Six months!

(Again...sorry this is so late.  We ended up going out of town the weekend right after Emmett turned six months so I didn't have a chance to blog about it.)

Well, let me start with Emmett's stats:
Weight: 22 lbs 10.5 oz (99%)
Height: 27" (72%)
Head Circumference: 45 cm (83%)

And now for a list of accomplishments/habits:

• We found a food he doesn't like!  I tried giving him a few bites of mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, and after the first bite he kept trying to push the potatoes out of his mouth.  Oh well.  He got to eat sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving instead, which is healthier anyway.  =)
• He is really starting to get better control of his hands.  He reaches for stuff a lot more and is starting to grab things and study them.  It's so cute seeing him start to really interact with and learn from his surroundings.
• He rolled over for the first time!  It was definitely an accident, but he did it!  Unfortunately, we have yet to get him to repeat the act.  No matter how much tummy time we give him, he doesn't roll over.  Oh well, eventually he'll get there.
• He got his first teeth!  His two bottom ones came within a day of each other.  He looks super cute with them.  But boy are they sharp!  Pretty soon he's not going to be able to chew on our hands!
• He has been so giggly lately!  Especially when he's starting to get tired (he gets a little slap happy).  It's been so much fun hearing him laugh.
• He still doesn't really like his Bumbo.  Usually within 2 minutes he's arching his back trying to get himself out.  (Of course, it might be because he's seriously wedged in the Bumbo...with his chunky little thighs and bum I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to get him in there and still be able to get him back out)
• He loves playing with things that make noise.  I gave him a scrap of wrapping paper the other day and he just had a ball!  He also likes rattles, etc.  He just gets so excited when he plays with something that makes noise.
• This past weekend he got to meet his new cousin...and let's just say he got a funny look on his face when Daddy was holding her instead of him, haha!
• He always gets excited to see Daddy when he comes home from work (as long as he's awake....if not, he gets excited when he wakes up)

 Just chillin during a diaper change

 With his new baby cousin, Alexa

5 Months!

I know this is late, but as stated in the other post, things have been crazy lately.  And...apparently I need to figure out the new blogger editor and see if there's a way to keep putting the photo in the corner and still be able to write around it... but for now, I guess you will just have to be content with pictures at the end. =)

Well, Emmett's 5 month birthday, if you will, started with a bang.  Or rather, much screaming.  He had been up most of the night previous just absolutely screaming.  If I held him, I could get him to calm down and sleep a little, but whenever I tried to put him down, he just absolutely shrieked.  Not whiney 'I-don't-want-to-go-to-sleep' cries, but ear piercing 'Something-is-wrong' bellows.  It was horrible.  Especially since we had JUST moved down here and hadn't gotten a doctor for him yet.  And, I had to go to work that day.  Thankfully, one of my aunts told my mom about a clinic in Kennewick that allowed walk-ins and (I believe) semi-specialized in pediatrics.  Oh, and they opened at 8.  Hallelujah!  We ran over there and were there AT 8.  We told the doctor we thought he might have an ear infection because he'd been pulling a little at his ear and when he would burp he would just start to scream.  So she took a look, and he had not one ear infection, but two.  Poor little man.  No wonder he was hurting.  She gave us a prescription for antibiotics and some ear drops.  Once he got the meds, he slept ALL day.  And all night.  I'm just super glad he wasn't screaming all day; I would have felt bad if I'd left him with a sitter with him just shrieking.  Within a couple of days, he was all but over it.  Whew!  We survived the first ear infection!

Now for the list of recent accomplishments:

• He discovered his tongue the other day.  It was hilarious; most of the day his tongue was just sticking out.  And then, when I brought the camera up to get a picture of it, he stopped doing it. =(  Hopefully he'll do it again.
• He jumps like CRAZY in his jumperoo!  He will stay in there for half an hour or more, just jumping away.  It is adorable!
• He likes watching TV.  I've really been trying to keep the TV off more because I don't want him to turn into a couch potato, but he definitely enjoys watching the moving images on the screen.
• He enjoys having the dog to look at.  This morning he was laying on the floor and the dog would come look at him and he'd just look at her and try and reach out to her.  And whenever I'd try and get a picture, the darn dog would move away.  Oh well.
• Lately he has been sucking his thumb A LOT.
• He LOVES solid food.  His favorite by far is banana, but he also likes green beans, peas, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples.  Which includes all the foods he's tried so far; he has not met a food he doesn't like.  Or at least, one that he refuses to eat.  He actually seems to really like green beans and peas.
• He has started to not mind tummy time sometimes.  There are still times where he immediately starts fussing when we lay him on his tummy, but most of the time he'll lay there looking around for a while before he wants to be flipped over.
• When he wants to lay back and he's sitting up, he'll very forcefully try and push himself backwards.  Although sometimes he does the push backward/arching his back thing when he's upset.
• He smiles and laughs a lot.  It's adorable.  Sometimes we can get him to laugh by saying something or playing peek-a-boo.

I know there is probably more, (and that I say this like every month) but they are just not coming to me.  We are so grateful for our little man and for his sweet spirit.  Enjoy the pictures!

Big Changes!

