Emily Grace

18 Month's And Counting!

2011-01-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-11-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-07-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

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!

Emily is 7 Month's Old!

2010-02-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

So time flies when you are having fun, well how about when you are enjoying and loving the most precious gift that you have ever received?! Emily is over half a year old now and changing and growing (literally!) every day. This has been such a fun and exciting month for our family. So many highlights, none of which top the fact that she has made some serious sleep duration improvements ;) Since January, Emily has...

-Given her mommy a real kiss. Okay, so, it was rather open-mouthed and her aim was a bit off, but it was certainly a bonafide attempt at a smooch!

-Discovered that "Da Da" is quite the fun sound to make and it makes her daddy's day to hear (no idea why)! She will just sit there and say it over and over in the sweetest voice that you have ever heard.

-Had her 6 month appointment. She was 27" long and was 15 lbs 15 oz! She is 97 percentile for height..we can't believe it!

-Eaten a variety of fruit and veggies. So far she has dined on sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, peaches, and peas. Most of it ends up on her rather than in her, but she is making small improvements. With Kyle and me as her parents, we can't believe she has not taken to food more, but we figure in time, with our genes, she will see the light and realize the wonders and joys of food! She does really like her puffs and yogurt drops, but we certainly want to work on more nutritious foods! She is getting the hang of her sippy cup and really likes water.

-Really gotten the hang of sitting up on her own! With proper precautions (padding behind her), Emily can sit up without assistance and play with her toys. No signs of crawling yet, but we can certainly wait as, from what I hear, once they start going, they never stop!

-Sleeping better and is no longer swaddled. She loves the new breathable blanket (thank you, Jill) that we got for her. She loves to cover herself with it and play peek-a-boo with it.

-Reached a huge milestone in the Nickell family. Her first trip to College Station for an Aggie basketball game with Gigi and Papi!! The Aggies even did her the honor of winning the game (against Tech!!) just for her. She loved all the people watching and lights during the game. She sat in her first high chair at dinner and really seemed to enjoy herself. She watched as all of us stuffed our faces with greasy/fattening food and watched as we enviously devoured our Shake's desserts! She was promised some of it at next year's game! She was, of course, exposed to some Longhorn hating (picture on Bevo with sawed off horns) but she humored her daddy and grandparents with it and will secretly support the Longhorns just for her mommy. ;) She knows that she was not born with orange hair for nothing!

-Had another fun visit with her Deeda and Papa. Papa saw her for a few days en route to his trip to Kilimanjaro (he summitted and she is very proud of him) and Deeda spent the week with her. They had a lot of fun hanging out together and Emily can't wait until she gets to see her more often.

-Had over two days of extreme fever! Being sick is no fun for anyone, but she was a trooper about it. I think she secretly enjoyed it a bit as she got a full day of daddy/daughter time! She had a high fever for several days and just could not kick it. Mommy learned a lot about how to treat a fever thanks to her friends and will be ready for the next one!

-Had another fun slumber party with Gigi and Papi! She was their official Valentine while Mommy and Daddy had a date. Activities included a bath in the sink, playtime on the floor, visiting with Great Aunts and Great Grandparents, and much more!

-She discovered the perfect wonders of a snow day! In her lifetime, she has already had two serious snows! This one was incredible...a foot of snow in Texas. I think Kyle and I were a little more excited than she was, but there will be a day when she appreciates it just as much!

-Emily went to Nicole's going away party. She had a good time but is sad
that her NJ is moving away (as is her mommy). She wishes her all the best, though!!

Emily is Six Month's Old!!

2010-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Kyle and I went for a run (jog!!) with Emily tonight and I told him at the end that I just can't believe that Emily will be six month's old tomorrow. Everyone warned us about her growing up quickly, but I did not fully believe them until now. It seems like just yesterday that we brought our sweet girl home. I think the only thing that seems the same from then is that she is still not really sleeping through the night ;) Kyle and I both agree, though, that we would wake up a million times a night for her as long as she stays happy and healthy..."this, too, shall pass" and we will laugh reminiscing about all the nights of interrupted sleep we had with her. We are so very blessed to have such an amazing little girl and I don't ever take the gift of her that we have been given for granted. Emily Grace is the love of our lives. Over the past month....

-Emily has stuck to her diet of breast milk but is just about ready to sample the fruits and veggies mommy and daddy made for her over the Christmas break. Can't wait to see what she thinks of all the yummy food!

-She officially turned from her back to her belly! She had already mastered belly to back (anything to avoid tummy time) but just got the hang of back to belly. It is now not uncommon for us to walk in o her room at night and find her on her belly. She takes after us..both of us sleep on our stomachs!

-Emily had an amazing first Christmas with Ashley, Gigi, Papi, and the rest of the Nickell side of her family. She got lots of great gifts and got a preview of all the tasty foods that she will get to eat next year. She enjoyed spending the night at Gigi and Papi's and waking up (or being woken up by Gigi) to all of the presents. She also got her first picture taken with Santa. There was no screaming and we are hoping that this luck holds next year although from what I understand it is doubtful.

