Well according to the calendar, another summer has come and gone (if not according to the weather here in Houston), and we've been busy being lazing about, soaking up some sun outside, visiting with family, and just enjoying watching our little one grow.
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| The effects of teething |
Oh, and getting teeth. Lots and lots of teeth. Emma started June with 4 teeth total. Now, she has 14. FOURTEEN! Guys, the terror and trauma of teething is real. It's not just like they poke through quickly, and you're done with it. Nope, there's the swelling of the gums, the increase of saliva production to epic proportions, the chewing on anything and everything within reach, the gurglings of an upset tummy, the sometimes low-grade fever, and consequently, the less than appealing diaper changes. Teething can take a normally happy-go-lucky, rambunctious toddler and transform her into the biggest grumpus you've ever met. It can make a child ravenously hungry or purposely refuse food. Our pediatrician once told us that there is no way a grown adult could ever tolerate the experience of getting teeth for the very first time and that it was a blessing that it happens when children are young enough to forget it. I must wholeheartedly agree. Dealing with a baby who is teething is bad enough; there's no way I'd want to go through that myself. Luckily, we're almost to the end of this perilous journey - she's just got to get in the rest of her canine teeth and second year molars, and then, we'll be free! Needless to say, we're counting down the teeth.
A few days ago I was looking back at pictures from this time last year, and I just can't believe how much Emma has changed. Everyone warns you that children grow up so quickly, and while I know it's true, when you see the changes happening gradually over time, it's not as noticeable and you get caught off guard when you think back to how things were.
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| THEN - Summer 2013 |
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| NOW - Summer 2014 |
At her 15 month appointment in July, Emma was already 20 lbs, 8 oz and measured 32.75" in height, and I know she's already grown leaps and bounds beyond that. So, here are some things about her now:
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| Crazy Shampoo 'Do! |
- She's grown more hair, and it's fuller (we might be able to do some hair clips soon), but we're still far from having luxurious locks. We've trimmed it once before at the beginning of summer just because it was starting to look a little ratty as only a few spots had grown long. But now, it's starting to grow over her ears again, and she's got this one little spot behind her right ear that curls, which is both cute and annoying when you're trying to make her look decent. Maybe by Christmas, she'll have some style-worthy hair!
- She's learned how to be sneaky and sly. When Emma is trying to snatch something she's not supposed to have (like the remote or my mouse), she walks around with her head down barely looking up with her eyes. But as soon as she grabs it, she's off to "hide" (really, just running behind the couch), so that you are forced to pursue her into a giggly game of chase. She's also rather cunning at playing peek-a-boo now, whether it's by using the slow reveal or popping out from different angles of whatever she's hiding under.
- Like all good toddlers, Emma has mastered the art of the fake cry/pout to try and get what she wants. You know the one - all red in the face and making a racket but no real tears, where she stops to look to see if we're paying attention before dramatically carrying on some more. I think she's slowly figuring out that it doesn't get her anything, but it hasn't stopped her from trying. While we haven't had any epic tantrums/meltdowns yet (not to say they aren't coming), she's definitely starting to assert more of her independence and stubbornness like all pint sized kiddos.
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| Soaking up some rays |
- Whether she's splashing in the pool or just rambling about, Emma LOVES being outside. She enjoys just watching as things move around her and change constantly. Rain is fascinating; clouds are cool; trees filled with birds tweeting are amazing. Even if we're just walking from the garage to the house, she always wants to stay outside for a few minutes to scramble up into our lawn chairs and take it all in. Another one of her favorite outside activities is getting to walk across the street with us to the mailbox. Unfortunately, she doesn't quite understand that the mail only comes once a day and that we only need to take just one trip. It'll be nice when the weather cools off some so that we can spend a little bit more time outdoors without baking to a crisp. Come on low 80s and 70s!
- Sometimes, Emma's just in the mood to snuggle in mommy's lap and watch her cartoons on Disney Junior. Her favorite show by far is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but she's definitely watched Frozen and Tangled a million times too. She's just getting to the stage where every now and then a character will do something silly and she'll laugh - but mostly she's into it for the singing and characters.
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| Play time with her cousins |
- Emma's definitely imaginative and adventurous when it comes to play time. She's always climbing something, exploring, or trying out new things with no fear (or common sense). She's not content to play with an item just one way either. For example, she's always experimenting with sending new and different toys down the slide - balls, stuffed animals, or her current favorite, puzzles. She giggles as though amused with herself at testing out how each object drops. Another favorite toy this summer has been her princess tea set. She's always walking around with a cup and a spoon pretending that she's mixing up some concoction - which either she, Kevin, or I need to taste. We never go make believe hungry around here.
Video: Playing with spoons
Lastly, Emma started going to preschool two days a week on September 2. It's an all day program from 8:45-2:30, and there are 8 kids in her class - 5 boys and 3 girls. I was a little worried about it being too much for her back in February when I had to sign her up, but she loves it. It gives her a change of scenery with different toys and people to play with, and I get a chance to accomplish some things too. Plus, we can already see how it is helping her to use more discernible words to express herself.
All said, we've had a pretty good summer, and we're looking forward to all the different things we have coming up this fall. Hopefully, now that we're back on a schedule, I'll be able to keep this updated a bit more. We love sharing our lives with you, our family and friends, and we are blessed that God continues to provide for us.
