Emerson's 8 Month Update!

Emerson is 8 months old and time continues to fly! I think it's because she's our second child, but the months just go by so quickly with her. (Probably because I am extremely distracted with another child and life is just more chaotic now.) I cannot even wrap my mind around the fact that she will turn 1 in four months...seems impossible and extremely sad! This month was a really fun one with Emerson and full of a lot of milestones! So many things clicked for her this month and that was really exciting to see. We love this girl so much and she is such a joy!

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!

Emerson's 7 Month Update!

Another month has flown by! And this time it really did. I seriously feel like I just wrote Emerson's last update. Emerson is definitely changing a lot these days and going from a tiny infant to an active baby with personality and opinions! This month she has really come out of her shell and it's so fun to watch! Here's a little bit about our Emerson Faith at 7 months old:

Completely distracted by the sticker!

Height and Weight: Emerson wasn't measured this month, as far as, height goes and she doesn't go back for another well-check until 9 months. I did take her to the doctor recently though because we discovered that she has a lip tie. Anyone else ever experienced this before? Thankfully, Emerson isn't affected by it right now, but it's something that we will continue to watch as she grows. At that appointment, Emerson was right at 15 lbs. I can tell she is getting heavier and chunkier!

Eating: I feel like we hit a break through with eating this month! At 5 months, we started Emerson on purees and she was doing well! Then she started teething badly and wanted absolutely nothing to do with solids whatsoever. (Both my kids are majorly affected by teething!) It was really discouraging because she would only eat the teething biscuits (still one of her favorites) and breast milk, but basically refused anything else. She would be in tears while we were trying to feed her, so we kind of took a break. Once her teeth came through, I let her try some puffs and she loved them! I was really hesitant on letting her try anything more than a puree because she only has 2 teeth and she was barely 6 months, but she's done so well. Emerson is great at "chewing" and swallowing little bits of food and has loved everything we've given her. She eats bread, banana pieces, puffs, peanut butter sandwich bites, black beans, spaghetti meat and sauce, CFA chicken biscuit pieces, avocado pieces, yogurt bites, boiled carrot pieces and peas, strawberries, scrambled eggs, and little bites of green beans. She's loved it all and eats anything with a soft texture that you can give to her in tiny bites. After she did so well on those foods, we tried purees again, and she's back to liking them! She likes carrots, sweet potatoes, mixed veggies, and baby yogurt. So as of right now, she's eating purees and little bits of table food. So proud of her! I personally love when they get to the point of being able to eat table food, so then I don't have to make her food separately. Right now, Emerson can eat food off of my plate or Grayson and Emerson can share a sandwhich which is really fun! Emerson has always been a tiny little thing, so we are looking forward to beefing her up with some more baby rolls! ;) Oh yeah, and she's still breastfeeding like a champ and going almost 4 hours between feedings -- woohoo!

She loves to chew on tooth brushes! 

Sleeping: At the beginning of the month, Emerson was still waking twice a night, but the past 2 weeks, she's been sleeping much better! She's been waking only once a night and sleeping 6-8 hour stretches! She slept 8 hours straight for the first time this month, so that was quite the accomplishment for her! Of course Grayson woke up that night, so I didn't sleep that long, but progress is progress. As far as her naps go, she's very "scheduled" at this point and takes 2 dependable naps each day. Emerson takes a morning nap 1.5 - 2 hours after she wakes up and an afternoon nap from 2-4ish each day. Her morning nap is about 45 min. - 1 hour and her afternoon nap is 1.5 - 2 hours. Emerson goes to bed between 8:30-9pm and wakes up around 8:30 each morning. She's been doing really well at learning to put herself to sleep in her crib. We can lay her down when she is drowsy and a lot of the time, she will put herself to sleep. Of course, she still prefers to be nursed to sleep which I am gladly doing. I don't plan on nursing her past 12 months, so I'm soaking in all the night time nursing cuddles now.

Clothes: Right now Emerson can fit in a size 2 diaper, but does better in size 3. Also, she's transitioning to a lot of 6-9 month clothing. I kept thinking it would be too big on her, but nope, a lot of it fits really well!

