18 Month's And Counting!

Today Gail put Emily's hair in braided pigtails. All we could think is "where did out little girl go?" Oh, and we also were thinking how stinkin' cute she looked! Although, when we took them out we couldn't decide whether she looked more like Gallagher, Hurley from Lost, or Rowlf (dog from the Muppets)...she sure was a sight with her big frizzy hair!

Anyhow, we are just amazed that we just marked Emily's 1.5 years of making our life as it should be...full of laughs, love, joys, and moments...indescribable; minute, yet momentous; steal your breath and your heart away; have you wanting more; have you needing less; like a cozy blanket for your mind; moments.

She has changed so much since my last blog, but in a nutshell, Emily:

-Weighed in at 24 lbs (46th percentile) and 32 inches (62nd percentile) at her 18 month visit with Dr. Nash. She continues to try to be long and lean(ish) although she is sporting a serious belly that would make any Wal Mart shopper proud :)

-Discovered that the refrigerator and freezer offer hours of chilly entertainment and also offer a perfect place to sit and enjoy a well-deserved break.

-Got to visit with NJ and Steve. Steve is her first British friend and she was not entirely sure of him although she'd like him better if he'd bring her lots of authentic Cadbury "chockies" (chocolates).

-Finally decided that the wagon that Deeda and Papa gave her for Hanukkah is not to be feared, but rather embraced and enjoyed. She loves to take rides in her "wagon" around the neighborhood and zoo.

-Went to her first Hanukkah celebration at a local synagogue and enjoyed some authentic Jewish mac n' cheese ;) while we dined on latkes! She liked seeing the "menorah" and "dreidel" that were in the synagogue.

-Enjoyed an entire week at Camp GigiPapi while Gail was on vacation. She had so much fun being spoiled and ignoring all sleeping and eating patterns her mean parents impose on her. She also created her first (and certainly not last) Build A Bear with Gigi, Papi, and Aunt Ashley. She demonstrated her extreme originality by promptly naming him "Bear."

-Went and saw Santa at the mall with her good buddies Halle, Jordan, Michael, and Bella who she loves.

-Had a fantastic Christmas with all of her family and got lots of wonderful gifts, including a pink polka-dot arm chair from Gigi and Papi, a Minnie doll from Santa, and her first doll house from Aunt Ashley and soon-to-be Uncle "Cott.'

-Had a fun visit with her Uncle Mikey, Aunt Hava, and Cousin Rose in Austin. She enjoyed running around and showing her little cousin the ropes.

-Still loves the Wiggles (iggles) and Barney with the Mickey Mouse Club making huge strides in popularity. I still can't believe that I have traded NPR in the car for Wiggles..it is my constant wake-up call that things will never be the same! "Fruit Salad" and "Hot Potato" are pretty catchy tunes, though :)

-Continues to eat up a storm! Still loves watermelon, pizza, eggs, pasta, chicken, green beans, carrots, corn...and the list goes on! We are lucky that we don't have a picky eater (yet, at least) although we do wish that she'd appreciate peanut butter as much as we do!

-Had a fun time at the Fort Worth Stock Show. She got to see all sorts of animals including pigs which she pointed to and promptly exclaimed "mmm....bacon!" Pretty sure I have Kyle to thank for that!

-Received her first balloon -- a "puuuh-ple" one at Costco. Never has a balloon made a child so happy.

-Continues to floor us with her vocabulary and memory (pretty sure that they go hand in hand). She amazed us by counting to ten the other day. Her words at this point are too numerous to count but it is fun every time we discover that she knows a new one. Today it was "watch" which she pointed to on my wrist after I went for a run.

-Continues to love performing -- especially to the Wiggles.

-Welcomed her newest beautiful cousin Maya into the world who is so blessed to share a birthday with Deeda.

I fear that 24 months will be here before we know it, but until then, we will keep loving strong and recognizing what a blessing we have in our pint-sized, red-headed angel.

Time Flies...

I am quite jealous of/impressed with my mommy friend (you know who you are) who does such a great job documenting her daughter's goings on so regularly and amusingly. She keeps me inspired to continue to document Emily's milestones this way, so three and a half months later, here it is!