So this post has been awhile in coming, but in my defense, the past couple of weeks have been super crazy.  October 31, Jeremy had an interview for a job in Tri-Cities.  November 1, he was offered the position.  However, the job started November 7.  So we had to decide what we were going to do; whether we would try and move out the weekend of the 5th or if we'd try and wait until the 12th.  To complicate things, I also got a job in Tri-Cities and had to do paperwork on the 7th and an orientation on the 10th.  That, combined with the manager stuff, would mean A LOT of travel back and forth for me.  So we decided to bite the bullet and try to get moved out the weekend of the 5th.  However, Jeremy had to be in Tri-Cities the 3rd-4th of November for his paperwork and a physical.  So the task of getting everything packed and ready to move fell mostly on my shoulders.

It was a crazy few days, but we managed.  Thankfully I was able to get a lot of boxes from stores that were putting out Christmas inventory and also got a few off Freecycle and from friends.  Then, with some help from our AWESOME friends, we were able to get everything moved out and cleaned up by Saturday night.  It was SUCH a relief to get done and realize that we didn't have to worry about getting back up to Cheney and get the place cleaned later.

We put most of our stuff in storage and are living with my parents for a few months.  It would have been even harder if we'd had to find a place to stay on top of everything else.  And it'll give us an opportunity to save up some money and spend time with family.  And they are, of course, enjoying being able to spend more time with Emmett.

We definitely miss our friends in Cheney, but we are deeply grateful that Jeremy was able to find a job and that we could be closer to family.

Halloween 2011

So for Halloween this year, Emmett was an ADORABLE skeleton.  We bought it right when we moved him up to 6-9 month sleepers, but then we recently moved him up to 12 month sleepers so we weren't sure if it would still fit him.  Luckily, he did, because we loved the costume.  However, we were lame and didn't come up with costumes for ourselves.  Oh well, there's always next year.  We went to our ward's Trunk or Treat and handed out candy, then got together with some friends afterwards.  I made some jello earthworms for the party; they were a little bit of a pain to get out of the straws, but they turned out pretty swell.  They definitely looked disgusting, that's for sure.

Jeremy and Emmett before we headed out for the night

A close up of Emmett

The Jello earthworms

4 months!

Wow, has it really been 4 months already?  He had his 4 month checkup today; here are his stats:

Weight: 19.6 lbs (99%)
Length: 26 in (83%)
Head Circumference: 16.8 in (55%) 

He is DEFINITELY a chunk.  But we sure love him.  The doc gave us clearance to start him on solid foods; I think we might give them a try and see how he does.  He sure is a trooper; he cried when the nurse first gave him his shots, but then he was pretty okay.  And now he's asleep.  Hopefully he'll sleep them off like he did last time.  =)

In the past month he has:

• Started to bat at objects around him, whether it's the toys dangling from his gym, the box with the diaper supplies, or our faces.
• Started to stand up a lot more.  He has fun in his jump-a-roo for short periods of time (and then he wants out pronto haha)
• Gotten so close to rolling over!  Although he gets the closest when he's in the tub, which isn't exactly the ideal place for him to roll over.
• When we're in the car and go under an overpass, his eyes get really big while we're under it and then return to normal once we're in the sunlight again.  It's so cute!
• started to re-grow hair!  It's now 1/2-3/4 inch long and super fluffy!  If we don't put lotion on his head, his hair totally sticks straight up in back.
• His tongue does this super cute quivering thing.
• Started scooting while on his back.  He started by going around in circles; I think he did this by lifting up his legs and then not quite putting them back down in the same place.  Now he scoots backwards; he kicks his legs and sometimes connects with the floor to push himself backwards.

I'm sure there's more, but my poor brain can't think of them at the moment.  =)

 Now, for you additional viewing pleasure, another picture of the sweet boy.

A non-Emmett update ;)

So...other than Emmett growing up...

I have to admit that not a ton has been going on. We just made it through 'crunch time' at the apartment complex. (The company who runs this complex has ALL of their leases start and end at the same time, so turnover time gets really crazy. The owner has at least 150 units, although not all of them turn over every year.) Jeremy is continuing to look for a job--if anyone knows of any entry level managerial/data analysis/scheduling jobs, please let us know! (Or of any other jobs that would be good for an economics/business grad) We finally finished getting Jeremy's parents' house ready to rent out--now we're just waiting for the management company to find a renter.

Monday we got to go in a limo with some friends! It was one girl's birthday, so her husband planned this big group date and got another friend to borrow his work's limo and drive us around. It was a ton of fun. =)

Mostly, we've just been spending time with our little man and each other. =)

3 months!

I can't believe that Emmett is already 3 months old! He is definitely a little chunk. He likes his food and his sleep =) But that makes him extra cute lol.

This last month he has:

• started eating 6 oz at every feeding
• sleeping through the night (most nights)
• started to enjoy playing under a 'gym' with hanging toys
• started sucking his thumb quite a bit
• moved into 3-6 month clothes
• almost outgrown his bassinet!!
• become really vocal
• cuddled lots and lots
• become our little 'drooley boy'
• gone on a lot of walks
• started sitting up without support
• started moving around a lot more
• had his hair start to come back in
• started to follow moving people with his eyes
  

We sure love our little man! I can't imagine our lives without him!