Electronics....

Just wondering what we did before Electronics....

I mean who knew a 16 month old could manipulate an Ipad like it was no big deal. Emery can pick it up and get right into the apps! If you don't have an Ipad or Iphone then you should know that the start up screen has a bar that you slide across to open up into the apps and menus! Crazy how YOUNG kids learn these days....
I would have to say that the Ipad is one of our BEST investments!! As it has so many different educational and fun apps for kids. I mean don't get me wrong..I love it for many reasons too but my favorite is by far how much fun the kids get out of it!

Of course they are NOT the best at "sharing" it....LOL

And I definitely have to give Max a time limit or he would stay on it ALL day...he loves all the sports games, learning games, and puzzles. One of his favorites is ABC Play! Emery likes anything with music really. She especially loves the Peekaboo Wild that I recently read about on a friends blog.

Our other "favorite" electronic in the house is the Wii!!

Emery has been trying to figure this thing out for a little while now...cracks me up how she will stand with the other remote and play along side Max like she is really doing something!

Max was over on the couch playing on the Ipad to figure out that Emery was trying to play basketball under Max's mi. Oh he was NOT happy about this....

He quickly restarted the game just so he wouldn't have a bad score! LOL

This is another piece that has to have a time limit....however, he is fine usually to get off after about 20 minutes anyways.

Especially when he WINS!!! This boy can get a perfect score on the Wii Sports Resorts Basketball!! Can you believe it! He has been doing it for a few months! I can't even get close to his score!!! LOL

Anyways...kindof a random post but just wanted to share two of the things we use daily in our household during the winter months!! I am pretty sure these will get used much less as the weather gets nicer outside!!!

First few days of the NEW year! (Warning Completely Random)

I started out the New Years at work all weekend (Fri, Sat, and Sun night) but I have to say I was so blessed to be off Christmas weekend that it was totally worth it....even if I did miss all the fun family times over the weekend. I also didn't get any pictures nor did my sweet hubbie as he was quite busy with two small kids and family gatherings. I don't blame him one bit, I actually praise and adore him for taking such good care of our babies all weekend while I got my sleep during the day. Such a WONDERFUL husband and daddy to our kids!! Honestly, I have NO idea what I would do without him!! Love you sweetie!! Just a few cute pics at bathtime Monday night....

Seriously...check out those curls!!! I kindof hope they stay (because they are so adorable) but I am pretty sure they will be long gone after her first haircut....sadness...
Max and Daddy were playing some PS3 while I was giving Emery a bath. This is one of Max's new favorite things to do...watch his daddy play his football game! I say new only because I just got it for him recently as a Happy Graduation present. Anyways, Max loves watching Craig play. He runs around the room and tries to tackle Craig during it and even is Craig's little cheerleader/coach....it is quite hilarious to watch the two of them during this special bonding time!

So, I failed to mention we started our New Years out with a BANG!!! On Sunday afternoon Emery decided to pick up and carry my mom's glass scale! Sadly, she dropped it and it landed on the edge of her foot! Craig was helping Max to the potty so he wasn't able to get to her in time. He said her facial expression and scream was the most horrible thing he has ever heard. He so wanted to just take it all away. Poor baby was just pitiful when I got to my Mom's Sunday night..she wouldn't really walk that well and she was favoring it. I went on in to work and we decided it was best to just get her checked out. So....Emery had her FIRST (and hopefully last) ER visit on New Years night! Thankfully, nothing was broken or fractured that they could tell but they told us to just watch it for the next few days.

These pics were taken Monday night. Definitely bruised and still very swollen but she was walking around pretty good on it. She didn't want anyone touching it....notice her face as I tried to hold her foot to take pictures. Then she started swatting my hand away. Poor thing!! So blessed that it wasn't broken though! God was really watching out for her!!

To continue my random post...I took a picture of her in this dress because I forgot to over the holidays and I just thinks she looks so stinking cute in it! Thanks to J.Lakey for letting me buy it off her!!

On Tuesday we started back to our normal schedules....Craig went back to work after being off for 10 days :( It was so sad to have the kids get up and run to our room to check and see if Daddy was up. It ended up being a pretty good day though. We really didn't do too much...ran a few errands...and I started to do some major deep cleaning.