At Emily's 15 month visit with Dr. Nash she was 23 pounds and 29 1/4 inches. So far, she is in the 75th percentile for height which surprises her short mom and also does not fool this same short mom into thinking that Emily will continue to top the charts! Her biggest developmental milestone has been that she has started walking...really walking! It took 15 months, but she finally got there and is enjoying every minute of her new found independence! She started to just get braver and braver with the amount of steps she was taking in between stationary objects and then, before we knew it, she had no use for us or tables in order to stable herself.

Although this past three months has been full of joyful events, there were a few weeks in August that can only be described as a waking nightmare. We have appreciated and adored Emily since she took her first breath (actually long before), but watching her battle an illness and the chance of losing her only strengthened our feelings. Two weeks after her one year immunizations Emily came down with a disease called Stevens Johnson Syndrome. None of us had ever heard of it and if you google it, you will wish that you had not. Thank goodness Emily's case was more mild than most and she had amazing medical care. She still spent one week at Cook's and suffered much more than a one year old ever should. The infectious disease doctor attributes the reaction to her Chicken Pox vaccine. We are so blessed that Emily made a full recovery and, other than some remnant redness/roughness on her knees, there is no evidence on her body that she ever had it. Emily could have lost her eyesight, a lot of her skin, and even her life...and for all this, we are eternally grateful that she only lost a week of her innocence.

In her continuing effort to keep Cook's in business (with her friend Noelle's help), Emily landed herself in Cook's last month with fever and ended up having a febrile seizure (scary, but not an epileptic seizure or anything that could threaten her health). Here is to many well-deserved hospital free years ahead of her!! Dr. Nash laughs because she refers to Emily as a healthy child, but realizes that is an odd thing to say about a child that has spent a lot of time in the hospital.

Unfortunately, at her 15 month vaccines, Emily had a very mild reaction again that resembled Stevens Johnson. We and Dr. Nash have decided it would be best to go ahead and postpone anymore vaccines for Emily for about a year. To me, it is a double edged sword...getting vaccines and not getting vaccines both have risks for Emily. Time will tell and we will be doing a lot of praying.

Back to happier things..while Emily took her time with motor skills, she continues to amaze us with her verbal skills. We attribute a lot of it to Gail and her friends at daycare. Here is a sampling of some of the words that she says on a consistent basis now: thank you, ball, monkey, puppy, green beans, happy girl, good girl, oatmeal, egg, nana, cheese, baby, home, shoes, socks, ice, cookie, mommy, daddy, book, read, water, more, fish, car. She also can point to her hair, teeth, knees, nose, head, feet, eyes, (although she typically points to her ears!!), and mouth. She also gives fantastic kisses, but can be stingy with them when she wants to be! She still loves her nightly baths and being read to before bed.

In late August she got to visit with her favorite NJ! She loved seeing her and spending time with her...all redheads love NJ! She also got her very first haircut (Deeda was very pleased). It was special because Harold cut her hair and he had done Kyle and Ashley's first haircut as well. She got some bangs so she did have a bit of a bullet (baby mullet) but it worked for her!

In September, she had a great week with her Deeda and her Gigi and Papi when Kyle and I went on vacation (a delayed one year anniversary trip since we had a 2 week old at our one year anniversary!) In October, she had a fantastic visit to the zoo (monkeys!!) and had a great Halloween dressed as the world's cutest, most feminine lion! She has enjoyed a lot of football watching these last several months and has unfortunately been taught to say "Aggies"...which is all that they can get out of her when they try to push "Gig 'em Aggies"!!!

Emily is still making her Nickell and Jeroslow heritage proud by being a good eater! She has been known to eat THREE eggs and a pancake and part of a "nana" for breakfast...and can tackle a whole piece of stuffed sole with some veggies and fruit for dinner!

We are looking forward to the holidays with our amazing friends and family and will continue to relish the little girl that is Emily Grace.