Mood: Overall, Emerson is back to being much happier this month! Last month, she was cutting teeth and was just miserable. Teething seems to be taking a break right now, so she's definitely in a better mood. That being said, Emerson knows how to "bring the fire" if necessary. She has a little temper lately and is very vocal if she isn't a fan of something. She has definitely found her voice and isn't afraid to use it if she has to. Most of the time, she is very content. She absolutely loves to sit up on the floor and play with her toys (or whatever is in reach) and will do so for a long time without complaint. She doesn't love the bouncers too much, but prefers to be free on the floor. She is very curious and always watching and observing. Much more energetic and present! She is getting into everything already and it shocks me every time! I can't believe she's old enough for that, but she's constantly grabbing at everything and chewing on it. She is starting to be much more active in that way. Emerson still loves to be carried and will rarely cry if you are holding her and walking her around. She's still our cuddler and I love that! But she also wants something to play with all the time. She needs something in her hands and something she can chew on at all times. This month, she has figured out exactly who "mama" is. A few mornings at church, they have had to come get me from the service because she wouldn't stop crying in the nursery. Once I went in there and held her, she immediately stopped and was fine. She was crying so loudly that I could hear her in the service (I told you, she can bring the drama if she want to!), but once I grabbed her, she was happy as a clam. It's the sweetest and most challenging thing ever! Haha. I love that she knows me and wants me, but it can be hard when she won't go to other people. Luckily, she does go to others a lot and is totally happy about it. Emerson has also started to chatter and babble more this month! She is still on the quiet side, but is getting more vocal each day. It's so fun to hear her use her voice! She has started yelling when she's excited. She especially loves to "talk" in her car seat while driving down the road and she's really tired...she will just talk and talk and make all sorts of noises and we know she's about to fall asleep! It's really cute. Emerson is a really smiley baby and gives the sweetest little grins. You can catch her watching someone and just smiling away at them...half the time they are a stranger! We ran errands recently and Emerson made friends everywhere we went. She was just smiling at everyone and it was so sweet. If I had to sum up Emerson's mood this month, it would be lots of sugar with a little spice! ;)

Milestones: Nothing really stands out this month except that she's eating really well! No new teeth. (Still has 2) Emerson still isn't very mobile, but she is learning to scoot around on her belly in a circle to get what she wants. She still doesn't roll or have a desire to "crawl", but she goes from sitting up to her belly quite often trying to reach for a toy or from rocking back and forth. She's a slow mover, but I can see little improvements! She continues to be more and more aware and like a real little person. She laughs at things that are "funny" and has a little sense of humor. Emerson does really well at sitting in a public high chair (less support) and loves to sit there and be fed while big bro plays on the playground.

Loves: Emerson loves chewing anything and everything. She is constantly putting everything and I mean everything in her mouth (dirt included). She loves having something in her hand to play with and explore. She holds it in front of her face and just studies it...and then puts it in her mouth! She smiles so big on the baby swing at the park. Emerson absolutely adores her big brother -- Grayson is her favorite person! Her face lights up when he enters the room and he can calm her now when she's upset. She loves when Grayson plays peek-a-boo with her and laughs at everything he does. Emerson loves mommy as a comforter and daddy gets lots of smiles from Emerson now. She knows who her daddy is and also starts to grin when he enters the room. She also loves when daddy rocks her to sleep. Right now, she's a mama's girl and that makes my heart happy. She is most happy when sitting on the floor with toys or being held and carried. Emerson loves other kids and enjoys watching them play. She's very observant right now and loves to be outside. She loves to be tickled and kissed on the neck. Her giggles are the best! Her laugh is getting louder and louder and I love it. There are times where she is content being in the "background", but other times, she demands attention and loves when you make eye-contact with her and talk to her. Emerson is still a big fan of mommy and daddy's bed and it's a special treat when she gets to take a nap in there. She sleeps so hard and is so comfy! She loves morning time and she gets so excited and starts wiggling her entire body when I go and get her out of her crib in the morning. She gets so pumped to see me and "be free" -- it's so cute. Emerson loves to play in the bath, eat the foam letters, and splash around. She is always flapping one of her arms in the air and loves to grab at everything. She will already try to get Josh and I's phone and is successful sometimes -- it's amazing that even babies gravitate towards technology. She loves walks at the park and being in the baby carrier. She enjoys the stroller, as long as, there is a toy in there for her to play with while we walk. Emerson loves music class and is starting to "play" the instruments. She loves shaking the bells and banging on the piano. Emerson is constantly sticking her tongue out! She loves to feel her new teeth with her tongue. Emerson thinks it's hilarious when Grayson has a tantrum and will laugh and smile at him! Ha! All she sees is him making lots of noise and moving a lot, so I guess she thinks he's trying to be funny. She has no clue what's actually going on. She also loves to watch mommy clap and dance -- I'm sure that's a funny sight!