-She continues to laugh and giggle wholeheartedly. We do ANYTHING to make her laugh. She loves to anticipate us when we are doing something silly...it really gets her going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0rK2h2kqEs

-Emily enjoyed her first Hanukkah and watched her mommy every night for eight nights light the menorah. She also can't wait to play with all of the fun toys that her Deeda and Papa gave her.

-Like her daddy, Emily loves music. She loves to dance...it gets lots of smiles. She is also a little bit of a fighter. She laughs and laughs when we use her feet and hands to whop each other and make punching/hitting sounds.

-Emily spent New Year's with us in Austin visiting her Aunt Hava and Uncle Mike. She also got to see her Auntie Yolie who gave her an adorable LONGHORN dress ;) She had a great time with her Aunt and Uncle and was honored to sleep in her future cousin Rose's crib.

-She still enjoys her bouncer and her exersaucer and laying on the floor playing with her toys. One over her favorite toys has become the crib toy that Deeda gave her. We play it for her anytime she is in her crib..it has lights and music. We call it her Stevie TV (from Friends).

-Apparently Emly enjoys blood rushing to her head! Our daughter loves to lay on our lap with her head hanging upside down over our knees...just need to make sure with the doctor that this is okay to do a lot!

-She continues to enjoy her time at Gail's. She has a new friend, Jonah, that is her age...she was not bashful about getting to know him!

-Emily had an awesome play date with her May-July baby friends. She has so much fun with them (as does her mommy with their mom's)! We are so glad to have gotten to know all of them!

-Emily can't wait to see her Deeda and Papa in February!

Emily is 5 Month's Old!!

2009-12-21T06:15:00.001-08:00

We can't believe it, but Emily is nearing her half year birthday. Time flies when you have the cutest baby ever! Life with Emily just gets better and better every day. Kyle and I can't (and have no desire to) remember life before she arrived. A lot has happened this month...

-Emily had an amazing time seeing the Jeroslow/Beasley side of her family for Thanksgiving in Colorado. She had so much fun with her Grandpa/Grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousin Alex (of course). She saw her first mountains and I can't say how impressed she was but I am sure one day she will appreciate them more! She did not get to eat any of the yummy food but has been promised lots of tastes next year!

-Emily continues to enjoy her time at daycare with Gail and all of her friends. This month she even went to her first (and I'm sure not last) birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese. She had a lot of fun celebrating Joshua and Jordan. She loves Gail a lot and is going to miss seeing her this next few weeks while Gail enjoys some time off.

-Daddy and mommy are very funny according to Emily (maybe she is the only one who thinks so..but that's fine with us)! We make her laugh a lot with fun sounds and words and songs. The sure fire ways to make her smile are as follows: (in no particular order) Daddy singing Hello/Goodbye by the Beatles, singing Pat A Cake and Wheels on the Bus.

-Emily has only turned over from back to front once, but Gail said she has done well with front to back. Anything to avoid tummy time!

-We think we have discovered Emily's first allergy and it is to something that you are supposed to give baby's to eat first because of the low risk of allergy! Twice she has pulled some exorcist action after we fed her rice cereal. Hence, we've decided to hold of on real food until she is 6 months old...maybe we'll have better luck then!

-We don't yet have bragging rights to Emily sleeping through the night, but we are doing better. She is sleeping longer and longer and without feedings, so we are confident that we will get there soon!

-Emily celebrated her first Hanukkah this month and enjoyed the pretty lights of the menorah and the presents from Deeda and Papa. Next year...Matzo Ball Soup..Daddy will be more than happy to feed it to her.

-Emily learned this month that her Aunt Hava and Uncle Mike are having a girl cousin for her to play with..she is very excited to teach her the ropes on being a baby girl!

-Emily went to the Christmas party at Gail's and had a great time. She got lots of neat stuff to play with!

-Emily can't wait to celebrate her first Christmas at Gigi and Papi's house!

-Emily still talks away all of the time. We have no doubt she will be singing herself Happy Birthday at her one year bday party just like her Aunt Ashley did.

-Emily had a great time at the neighborhood Christmas party with lots of her new friends. She particularly enjoyed hanging out with her friend Noelle who is 10 days older than her. They enjoy hanging out together and sucking on their hands.

-We had a lot of fun with one of Emily's new noises. She has discovered that when we vibrate our tongues at her, she can do it back. She takes it pretty seriously, though, and does it with the utmost concentration! Here is a link to her in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_BgUm6pq3M

Emily is 4 Month's Old!

2009-11-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

So, we have fallen behind on our parental duties of keeping track of all of the wondrous things that Emily does every day. A lot has happened since we wrote last. We will start updating her progress every month on her birthday. If we don't, Emily has permission to nag us about it!