I will end with a quote from Gail. I texted her to see how Emily was doing one day. She wrote back: "Wonderful, so sweet!" I asked if she had done anything in particular and she wrote: "No. She's oozing sweetness!! Such an awesome personality!!"

We could not have said it better ourselves!

Emily is One Year Old!!

Reaching this magnificent milestone naturally makes a parent retrospective. When I think back to my pregnancy and this past year, I realize how much more a baby is than baby shower's, all the attention, setting up nurseries, picking out names, and eating a bit more than you should without any guilt. Being a parent to a baby is a lot of work...many sleepless nights, endless amounts of worry, time spent mindful of another person's bowel movements and literally handling those bowel movements, less romance and quality alone time with your partner, the inability to exercise when you want to, going to work sick so you can save your sick days for another, worry about money and added expenses. The reality of it all hits shortly after the baby is born. That being said, no one can put into words or prepare you for the the joys of parenthood that go so way beyond nursery themes and having all the "right" baby accessories. The sheer splendor of bringing another life into this world that looks and feels like you...who you are charged to protect and nurture...who looks to you for answers and guidance and all things comforting. The realization that worldly goods pale in comparison to this slobbering, pooping, crying little person who brightens your world with just the hint of her smile. The newness of her every look, sound, and movement that gives your stomach that feel of a new romance. The hope for another person's future that goes beyond anything that you have ever wished for. Emily just turned one. It has been a year like no other. Happy birthday, E...the past month she has...

-Weighed in at 21 pounds, and was 29.75 inches. She was born at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 21.5 inches.

-Celebrated her first Father's Day.

-Mastered crawling and has moved to pulling up on everything. The activity has not yet minimized the solid belly she has going on! We joke that she looks like a Wal-Mart shopper when her belly hangs out of her night clothes!

-Said goodbye to her good canine sister Bailey. She had learned to say Bailey's name (BayBay) and loved to pull at her paws and hair. Bailey was amazing with her and loved her very much.

-Expanded her culinary palette with some calamari and scallops. Emily loves to eat nearly everything and enjoyed tremendously her two visits this past month to Chef Point. She also continues to enjoy her Costco field trips were she samples foods from across the store.

-Discovered all the fun at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Nature. We became members so that we can go any time we want and escape the summer heat! Emily loves playing in the water at the dino dig and in the kid's water area where she gets soaking wet (we come prepared with a towel and a change of clothes!) She enjoyed going there with her Deeda and Papa when they visited for her birthday.

-Continues to LOVE water. Emily can spend hours upon hours in Gigi and Papi's pool. It is certainly one of her happy places.

-Shared in the excitement of her Aunt Ashley getting engaged to her future Uncle Scott. She is sooo happy for them and can't wait to eat their wedding cake.

-Expanded her vocabulary with "baby" and "ut ooh"...she loves to say "ut ooh" right before she drops things!

-Emily graduated to the "big girl" car seat that Deeda and Papa gave her. She is now forward facing and loves it!

-Celebrated her first birthday in style at Gigi and Papi's surrounded by her amazing family and friends. Her theme was ladybugs because that is what I call her. Gigi made her an amazing teddy bear cake (both Kyle and Ashley had one at their first birthdays) that she enjoyed tearing into. She started with its nose and with some assistance tore into its ears with wild abandon.

Emily is 11 Months Old!!

We must lead off this post with some very exciting news... (even though it is cheating because it happened 3 days after her 11 month birthday)...One small crawl for Emily, one big exciting milestone for her parents! We are happy to report that the draw of a dell laptop keyboard got Emily to crawl on June 22nd (her Uncle Mike's bday). Of course, the woman who brought her into this world was not around (I had gone for a run), but it was caught on video and I have witnessed it since. Now begins the chore of child proofing and of probably counting our blessings that she just now started to crawl around :) And in other news...

-Emily got to meet her brand new baby cousin, Rose. She loved seeing her and is so proud to be her big cousin and will teach her everything she knows throughout the years. We also witnessed Emily's first bout of jealousy. When I was holding Rose in front of her..she stared up with her big sweet eyes and emphatically and repeatedly shouted "Mama, Mama, Mama...." I am ashamed to admit it, but this made me so happy!

