Emily's Baptism

Emily was baptized on Sunday December 27th at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church by Rev. Jerry Zurovetz.  Her godparents are Alexandria Gonzalez and Mitchell Cook.  We all had a great time celebrating this special occasion in Emily's life and look forward to the many to follow.

Three Months Old on Christmas

It's the holiday season and it has been hectic, so much so that I haven't given an update on Emily in two weeks.  Now that Christmas is over and we are heading into the New Year, I can finally sit down and take a moment to reflect on how much she has changed over the course of three months.  It always shocks me when I think of how fast she has grown in only 13 weeks.  Emily is so much more interactive and playful, and she is such a happy baby.

Let's see, where do I begin?  Well, for starters, Emily has now discovered she can grab onto things and when she does it goes straight into her mouth.  She hasn't quite gotten it down but she's getting there.  When she sees the object, it takes her a while to coordinate her hand to it, but soon she'll be trying to grab everything in sight.

Emily turned three months on Christmas Day!  It was a crazy holiday season, but we got to see all the family and had a great time with everyone.  I didn't get to take Emily to see Santa at the mall and there was no way I was going to try to stand in line for over an hour with her, so I got smart and bought a Santa suit for Brian.  Now, baby's first picture with Santa will have been with her daddy, it makes for good memories.

 

 I had a dilemma over what to get her for Christmas considering there aren't that many toys out there for three months old.  So mom made a call to Santa and he helped her out.  He brought Emily her first chair to help her learn how to sit and some cool toys for her crib so Emily can make an easy transition from bassinet to crib after the new year. When Christmas morning came, Emily had lots of gifts under the tree amongst those from Santa, including many outfits, various rattles, interactive books, and Baby Einstein videos.  She couldn't quite figure out how to unwrap, of course, but daddy was there to help along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 One of the many neat toys she got was a glow worm that was given to her by great-grandma and grandpa Gonzalez.  It is a worm that has a face that lights up and sings a lullabye when squeezed.  I had one as a child and I was suprised they still had them around, although updated with a new look it is still the same toy.  When this little worm starts to glow and sing, Emily's face lights up and she starts to talk to her toy and squeal in amazement.  It is the funniest and most delightful sight I have ever witnessed.  It amazes me how much joy she gets out of watching her glow worm.

 

Toys and Smiles

With Christmas just around the corner I have been scratching my head at what to get for Emily on what is to be her First Christmas.  She is only two months old and coming up on three by the end of December, so what do you get an infant so young?  I have been playing around with a couple of ideas but none of them are really big items.  It's not as though she'll know what the occassion is or the idea of a present, but I feel as though I have to make this special, I guess it's more for me than her.  Emily is developing so fast and getting bigger everyday.  Her baby sounds are becoming more distinct and she recognizes mine and Brian's voices.  It makes my heart melt when she smiles at me with her wide grin. 

Every morning she wakes up a little fussy, but it never fails, as soon as you place her on her changing table she opens her eyes, sees her butterflies and then immediately starts to smile and coo.  Hanging those butterflies above the changing table was one of my best ideas and having the decals on the wall was genius (Brian's idea).  She loves to look at them and talks to them.  Maybe it's time for some Baby Eistein DVD's.

I took a picture of my baby and I yesterday.  You can see how much she doesn't look like me, she is mostly daddy.  I'm hoping as she gets older, some of my features show up.




Talking to her butterflies

 

 



Look how big she's getting

 



Me and my baby



Two Months Old

Month two has brought significant changes for Emily as she now has better control of her head and is more alert and active than ever.  The best part is her beautiful smile which is shown when mommy and daddy talk to her and make goofy faces.  A couple of days ago Emily had her two-month check up and she now weighs 11 lb. 6 oz. and is 23.25 in. long.  I get a little blue when I have to take out clothes that she's grown out of and put them away in plastic bins marked NEWBORN.  My baby is growing so fast...but it's good to know that she is healthy and growing as she should.

New developments this month include being placed in her Baby Bijorn for the first time,which is a great help to Brian when he's busy and she wants to be held.

Emily also baby talks much more now and will respond when you ask her a question (it's all about the tone).  It's hilarious!  And she gets so excited and pumps her little legs and then gets the hiccups, which the doctor said is normal, of course it seems as though everything of concern is normal.

There is also this funny thing she does with her hand where she places it on her cheek as if she were thinking or bored when she is either sleeping or eating.  I've noticed it since she was born but always thought her hand just laid that way because she liked having her hands near her face, but now that she's older she still places her hand on her cheek.  I've only gotten to snap a picture of it once.

Emily also likes to stick her tongue out alot, so much so that my dad asked me if I took Reglan during pregnancy.  He's been seeing these commercials that a lawfirm has for this drug which has side affects which include involuntary tongue thrusting, but don't worry, I never took it and I can guarantee that her tongue thrusting is voluntary, she likes to play with her gums.

She is also looking more and more like her daddy everyday.  Her eyes are still blue which I am hoping stay that way but have been told to wait until the sixth month.  If her eyes are still blue by then, chances are they will stay blue.

