October 30, 2007

Emma is just so much fun. I don’t think I have laughed so much since her daddy was a baby. She is so full of imagination and so smart, she keeps us going that is for sure.

Grandma Mert, Brianna, Emma and I went shopping on Sunday. Emma was showing her independence by wanting to walk instead of ride in the stroller. Brianna has a harness for her so we put it on and let her walk. She liked stopping at everything she could, it took twice as long to go anywhere. A nice family had rented one of the car strollers from the mall and when they seen Emma they gave it to us to use since they were leaving. Emma thought she was really big stuff “driving” around the mall. She would look back at Grandma Mert who was pushing her just to make sure she was watching her drive. We went to lunch and Emma had spaghetti which she ate about all of it (no complaints about Emma’s eating habits here). Grandma Mert was surprised since she is use to Emilee and Skylee’s eating habits which is not to eat much of anything. We wore Grandma Mert out early and she headed home (or Deadwood we found out later!). This leaving Brianna and I chasing Emma who again decided she wanted to walk instead of ride.

We were in Target and found a little shopping cart. I have been looking for one for Emma that looked at least sturdy enough not to be tipping over all the time. Oh how Emma thought that was a lot of fun, shopping like us big girls. She pushed that cart around the store and would pick stuff off the shelves to stick in her basket, usually items that were almost to big for her to pick up (a full size doll and a Pooh Bear). She would just laugh when we would put it back and she would move on to the next thing that caught her eye. Finally (after at least 20 minutes) we made it out of the toy isle. I started putting my stuff in her cart so she felt she was shopping. Everyone thought she was so cute, pushing that cart around. We went and paid and put the small sacks in her cart… wrong thing to do. She didn’t know if she wanted to carry a sack or put it in her cart and push it. She stopped every 3 steps to take the bag out start carrying it for maybe 2 steps while I pushed the cart, then stopping to put it back in the cart and start pushing it again. Finally we decided she needed to move faster so Brianna picked up her cart to carry while I held Emma. This wasn’t to her liking at all and Brianna claims she was throwing a fit but I think she was just showing her independence on doing it her way. We finally got her to walk while Brianna pushed her stroller and carried the shopping cart and all was good and we finally made it out of Target.

Outside of Target is a long slope down to the main floor of the mall. Emma thought that was so fun walking down the slope, she laughed all the way down it. I made her hold my hand so she wouldn’t unbalance herself and she was ok with that. Our shopping trip was going well again, we were all happy (except for Brianna who had to maneuver both the stroller and the shopping cart). Then we went past Victoria Secrets. Emma liked that store, she would look at all the pinks, blacks and reds and want to go in there. I had to get something from there anyway so we went in. She eyed the little shopping bags with the pink stripes and really liked those so I picked up a little purse that says “Angel” on it and had perfume and lotion inside. I asked the lady for a separate bag for that so Emma would have her own shopping bag to carry. She thought that was really cool but kept dumping it. We stopped again so I could tie the strings together so she wouldn’t lose her little purse out of it and she thought I was taking it away. She started crying (Brianna called it a fit) and we knew our shopping trip was about done with. All in all she was a good baby, especially when we let her do things her way, and we had a lot of laughs as she showed how grown up she was getting to be at 1 year old.

Grandpa Kevin got to laugh with us when we got home and she showed him her shopping cart. I put a doll in it and she would take the doll out, hug it and pat it’s back and say “aww” then put it back in the shopping cart. She would drop the doll and I would say “whaaaaa whaaaaa” and she would giggle then pick up her baby to comfort her. She is really enjoying the shopping cart, I am just waiting for her to start shopping in my cupboards!

Emma spent Sunday night with us. She was so tired after all that walking around the mall that she was really easy to get to sleep and she slept so soundly, not waking up until 10am on Monday morning. I never seen a child sleep 12 or more hours like she does. When she woke up we had some oatmeal and a bath and enjoyed playing the rest of the morning, having a short nap about 1 and then going strong until they left last night around 9. Brianna handed me her coat to put on and I said I didn’t want to be the one who makes her cry since she hates coats. Brianna laughed and started taking the laundry out to the car. I said “Emma, better get your jacket on, Mommy and daddy are going to go home and you will have to spend the night again!” She loves her grandma but she was ready to be home at her own house so she hurried to put her coat on and met them down at the door, waving bye-bye to Grandpa. She wasn’t about to be left again!

I am so glad I am able to spend so much time with Emma, she is my sunshine. I love being her grandma!

October 22, 2007

Emma is so funny. She does all kinds of odd and fun things. Today we went to Gillette to see Cassie and have her color my hair. Emma loved playing the hair stylist, combing and “fixing” my hair. She thought it was really funny when Cassie waxed Brianna’s eyebrows. She really liked being able to walk all around the beauty shop. Cassie had gotten her some fake tattoos. Emma picked out the one she wanted and Cassie put it on her arm. She thought she was big stuff with tattoos like Aunt Cassie. Cassie would rub her tattoo and then show Emma hers. Emma would rub Cassie's tattoo then rub the fake one on her arm and say something, what we don't know. We went over to Cassie’s apartment afterwards. Emma made herself at home checking out cupboards, closets and everything she could there. When we tried to leave, Emma was trying to take Cassie’s phone with her. When Brianna got that away, she grabbed a hold of a candle, wanting to take it with us. Brianna got that away and the only thing between Emma and the door was a long mirror hung on the wall. Emma tried to take it off the wall, wanting to take it with us “have this?” I laughed and said she takes after Cassie in so many ways. Cassie use to have to bring something from Grandma’s house each time she left. Cassie found a little Hug Me doll and gave that to Emma to bring home with her. Emma was so happy with that, she carried it all the way the car then held on to it until she fell asleep on the way home.