Miss Emery decided she WANTED to wear a bow today. She pointed to her bows and asked for one. We went through 3 different ones until I had the "right" one. She actually kept it on for about 10 min until she decided she was done with it! Ha!! This girl cracks me up with her many faces!!!

Wed the kids started back to school! Max was so NOT happy about it! He went in his room okay unlike Emery who pitched a royal fit when I dropped her off. So NOT like her either. I had to drop her off and explain her foot situation. She still wouldn't let me put shoes on her hurt foot so I didn't press the issue. So I dropped her off in socks only. The teachers didn't care as Emery NEVER keeps her socks and shoes on anyways. LOL I went straight home and continued my major cleaning...baseboards, blinds, fans, doors, etc. Everything got wiped down and clean clean cleaned!! I wanted to start the New Years out with a squeaky clean house. Still have a few minor things downstairs (oven, microwave, and our shower) and of course the upstairs. Hope to get that tackled throughout the rest of the week.

Just to ADD to Emery's not so good week...I picked the kids up and school and ran by the grocery on the way home. I only had to grab a few things but ended up leaving before I even did that...sigh...Emery decided to stand in the cart (strapped in) and she flipped back into the back part of the cart before I knew it! Seriously!! She was SCREAMING and Max was laughing saying "Mommy, I just watched Emery wipe out!" I quickly checked Emery over and saw that she seemed to be all intact and okay. I got her calmed down fairly quick and then I just bust out laughing and got the heck out of there. My poor child is so BUSY and accident prone!! I am pretty sure I won't be putting her in a cart for a while....

Anyways...the rest of the day went well. We got home and played for a while. Ate dinner and then headed to church. It was then that I noticed she had a nice goose egg on the side of her head...guessing that was from hitting the cart in the store. Boo!! Praying that the church doesn't call child protective services on us....

This pic is of her foot today. It is really just starting to looked bruised instead of swollen which is good. She is running around on it pretty good so I am thinking there are no hidden fractures in there. Now, to just pray that we can get through the rest of the week without any more incidents....

16 months...and a week!

Just a tad bit late with this post....but to cut me a little slack Emery turned 16 months two days after Christmas! So I had a lot to blog about before I could start this one :) It is called OCD and yes I know...they have meds for that...LOL

So our little priss is now weighing about 24 and a half lbs!! I am guessing she had a little growth spurt these past few weeks...or maybe it is because she is eating everything in sight. LOL I measured her to be 30 and a half inches. Which is smaller than she was at her 15 month checkup...I am pretty sure she didn't shrink so I am not sure what is going on with her measurements. Craig and I did it a few times just to make sure. Anyways...she finally made it on our little growth chart that I keep between the kids rooms. I will have to post a pic soon. Max was so excited for Emery that she has her name on there too! It was quite adorable!
Clothes: Size 12 and 18 months. Just really depends on brand and if it is a 2 piece set or not.
Shoes: Still 4s and 4 1/2s but I need to go get her foot measured because I think it has grown.
Diapers: Size 4
Sleeping has changed ever since the UTI. She wakes around 8am. Goes down for nap between 1 and 2pm and usually only sleeps an hour or hour and half. Then bedtime around 8:30 but she doesn't seem to fall asleep till closer to 9. I think that all happened because of her being in pain with the UTI. She stayed up till 10pm during all of that and would wake some during the nights. Then end up sleeping past 8. All of this will probably change again come March and daylight savings time....which I can't wait for I am so ready to be able to play outside everyday again!!!
Favorite toys: Her babies!! She has gotten so affectionate with them. She is just such a sweet sweet "mommy" to them! The kitchen, play food, musical toys, riding cars, dunking the basketball, and of course any piece of tupperware/plasticware in my kitchen she can find!

She is BUSY BUSY BUSY...but most kids are at this age...right?! You honestly can't take your eyes off her for long or she into something, climbing something, or running off to get into some kind of mischievous. I can't even tell you how many times a day this girl gets hurt! She is def going to be a rough and TOUGH little girl!! And let me tell you she is FEARLESS!! She will climb up on something just to jump off or fall off!! She loves to STAND on anything and everything!!! Like I said....NO FEAR!!!