-Emily is officially a water baby and loves her time at her Gigi and Papi's big bath! She has such fun in the pool and is never happy to get out. Each time she goes in she gets more and more comfortable and is doing her part to give her Gigi a good arm workout with her "1-2-3- weeeee" lifts into the air! She also adores the highly fashionable new swimsuits that her aunt, Ashley, got her and can't wait to showcase one of them at her birthday bash!

-Emily has a new favorite toy and hence we have a new song constantly stuck in her head. She adores the zoo toy that her Deeda and Papa gave to her. The music is the soundtrack to her playtime as she pushes the button to make the music go every time it stops!

-We had a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago when we went in to check on E a little bit after we had put her to bed. In Kyle walks and is welcomed by our sweet girl sitting up in bed and giving him a big smile. We spent the next 10 minutes lowering her crib!

-E had a fantastic visit with the Beasley's and was SO happy to see her big cousin Alex and meet his foster brother Jonathon. Her mommy was equally as happy to see Alex as she adores him! They had a great time hanging out and celebrating Alex's 4th birthday at Chuck E Cheese. She got to go for a run with mommy and daddy ... their first time running in Illinois! This trip has spoiled Emily as she is now accustomed to riding the friendly skies in style. By sheer luck, we were upgraded to First Class on both flights as they are testing having First Class on American Eagle. E was not able to enjoy the warm nuts (she'll have to wait awhile for that) but we enjoyed them very much on her behalf!

-Emily continues to enjoy so many amazing foods...fruits, veggies, meats, fish, beans...there does not seem to be much yet that she does not like. She especially enjoyed TWO samples of salmon at Costco with her Gigi....and cannot wait until July 19th for ....CAKE!!!

Emily is 10 Month's Old!

Another month has gone by as our little girl approaches her one year birthday. It is unbelievable! Our family had a great month that was special for many reasons but especially because it was my first Mother's Day as a mother. Thank you, Emily, for earning me this title...I am so lucky to be your mommy. Over the past month Emily has...

-Spent an amazing weekend with two of her favorite people, Patrick and Yolie when they visited. They had a great time and even got the chance to tour Cowboy's Stadium and get her picture on one of the stars on the field. Next visit she vows to partake in the Babe's and lemon cookies that everyone else enjoyed!

-Ate lots of new foods, the favorite being spaghetti. We can't imagine why Emily would like carbs...no one in her family does at all :) She also loves garlic...in anything and everything! We have never seen a baby with just two teeth take on so much food with such abandon!

-Had our first Mother's Day! Emily really liked the cheese, bread and green beans at our special Mother's Day lunch.

-Went swimming in her Gigi and Papi's swimming pool with her Daddy. She is a natural floater (and very trusting of her Daddy) and had a good time in her very big bath. She looks forward to many summer days in that backyard making memories (with lots of sunscreen on, of course)!

-Continued to develop her incredible sense of humor. She laughs so much and so often. She was especially tickled when her Daddy tripped in her room while she was on the changing table. Rather than concern, she expressed laughter...he continues to replay the trip just to hear her laugh.

-Is excellent at pressing buttons on her toys with just her pointer finger. She demonstrates such grace and precision when she presses things!

-Became a big cousin when she welcomed her cousin Rose into the world. She can't wait to show her the ropes of being a cute, lovable baby girl next weekend.

-Spent some QT with her Deeda while Gail was on vacation. They had lots of fun together shopping and eating with friends (especially when said friends have garlic mashed potatoes!)

-Continues to protest crawling and is bound and determined not to adhere to the typical development of an infant. It's no fun doing things like everyone else!! :) Rumor has it that Einstein never crawled :)

-Went to the park for the first time. The slide is fun, but nothing beats the swing!

Emily is 9 Month's Old!

Our sweet baby is becoming such a big girl! This has been a fantastic month for our family. Amazing that plans are already under way for her first birthday party. Emily has been up to a lot this past month. She...