-She continues to laugh and smile at the silly things that we do and at all her new friends at day care.
-In September, she met papa for the first time and saw deeda again. She had a great time with them.
-Emily still loves her baths and smiles even if she is in a grumpy mood (which is rare) when mommy bathes her.
-In October she met her Uncle Shun and cousin Alex for the first time and saw her Aunt Laurie again. She had such a good time with them.
-Emily went to daycare for the first time when mommy went back to work. Gail is so much fun and loving and the other kids are so good with her. She always smiles when she sees Gail in the morning. Mommy comes and sees her every day at lunch since she is only five minutes away.
-Gigi and Popi came to Emily's first Halloween party at Gail's. She had a great time but she was not a huge fan of her flower costume. She also went to Gigi's fall festival at her school and saw Great Big Mom win 2 cakes at the cake walk.
-Emily went on her first road trip to Austin to visit Aunt Hava and Uncle Mike. They babysat her while mommy and daddy went to a wedding and gave them a good parenting 101 lesson!
-Nicole had a first when she made Emily laugh from giving her raspberries on her tummy!
-Emily threw her first party when we had a BBQ at the house with friends. She was certainly the hostess with the mostess!

-Emily met two of her favorite people in October - Rhonda and Earl. We all drove the airport to meet them when they had a layover in Dallas. She loved meeting them and they had a great time seeing and holding her.
-Ashley gave Emily the cutest rug for her room..it is perfect and makes us all happy (except for Bailey who no longer has access to the room since she'd get it dirty)!

-Emily is loving her feet these days..what neat creations!

-She has also had her first bouts of sickness. Some bad colds mixed in with some croup. She always tries to smile through it, though...such an amazing little girl.
-Emily loves playing on her aquarium play mat and especially loves Ollie, the octopus, who hangs from it. Early on, he got a ton of smiles and laughs from her.
-We've started carrying Emily around in her Baby Bjorn and she enjoys it because she can see everyone. She loves to watch everyone and everything!
-Emily continues to grow. She is 26" now and 13 lbs 8 oz.

We could not be in love more than we are with our little redhead. She completes us!

She's Growing Up (and growing) So Fast!

2009-08-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Much has happened since my last post. Updating this is proving difficult with the rigorous demands of a new mom ;) Emily is doing so fantastic and we continue to marvel at how blessed we are to have such a healthy and happy little girl. Emily is nearly six weeks old now. Unfortunately, just this past Sunday, she experienced her first loss. Her great grandmother, MeeMaw, sadly passed away. Emily was lucky enough to have met her before she passed. MeeMaw held her for awhile at her house. As is typical, Emily managed to stay asleep the entire visit, but there is no doubt that she felt the love that MeeMaw had for her. Emily is a reminder of the circle of life. As one angel leaves this earth, another just begins her stay. A part of MeeMaw will always be with Emily as her blood runs through her. MeeMaw's funeral was occasion to make Emily's GiGi happy with her inaugural wearing of a bow in public! Emily wore the dress that MeeMaw had given her and accented it with a bow. She wore it well but still said she prefers to go bowless most of the time! We hope that it made GiGi happy though!

Emily had a doctor's visit on Monday and continues to amaze us with how she is growing. She was 24 inches (off the charts) and 10 lbs 8 oz (75th percentile). She is already being scouted for college basketball teams ;) The only downside to this growth is the fact that many of her clothes do not fit! She has a ton of clothes and can't wear many of them! I did see onesie extenders today at Babies R' Us but daddy does not think these would be too classy to put our daughter in! I have given up on guessing her weight as I am always over a pound under! I will just continue to eat my Wheaties so that Emily does, too!

Emily has been smiling now for awhile (see pic above of a big one) and it is one of the best sights we have ever seen. There are no words to describe how it warms our hearts and how we are always itching for another smile. (And it is not gas contrary to popular belief)! We hope her life is filled with endless happiness and smiles (and not much gas).

I have another full month off of work and will enjoy every minute of it getting to know our little girl and witnessing her newness. I will also do my best to keep updating this!

One Month!

2009-08-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday will be Emily's one month birthday. It is amazing how quickly time has passed. It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. She continues to amaze us with what a sweet and good baby she is. She has such a nice demeanor ... and each day we see a little more of a glimpse of her personality coming through. They say that you can't expect to see your baby smile until they are 3 or more months old, but our little girl is proving them wrong! There is no doubt about it that we get a full blown grin and amused face when we vibrate her lips with our finger and make a silly noise. She just opens her mouth wide..asking for more! It is extremely cute. She continues to grow and is nearly out of a lot of her newborn clothes! She has met many of her relatives and our friends this month...and enjoyed every one of them. Gigi and Papi have babysat her several times so that we can go on mini dates (basically just doing errands together)...both Emily and Gigi and Papi enjoy their time together. Bailey is adjusting to life with the baby and certainly sleeps later on the weekends! Emily loves tummy time with her daddy...it always puts her to sleep. Happy almost one month birthday, Emily, we love you!

BIRTHDAY! 07/19/09

2009-08-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

After 20 hours of labor, Emily Grace Nickell "graced" the world with her beautiful presence at 3:07 p.m on July 19th, 2009. Weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz and 21.5 inches long and with a head full of auborn hair and radiant skin, she sure was a breathtaking sight. It was love at first sight for everyone in the Jeroslow and Nickell families. We are so blessed to have Emily, a healthy and vibrant little girl. Life will never be the same, but we wouldn't want it any other way. Welcome to the world, Emily...it is your oyster!