She is a girl of MANY faces!!! Her personality has really been showing more and more!! All I can say is she is our little priss, drama queen, dramatic, loving, caring, stubborn, sweet, affectionate, independent, full of attitude baby girl!!! And I LOVE everything about her!! She is just so much fun to be around even if she has some MAJOR meltdowns every once and a while :)

As for talking...some new words..."my" (aka mine...she will grab something and hold it close to let you know that it is hers). NO! oh yes we hear this quite a few times a day...."ba" aka ball, "tee" for teeth, and lots of other words that I honestly can't make out. She does talk a lot but you just can't understand most of it.

She LOVES to sing!! She tries to sing ABCs, Jesus Loves Me, God our Father, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and If your Happy and you know it. She really has the tune down pat and she can hum it pretty well. She inserts her "words" per say and it so cute to listen to her sing. I really need to get my video camera out more and tape her!! Before meals...she will wait to eat, grab our hands, bow her head, and start singing God our Father. It is so adorable and Max usually gets mad and wants to do it by himself....but hey its a learning game around here :) She will also stop in the middle of dinner and want to pray again and again and again! LOL What can I say the girl loves to sing!!

Remember I said affectionate....she loves to give kisses, blow kisses, and give hugs!! She now is puckering up to give you kisses and making sound effects!! So stinking cute!

She LOVES to laugh and make you laugh!! I love that she will run up to hug you just a giggling and smiling. Such a HAPPY HAPPY girl most of the time!! I so wish I could bottle her up sometimes!! I just don't want to forget this precious stage she is in!!

Still loving church and school even though she has a little bit of separation anxiety as I leave her. I can stand at the door and she is fine in 2 seconds flat.

Overall...she is just a little ham with so much character and personality!! She doesn't meet a stranger and she loves to say "hey" to everyone when we are out! She is truly our "little sunshine!!" and we are so BLESSED that God gave her to us!!!

A new tradition...

I didn't realize I was starting a new tradition but last year I made this cute little plate with Max and Emery's feet print at Paint a Piece. I made one for my mom too as her birthday is the beginning of December. I am not sure why I forgot to post about it but I did.

So, this year I decided to make another fun plate at Paint a Piece...and one for my Mom's bday again! And wala...just like that I started yet another tradition!
Kindof LOVING this new little tradition! Something fun to make with the kids each year and something sentimental to hold onto for years to come! There are so many different things I can put handprints and feetprints on at the pottery store. First year was a small plate and this year was a medium platter. Now to be thinking of what next years will be.....

Just PLAYING!

Most of this week with Craig home has been spent just playing!! I did spend most of Monday cleaning and reorganizing but other than that it has been some quality playtime together as a family!

Here are a few pics of the kids playing in the ice cream ballpit! This is probably Emery's favorite toy next to her kitchen!
She LOVED the ball pit we had before. It sadly got a hole in it and had to be thrown out. But we have a TON of balls put up so I got her this one a while back to give to her at Christmas. And I can easily say that it is a hit in our house!

Emery and Max love throwing ALL the balls out and then chasing each other around as they throw them back into the pit.

I think Emery would do this all day if Max would just sit in their with her. In the morning she can't wait for Max to get up. Lately, she has been saying "bubba" when I go in her room to get her and she will want down. Then she goes and tries to bang on his bedroom door to wake him! LOL One moring this week when he came out of the room she said "hey bubba!" and then immediately ran and sat in the ball pit waiting for him to join her. It was so so cute!

We have been playing with all Max's new games, puzzles, and one of Max's new favorite toys his Trio blocks! We must get more to add to his starter collection! You can really make a lot of cool things with these blocks. I must say I have enjoyed playing with them too!

We have really had a lot of playtime with the kitchen too! Max even gets in there and plays with it.

I got this little shelf at Target to keep all the kitchen stuff organized. The kids love having everything right there close by.

And I love it for easy clean up.

Some of the other favorite toys have been all the Melissa and Doug play food we got. I have been really surprised with how much Max plays with all of it. I have some of the kits on the top shelf as Emery thinks she needs to eat some of the toppings to the pizza and birthday cake. Oh well, I still let her play with them just do it supervised. Like I said before....just playing this week!!!