-Took a road trip to Austin for her Uncle Mike and Aunt Hava's baby shower. She had a great time and anxiously awaits the arrival of her newest cousin Rose. She had some fun entertaining us with her fine-tuned (and extremely advanced :) ) peek-a-boo skills.


-Celebrated her first Passover and hosted a Seder for some of her friends. She did not get to try her Deeda's matzo ball soup this year (made by her Mommy), but will certainly have the opportunity next year (as long as Daddy is willing to share)!

-Went to her first swimming lesson. She was the prettiest baby in the pool with the adorable swimsuit that her Aunt Ashley gave her. She enjoyed being in a VERY big tub and took to the water well. She got to go down a slide and take some jumps in from the edge of the pool (with just a little assistance)! She is practicing for Gigi and Papi's pool this summer!

-Celebrated her first Easter! She got her very own Easter basket filled with lots of fun toys and candy that Mommy and Daddy happen to really love! She looked beautiful in her pink princess dress and took good notes on the egg hunt so that she can have a solid strategy next year and collect lots of loot for her piggy bank.

-Had a rash (pardon the pun) of ear infections and rashes! She had one ear infection twice. The antibiotic did not knock it out. This is what her mommy gets for bragging to her friends that her daughter had never gotten an ear infection! She was such a sweet girl, even with the infections...did her best to keep her spirits high. She also came home from Easter with a nice case of hives and just got a viral rash with her ear infection! Emily just likes to keep things exciting for us new parents!

-Watched her very first NCAA tournament and Red Sox opening game with her daddy. Daddy is not too happy with his Sox, but that's another story.

-Learned how to clap and wave...and is so proud of herself when she does it! Now if we could just get some upward mobility...or a basic crawl for that matter! Hopefully we'll have some news to report in that arena next month!

-Had a blast at her first Greek Easter (she is such a multi-cultural little girl) with her friends at the lake. She spent time with Nate and Noelle taking in the scent of goat on a spit! She had fun playing, eating, and relaxing with her buddies...Mommy and Daddy had a great time, too!

-Continues to try new foods (lamb, pasta, ham, lentils, turkey, brown rice) and enjoys feeding herself. She still loves water and loves to drink from her mommy's water bottles when she is having one.

Looking forward to another amazing month as Emily's parents!

Emily is 8 Month's Old!

This one snuck up on is, hence I am a few days late reporting on Emily's goings on! It has been a great month for our family and we continue to marvel at our little girl. We manage to have more and more fun with her each day that goes by...she is a treat! This past month Emily has...

-Continued to enjoy dancing with her Mommy and Daddy. Many evenings she gets a solid dance party with them and kicks and laughs to the music. Emily loves music and has more rhythm than you would expect!

-Eaten lots of new and exciting foods. Favorites still are cheese and avocado, but we've taking a liking to chicken and lentils, mango, and blueberries! Eating has become a fun time and we enjoy introducing her to new tastes. She is a great chewer and really works those two sharp teeth that she has recently sprouted.

-Taken a bath nearly every night. Bath time is happy time! Emily loves splashing and playing with (putting them in her mouth) all of her bath toys. She especially loves taking a bath in the sink at Gigi and Papi's house when she has sleepovers.

-Missed both Mommy and Daddy, as both of them have had to go out of town this past month. Mommy for work and Daddy for play! She enjoyed her quality time with each of them but was very happy when both of them were back together...they were very happy, too!

-Enjoyed seeing her Papa for a few nights when he was en route back from Africa. She is very proud of him for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Once day she will want to look at all his pictures of the fun animals he saw.

-Took her first visit to the zoo with Mommy and Daddy. She enjoyed a beautiful day looking at all the animals and people at the zoo. She is going to get a season pass so that she can go back whenever she wants and learn about all of the animals.

-Enjoyed her first pajama party with her friends from the neighborhood. She had them over for a breakfast of pancakes and other goodies and spent much of the morning in her PJ's playing. She had such a good time and hopes to do it again soon!

-Had her first really bad fever and sickness. She had Roseola which is a high fever that eventually goes away and is topped off by a skin rash! She was a trooper throughout and even managed to eek out a smile, sick eyes and all!