E does the blogging - 21 months

In the past few months I have turned into quite the chatter box. Mom figures I was just waiting to say things until I could really say them well. On the day Mom took my pictures I said my name for the first time. Mom and Brother were so excited and tried and tried to get me to say it again - but I wasn't interested. I've also recently learned, "prickly" "train" "airplane" "truck" "story" "pants" bike" "flower" "outside" "buckle" "go away" "please water" "sorry" "help" and a whole lot of other words too. I will even attempt to say anything Mom asks me to, like "friend" at the store yesterday.

Brother taught me a great trick of saying "hi" to everyone we see - especially at stores. Mom says we make a lot of people's day when we say hi to them. I am certainly not shy when it comes to saying "hi" as long as I do it myself. If Mom has to prompt me to say hi then I get really shy.

I love fruit! Right now we have apples, pears, and grapes in our back yard and I sample each of them nearly every day. I am just the right size to fit under the support structure for the grapes. I have surprised Mom several times by walking out from underneath the grapes when she didn't know I was under there. I can hide completely in the grapes and then I can eat as many as I want. I really love eating grapes! Every day when we got outside I ask Mom for an apple. She quickly found if she didn't give me a good apple I'd just eat the rotting ones off the ground. So now I get an apple a day - and it seems to be keeping the doctor away. I haven't had to go to the doctor since I got tubes in my ears in June.

I am very motivated to keep up with my big brother. I love to follow him around and do everything he does. If he sits down to put his shoes on I sit down so I'm in the exact same position to try to put my own shoes on. I really love shoes, too. I know which shoes match up and which person they belong to. I sometimes hand people their shoes in matching pairs when I'm ready to leave. 

Since I got tubes and moved into a bed I've been sleeping a lot better at night, though I often fall asleep just inside the door and sleep on the floor all night long. But I rarely get up in the middle of the night any more.

Climbing is my favorite game. I love to open the dishwasher and climb on the door. If the stools are down I push them around the kitchen and get into whatever has previously been out of my reach. One day I even set the timer off on the stove. It really scared me and I haven't tried that again. 

I love reading books, especially the books that just have pictures and the words to what they are. I pull one out and tell Mom everything I know in that book, then I have her tell me all the things I don't know. Then we start all over again. My favorite things to find are dogs and cats, because they also make noises which are fun to make.

Baby Does the Blogging - 11 months

I am walking all over like crazy now. I am pretty steady on my feet and I'm often trying to walk faster than is humanly possible. I can also climb up on almost everything. My favorite thing to climb on is chairs and then I can climb up on the computer table - but only if Mom leaves the chair close enough. 

I have now added "Mama" and "ta-da" to my word list. I don't like to talk much. Mostly I just like to clap my hands and wave my arms around and say "Da da da da da" I also like to sing sometimes. I dance too. I go up on tip toes and back down when I dance. I love it when Caleb sings and I like to sing with him. He is my best friend and we always play together.

For Halloween we dressed up like Calvin and Hobbes. I didn't really like to wear the hat. I did like playing with the bucket though. I like that I can see my reflection. I love to give my reflection kisses. I also like to kiss teddy bears and blankets and my family and sometimes other people too. I love to give kisses. And the better I get at walking the more I love to sit and snuggle sometimes. I plop myself into the lap of the nearest person and expect them to hold me until I find something else more interesting.

Caleb and I often get the giggles. Usually Caleb pretends to laugh to make me laugh, then my laughing makes him laugh. Sometimes it makes Mom laugh too. We have lots of laughing at our house. We also have lots of wrestling. I am not shy about wrestling any newcomers to our house. Wrestling is my favorite game. I do not like blankets to be on my head though. Sometimes I get all mixed up in a blanket and can't figure out how to get out. Then I get very angry.

I have been sleeping through the night almost every night but sometimes I still get up. Sleep and I just don't really get along that well, I guess. I have also been having a terrible time with naps lately. Some days I take 1 nap and some days I take 3. 

Baby does the blogging - 9 months

This has been a big month for me! I took my first unsupported steps on the 2nd and since then I've been bravely attempting one or two steps on my own a couple of times a day. I can't wait to walk! I have also learned how to go up and down stairs and I can stand up from sitting on something without using any hands. I will eat anything Mom doesn't take away from me - I especially love paper. I decided I don't like formula any more so now I get to drink real milk. Mom found a cup for me that is in between a sippy cup and a bottle and I LOVE it!

I have been sleeping through the night this past week - every night but one! I usually go to bed around 7 and wake up at 5:30 or so for a little drink and a hug. Then I usually go back to sleep for an hour or two. It sure is making us all happier when I sleep through the night.

The ants have figured out I live here and I love to eat food. Well, at least they have figured out I love to try to feed myself and most of my food ends up on the floor. Mom is going kind of crazy. She is going to find ant traps at the stores since sweeping twice a day is not keeping them out. I can't help it though - I just HAVE to feed myself!

I enjoy waving "bye-bye" to people and I have also learned to "rar" people. Grandpa says my roar is about as (un) scary as my mom's used to be when she was little - only deeper. I also say, "Da da da!" a lot (to both Mom and Dad and just when I can't think of anything else to say). I am also remembering I know how to clap. I still find it incredibly fascinating and will sit and watch my hands go together over and over. It makes Mom laugh.

I love to be a part of whatever action is going on around me. If I hear Caleb in the other room I definitely have to follow him and check things out. I love wrestling with Dad and Caleb. We always have so much fun!

Baby does the blogging

Hi everyone!

I'm 3 months old now and smiling more than ever.

My big brother is my favorite person and I smile the most for him. I always watch him and I'm sad when he leaves the room. I've rolled over twice, but haven't done it since.

I love to be entertained. I love to be held and played with. I don't often like to play by myself.

I love to be wrapped up to sleep, but not too tightly. However, I do love to lay out on a blanket, but only if someone plays with me. I've only slept through the night a couple of times, but last night was one of those nights. Today while Mom was giving me a bath a huge chunk of my hair came out of the top of my head. Mom was quite upset, but it didn't bother me even a little bit.

That's probably about it for now. Time to find someone to play with.

2 weeks old

The first of Emmett's bucket pictures:

He now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz and has grown an inch.