him and pulling his hair (kind of funny to watch!), Baby Bjorn carrier, being thrown in the air, looking at herself in the mirror, watching other kids and people in general, still our cuddle baby, swings at the park, being tickled, and riding in the shopping cart like a big girl!
Doesn't Like: The Easter Bunny, being handed off to anyone, riding the boat (except it does soothe her to sleep!), being buckled into her car seat, taking away a toy or dangerous object that she's playing with, and any diaper or outfit change.
Things I Want to Remember:
- Emerson's First Easter -- Emerson's first Easter was really fun! We had an Easter egg hunt and got to meet the Easter Bunny at church. She was NOT a fan of the Easter bunny, but she really enjoyed getting to play with her Easter basket and the plastic eggs! Of course, I enjoyed getting to dress her up for the occasion.
Mommy Update: Life with two young children is hectic, but fun! That's the best way I can put it. I am usually tired and some days are hard and long, but there are so many awesome moments in each day. Grayson is my constant challenge lately, but Emerson is my sweet girl who balances it all out. I love spending time with Emerson and especially love seeing the sibling interaction between Grayson and Emerson. It makes my heart melt every time! Like I already mentioned, the only big thing about this month has been guilt for not being able to give Emerson all of my attention. Luckily, even if I am not able to give her a lot of attention in that moment, I am typically holding her and loving on her in that way. I think it's just the reality of having more than one child, but it still sometimes makes me feel sad that I am not able to pay attention to her in the way I did with Grayson when he was a baby. There are still a lot of challenging moments and I've had random people and friends help me out more now than ever in the past. Sometimes both the kids are melting down at the same time and those are the really hard moments where I will gladly accept assistance. I still have to battle the picture I have in my head of perfection -- in my mind I should be the perfect mom and my kids should behave perfectly at all times. Obviously, this rarely happens, but I tend to beat myself up for the bad moments. I've trying to remind myself that it will never be perfect and that's okay. Each day is full of good moments and learning opportunities. And hey, we have all survived up until now, so really, that's a win. But overall, I feel like life is good! My plate with full with my kiddos, but I am also filled with so much joy on a daily basis. On the days I get overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that there is no where I would rather be. And that's the truth. I am constantly reminded of how quickly time is passing and how I want to cherish each moment with my babies!