Mommy went back to work yesterday and left Emily with the babysitter for the first time.  I got updates all day and was told she was a perfect angel and was enjoyable.  Our babysitter lives right down the street from us so I feel very comfortable leaving her knowing she is so close to home.  I think about her all day and then rush home to see her, even daddy rushed home yesterday, he got to the sitter's house before I did.

7th Week Milestones

Where do I start?  There seem to be quite a few milestones that Emily has hit these past two weeks, or at least they are milestones to me. 

First, she smiles!!  She talks to her little friends on her bouncer by oohing and ahhing and pumping her legs, and she also gets the hiccups when she gets excited.  The other day I noticed she was kind of smiling, but yesterday and today it was a for sure thing, and I actually have some pictures to prove it.  YAY!  She has a gorgeous smile!

Second, she has more control of her neck muscles.  We are participating in tummy time every morning when I change her into her play clothes.  Emily can now hold her head up, or at least long enough for me to take a picture, which is about 1 minute.

Third, she is now sleeping 4-5 hours at a time at night as opposed to the 3-4 hours she was previously used to sleeping.  Not only that, but it is becoming easier to put her in her bassinet without her waking up.  I think she is learning to soothe herself, which is a major plus for Brian and I, as I only have two more weeks until I have to return to work.  I am trying to savor each moment.  I have anxiety about missing milestones while I am at work and she is with her babysitter.

A funny thing happened today...she sneezed her first big ACHOO.  Emily has been sneezing since she was born, which according to pediatricians is normal for all babies to do, but today was different.  Today she actually yelled ACHOO when she sneezed and almost scared me to death, that is how loud the sneeze was.  Hilarious! 

This week I am going to introduce her to the rattle in hopes that she learns coordination and how to grip objects.  Emily does really well with sounds, but I noticed she is starting to put her hands in her mouth more often now and some of the websites I read give the advice to start teaching hand-eye coordination.  Hopefully, she isn't like her father and will have a bigger attention span.



Almost there...



And we have lift off!






Smiling at her friends

 


A smile at her Nonna's house



Alert and Active

Emily is now 6 weeks old and it seems like overnight that she became more active and alert.  She is more aware of her surroundings and likes to stare at lights, patterns, and pays more attention if you talk to her.  Brian and I placed her on her Baby Einstein mat the other day and she was having a ball with the music and lights. She also talks to her toys when on her bouncer, it is the cutest thing ever.  She has had more smiling, but I'm not sure if it is still a reflex or if she does it on purpose.  I'll try to capture it on camera next time.  For now, here she is, looking a little older and in some pictures looking at me like I'm crazy for flashing lights in her face.


On her tummy mat





Talking to her furry friends



First Halloween

The Scottsman, the Bar Maid and the Lady Bug

It was Emily's first Halloween and she had a great time.  She went to visit her Gonzalez Grandparents and aunts early in the day and then spent the night with her Yoder Grandparents while mom and dad got the night off to party.  What a night!  So much fun...I love Halloween and I hope Emily grows up to love it as much as I do.  I can't wait to take her trick-or-treating next year.

One Month Birthday

At one month old, Emily Mae is 9 lbs. 2 oz. and 21 1/2 in. Daddy wasn't fast enough with the camera so Emily threw a fit.  Sweet Memories!  Happy 1-month Birthday Emily!

The Pumpkin Patch

Emily and I went to the pumpkin patch hosted by the Methodist church in Portland to take some pictures for our Halloween cards.  Brian's mom and sister went with us and were a great help getting her ready and being photographers, they got some really great pictures.  Brian had to work that day, so unfortunately he isn't in any of our photos, but I hope to stop by on Halloween and get some shots of him and Emily together. 

The day was gorgeous with a slight breeze and beautiful bright blue skies.  Emily was fed right before we went out so she had a full belly that put her to sleep.  Her ladybug costume is also made of a nice fleece material and was so warm and cozy, she didn't want to wake up, so all of her pictures have her sleeping.  Oh well, I'll try to get some on Halloween with her eyes open.  Happy Halloween!!

Birth Announcements

I know, I know, I haven't sent out the birth announcements yet.  I finally ordered them today, so you will be getting them soon, I promise.  Here is a preview:

First Bath

Emily hates being undressed and naked.  She doesn't like the cold and cries like someone is hurting her.  When it came time to take her first bath after her umbilical cord fell off, I thought she was going to cry from beginning to end.  Fortunately, despite the look on her face, she liked it and only cried when mom wasn't fast enough with the towel.  I'll be faster next time!!

One Month Old




Week 4



"How time flies" is an expression that I didn't pay much attention to until I had a child.  I can't believe it has been 4 weeks since I gave birth to Emily.  In two more days our baby will be turning one month old.  I want to cry just thinking about it.  Before you know it she'll be learning how to ride her first bike, and then I'll turn around and she'll be asking for a new car for her 18th birthday.  Oh how I dread that day, especially if she is anything like her father, actually she probably will be and we'll have to lock her in her room every night.