Doesn't Like: She really isn't interested in the tv right now. Grayson loved it at this age, but she could really care less. Emerson still hates being put in her car seat and most outfit changes! She also gets very upset when you take something away from her that she wants to chew.

Mommy Update: This month was a million times better than last month. Honestly, last month was by far the hardest that I've experienced being a mom of two. Both my kids weren't doing too hot and it was a struggle, but we are in a much better place this month! Between Grayson throwing constant tantrums and Emerson cutting teeth, both kids were crying almost all the time. Thankfully, "this too shall pass" and it did! We still have our days, but I am getting better about learning my children's limits and what they (and I) can and can't handle. Life as a mom is filled with constant lessons and humbling experiences. Both kids are constantly changing, so I'm always trying to find what works best for everyone. Last month, we had a lot of busy days and that coupled with cranky kids wasn't a good scenario. We have still been out and about, but also trying to spend time at home to rest and relax. Balance is key. This is random but: People ask me a lot why we go out so much or why we do social things so often. (It's really only a few hours a few days a week, but I guess social media depicts more.) Well there are two sides to the question or to that answer, I should say. We do "a lot" because 1. My kids and 2. Me. I had a very active toddler who thrives on activity and has energy to burn. It's important for him to get out of the house, learn new things, learn how to interact with others, and stay out of trouble. I actually find that the days at home are harder than the days out. Grayson is better behaved when we go out for a while, burn some energy, see new and exciting things, play with friends, and then come home. While it can be extremely challenging at times, I think it's important that he learns how to act in public and how to act around others. He learns to hold mommy's hand in a parking lot and to stay close to mommy in a store. He learns to help mommy get the things on her list and not to touch everything while walking down the isles. He learns to listen and obey. He learns how to play with other kids and how to take turns on the playground. He learns when to be quiet and when he can be loud. He learns to share with friends and how to act when someone does something he may not like. So many lesson to be had when taking your little one out! I love sharing new experiences with him and seeing his face light up when we go somewhere. He wasn't always one to follow directions well or sit down and be still, but he knows the routine in these places and he's learning how to act and how to behave and that's rewarding to see. Our favorite places are: Chick-Fil-A, the playground, story time at the library, long walks in nature, music class, play dates with friends, Noah's Ark, and Sky Zone. I am not perfect, but I pride myself on being a "hands on" mom. I love to get out there and play with him. I love to get on his level and he just beams with happiness when mommy is out there playing with him. We make so many memories together this way and I love our little adventures together (with Emerson along for the ride too!). No, you don't have to go anywhere and do anything special to make memories with your children, but this is just the phase we are in with Grayson and I'm really enjoying watching him grow and learn through these outings. Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to keep your toddler happy! The second reason we are active and we go out a lot is for me. Yep, I said it, mommy needs to get out too. I am naturally an extrovert in the way that I get energy and happiness from being around other people. I personally don't want to sit inside all day every day and I feel so much better when we just get out of the house for a few hours together -- even if we look like a train wreck in the process. It's good for me to get out and have some adult interaction, but even if it's just my kids and I, a little sunshine and change of scenery does me well. As a mom, you can get bogged down by the endless laundry list of things to do, the dishes piling up, the toys scattered everywhere....and sometimes getting out is just the breath of fresh air that I need. I am able to clear my mind, so that when I get home, I can better focus on what needs to be done around the house. That's personally how I stay "sane" as a stay-at-home mom. Having a group of mommy friends who are a support system to me and just getting out of the house and doing things (it could be anything -- sometimes we go to the mall and I just let Grayson run while I push Emerson in the stroller -- whatever you want!) are what make me a happy stay-at-home mom. And of course spending the days with my kiddos is the best! It's tough sometimes, but there is absolutely no where else I would rather be than with them. All that to say, I'm feeling good this month and I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. We may look like a mess, but hey -- we are out and we are doing it and that's all that matters! Soaking in this time with my babies.