Emily & Mr. Ears

In honor of Emily's first birthday, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the past twelve months and see just how much our little girl has grown.

Enjoy!


























My apologies for not having Mr. Ears in the 8 month photo. In all the madness of the summer, he didn't make that particular trip to Grammy's. :-)

Emily's First Birthday

It's hard to believe, but our little girl celebrated her first birthday last Saturday! The time certainly has gone quickly, but we've had so much fun and it's hard to remember a time when Emily wasn't part of our lives.

In honor of the big day we traveled back to Indiana to celebrate the big day with family. It was so nice to have so many people join us and to see the love they all have for our little girl. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by so many who genuinely love us and both of our girls. Thank you to all who made this day so much fun!

Below are a few pictures from Emily's Ladybug party! Be sure to check out the slide show on the right hand side for even more! Enjoy!


Fresh from a nap, the birthday girl joins the party!


The cake. It took some work to get the colors right, but I was very happy with how it turned out.


Pure sugar...Emily enjoys her first bite of her birthday cupcake!


Oh yeah, she's a BIG fan of this birthday thing!

Emily - 11 Months

I know I'm extremely overdue with this post, but I thought I should get Emily's 11 month pictures up before her birthday at the end of the month! :-) Emily is quickly losing the baby look and seems more like a toddler with each passing day. She is crawling everywhere, but we think walking is not far off. She can pull up on anything (and sometimes without anything to help her), she cruises around everything, and she can even walk pretty well by just holding onto your fingers. She loves to get behind her walker too and cruise the living room which is fun to watch. Another big milestone this month is the appearance of her first two teeth! It certainly took them awhile to come in, but once the first one came through the second was quickly behind. This is a welcome addition since we were starting to think she would never get teeth!

In addition to becoming more mobile she is also starting to respond to and interact more with the things around her. She loves to dance and will show you her moves when she hears just about anything with a beat. She's also mastered the art of "give me five," which she loves to play.

She is still a very pleasant baby who loves to laugh and smile. In fact, Grandpa recently nicknamed her "miles of smiles," which seems to be very appropriate. :-)

Here is our little girl at 11 months! Enjoy!


Emily with Mr. Ears the bunny.


Walking at Grammy's house.





More smiles. She actually poses for pictures with is quite funny to watch!

Remembering...

Today I'm remembering my Mee Maw who lost her battle with cancer one year ago today. She was an amazing woman and someone who touched my life like few have so I wanted to share a picture of her that I have come to cherish. My grandmother loved colors...the more vibrant the better...and she was so happy when she created her own bottle tree in the backyard. She could see it from the kitchen window or while sitting on the back porch and loved it when the sun hit the bottles just right. Every now and then I'll pass a house with a bottle tree in the yard and I smile to myself and think of her.

Today is sad for me because I'm reminded of her loss, but I also want to remember the wonderful times we spent together and the memories I have of her. I know she's watching over us from above just as I know they day when come when we'll see each other again and this knowledge brings me an amazing sense of peace.

Just a Swingin'

Emily still hasn't really gotten the hang of her Jenny Jump Up, but she has figured out another way to enjoy it. Hey, whatever works and keeps her happy! :-)

Making Some Noise

Emily is becoming more and more vocal these days and seems very proud of herself for her efforts. In addition to the shrieking, she's also been doing this low, husky growl thing which we've yet to figure out. Like the shrieking, she seems to be happy when she does it so I guess it's just her way of learning to vocalize. Let's hope this stage passes quickly. :-)

I was finally able to get a quick video of "the growl" while at the pool the other day. Watch out Linda Blair! ;-)

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads in our lives! We love you all and are forever grateful for all that you do for us and our families.

A special message too for my better half for being the best husband and father anyone could ask for. Our girls are so lucky to have such a fun and loving dad who they can look up to as they get older. You have a special way with each of them and I look forward to seeing these bonds grow with each passing year. We love you very much!


Father's Day 2011



We're missing our dad today since he's traveling back to Indiana for work. :-( We had a wonderful time this morning though and are happy that he can spend the evening with his dad tonight. So, if you see the guy in the photo below, be sure to wish him a Happy Father's Day! :-)