We stopped in Moorcroft and visited Jarrod at the bowling alley. He was bowling on a Monday night bowling league and it was the first time Emma ever seen a bowling alley. She really was enthralled with it. Jarrod stood in front of her talking to her and she pushed him aside so she could watch. She wasn’t to happy when we left.

Shopping is getting interesting now. She found a pair of pajamas she really liked and grabbed them saying “want this” Of course she got them… Grandma’s can spoil, it is allowed! I will have to put a stop to it if she gets bad enough to throw a fit when (and if) she is told “No”

There isn’t another kid around who is loved more by everyone she meets, that is for sure. Even my brother says she is one child that just seems to have a glow about her.

October 12, 2007

Emma is walking all over now. She is also so cute with the play dishes and kitchen set, pretending like she is eating and drinking. She has a big My Little Pony which is her “baby”. She carries it around and pats it on the back or bottom saying “awww” It is so cute. She puts it in her buggy and pushes it around then takes it out and puts it up to her shoulder and pats it again. She also has this new face she makes. If you tell her “No” on something she will stand there with a shocked look on her face… her mouth drops open and she looks at us like “I can’t believe you said that to ME!” Then she makes you feel guilty when she starts to pucker up.
She is talking a lot. She carries on conversations with you like she is so grown up… now if only we could understand what she is saying! She also pretends to talk on the phone. She holds it to her ear and says “hello….. Yes….yes….” That we can understand.

Emma is such a smart little girl. She knows which shapes go in which holes on her toys, but she can’t get it turned right to put them in. She also follows simple directions like “take this to your mommy”. She brought me a diaper when she had wet pants yesterday. Wednesday night she went potty in the potty chair…. Yeah!!!!… but then she stuck her hand in it… yuck! She will be easy to potty train I am sure. She laughs and gets such a kick out of everything. The simplest things seem to tickle her. She sings to me and dances around. She has a little chicken that does the Chicken Dance which she loves. She gets to flapping her arms and dancing around to it, laughing all the while. I plan on getting a video of it if I can get her to do it when I have the camera.

I have to say she is one sweet and loveable little girl who has grown and matured so much in just the two weeks since her birthday. She isn’t a baby anymore but a toddler, right down to the fits when she doesn’t get what she wants. They aren’t too bad though and very few of them. I sure love her lots and lots.

October 3, 2007

Emma is walking pretty good now. She still falls, but can make it across the room. She has more trouble when she has her shoes on, of course, but by the end of next week I bet she will do better even with the shoes.



Sunday I left for Casper to see Elton John in concert and didn’t get to see Emma before leaving. So with them being in Casper the week before and my leaving on Sunday, the only day I had time with Emma was Saturday and that was filled with Birthday fun. Monday when I returned home, Brianna and Emma were at my house doing laundry, so when I drove up to the house I could see Emma and Tara standing up at the door just as excited as can be. It was so cute, I wish I had my camera.



Yesterday we took Emma for her year checkup. She is 30 and half inches and 22 pounds. She has slowed down on her growing. She is just above the 50% at weight and 75% in height, which is down from where she was before on height and a little more in the weight. I think she is going to be sprouting up soon. I think she might end up growing like Jordan did where she would gain weight then shoot up an inch or so. He use to go to bed at night at one height and when he woke up in the morning he seemed to be a inch or two taller. Jarrod and Cassie grew much more slowly but constant. I would know they were growing by the pants being to short, never as noticeable as with Jordan. Emma is in good health and a happy little thing.



Emma spent the night with me Monday. She doesn’t like my putting her in her bed though. She breaks my heart when she cries and wants me to pick her up. I usually rock her to sleep then put her to bed, but she wakes up as soon as I lay her down. I won’t let her sleep in bed with us since I am afraid of her being rolled on. I also thought about laying with her on the extra bed, but afraid she would fall off the bed, so she has to sleep in her crib for a while longer at least. She already rolled off the ottoman when I laid her down to change her diaper. She was almost asleep and drinking her bottle when I realized I didn’t change her, so I laid her down on the ottoman and turned to get the diaper when she rolled over and off. She wasn’t hurt but it scared her pretty good. My, did she cry!



We were at WalMart and there was Halloween decoration that was a scary dead looking guy from the chest up and when you went by it, it would talk and say his head was hurting or something like that, then he would reach up and lift his head off his shoulders. Emma saw that and her mouth dropped open and she just stared at it. She wasn’t so sure about it all. I laughed and called him a funny man and she would just give me a forced laugh like she wasn’t so sure it was funny. The look on her face was priceless. I have a video of it on my phone but I can’t send it to my computer. My phone doesn’t send out the video.