These past four weeks have been exhausting and rewarding all at the same time.  I love watching her change everyday and the look on everyone's faces when they see her for the first time.  The first week with Emily was a true learning experience for Brian and I.  We learned how to listen to her cues and were attentive to every whimper.  We are truly blessed to have such a caring family, I think we had family over every night cooking dinner for us and watching her while we took naps or showers.  I had no idea a shower could be such a treat.

Emily has changed so much in such a short period of time.  She is more alert now and is learning more and more each day.  Her personality is starting to show itself, and being impatient is a trait she gets from Brian.  I hope she grows out of that one.  Actually she resembles Brian more now that I think about it, not only in character but in physical appearance and physical traits.  I have never heard of a baby having so much gas as mine does.  It doesn't seem to bother her and she doesn't have colic, but poor baby, that'll keep the boys away. 

Miss Emily is discovering her voice as she coos and ahhs now.  She has the cutest looking smile and I can't wait until she smiles knowingly.  That is definitely something to look foward to in the coming months. 



Week 1





Week 2





Week 3



Birth Story

She's here!!  It's two weeks to the day that Emily was born and I finally get a chance to sit down and write the birth story.  WARNING:  This is going to be a long post.

It all started on September 24th when I started to feel my first contractions but it wasn't anything that I could time since they were hours apart.  I doubted myself because I didn't know what conctractions felt like and everyone's descriptions of what the feeling should be was different from what I was feeling.  The internet was no help either and I figured we were in for a due date baby instead of an early child like Brian wanted.  Lo and behold, I wake up to an uncomfortable cramp-like sensation at 4am.  I didn't think anything of it because everyone had described a contraction as this tightening that happens around the abdomin, starting from the back and ending in the front.  But then I got another one and Brian told me to try and time them.  Such a smart man I married, because 5 minutes later another cramp came.  We got out of bed and after much contemplation decided to phone the doctor and head to the hospital.

At the hospital, we were set up in triage for observation.  I was still measuring about 2.5 cm but was about 90% effaced.  I was given orders by the on-call doctor to walk the halls for an hour to speed up the labor and help me dilate further.  Boy was this an adventure.  I had to stop every so often because I couldn't walk through the painful cramping.  After our walk through the halls I got checked again and the doctor said I was about 3cm dilated but she could feel the bag of waters bulging so we got admitted.  Yay!  I would have been so disappointed if she had sent us home, not to mention in lots of pain.

Brian and I got set up in a birthday suite and family started to show up.  It was really exciting, except for the really intense cramps that I had to endure.  I made everyone stop talking when the cramps came so I could focus on getting over them.  Brian loved to watch the monitor to see the contraction start and see how much it would peak.  A nurse came in to start my IV and in my opinion this was the worst part of my labor experience.  The needle was big and it hurt going into my hand.  The nurse blew the first vein so she had to insert the needle twice.  Ouch!  For the rest of my stay at the hospital I hated having the IV in my hand.  I labored for about 5-6 hours and dilated to 5 cm before the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural.  He was so awesome and the procedure was a piece of cake.  No pain whatsoever.  Getting the epidural was by far the best decision I ever made.  It made the rest of my laboring experience wonderful and I got to focus on family and then having the baby.  At this point, the doctor came in and broke my bag of water and the nurse told us because it was my first child I would be dilating 1cm every hour and then pushing would take another hour.  So we all settled in thinking I would have the baby sometime in the late afternoon or early evening hours. 

Brian on the other hand was watching the monitors closely and was noting that the strong contractions had now become kind of weak.  The numbers on the monitor were in the single digits as opposed to being in the hundred mark earlier.  Again, such a smart man I married and also very impatient he took it upon himself to get the nurse and have her check me.  Good thing becuase I was dilated to 10cm and her head was crowning.  Brian didn't want to look but the nurse made him take a peak.  I don't think he was too thrilled about the view.  The emotions we felt when the nurse said, "Your ready to have this baby!" was indescribable.  The doctor was called and a team of nurses came rushing in to set everything up.  Half of my bed was taken away and the leg stirups and hot lights came up.  It was showtime! 

I did two practice pushes with the nurse and was told I was doing great.  By the way, the epidural meds were doing such a good job I had no feeling in my left leg and little feeling in my right.  Needless to say I couldn't really feel anything in THAT region so I was very happy.  The doctor took over and I pushed twice more and her head popped out within a matter of seconds.  I think I pushed a little too hard because the doctor yelled at me to stop and the look on her face was that of surprise.  Sure enough baby Emily came out so fast that the doctor didn't have enough time to give me an episiotomy so I got a 2nd degree tear and had to get stitches.  Not fun.  After her head came out her body followed without any pushing only a slight tug from the doctor. 

Emily was 7lbs. and 20in. long and cried from the moment she was out.  We were all surprised at how big she was and how blue her eyes were.  Her cry was the best sound I had ever heard in my life.  It is amazing at how much love a person can be filled within one second.  Emily is the best thing that has ever happened to Brian and I and we both feel truly blessed.  September is definitely the best month for both of us.