Sleep

She finally did it! We knew she could, she just needed a little coaxing. As Emily was getting older she was getting smarter too. She quickly figured out that every time she woke up in the middle of the night Mama would come into her room, feed her, snuggle with her and put her back into a blissful sleep. I fell into this trap and was getting up with her frequently every night. Let's just say she slept better as a 2 month old than she did as a 8 1/2 month old. So... desperate times call for desperate measures right? Well I decided I would try to let her cry it out over the long Memorial weekend. I said I never wanted to do this, but it is amazing how sleep deprivation changes your perspective. Night 1 went ok. She cried once for me and I went in to let her know I was there but quickly left. She cried for 13 minutes...13 painful minutes for me. I just knew Emily was going to be furious with me the next morning. Actually just the opposite, she was smiling and seemed just as content as always. Night 2 we followed the same procedure, this time Emily cried for just 5 minutes. Really it was 5 minutes of whimpering and whining. Last night we were ready to continue following the sleep training procedure, but we didn't have to. She slept from 9:00-6:00! What a difference that made for both of us. If I had known how easily Emily would have adapted I would have done this months ago. Although I will be honest and say that I loved nursing her in the middle of the night. It was so peaceful, warm and cuddly... but so is my bed that I now get to stay in a little bit more each night!!

Emily Swinging at the Park on Memorial Day 1 of 2

Emily Swinging at the Park on Memorial Day 2 of 2

Mother's Day

I wonder who told Emily how much I liked lilac bushes? I had a beautiful set of bushes at the old house. This bush will be even more special as I will always remember its significance. Thanks Emmy!

Emily at 8 1/2 Months

Emily is a very busy 8 and a half month old. She is very close to crawling. She is eating very well now. Since we have delayed foods due to the allergy issue, we are still discovering new foods. So far she has liked: carrots, squash, sweet potato, pears, peaches, and bananas. Her new favorite food is the Gerber Finger Food Puffs. She is loving being able to feed herself. Her pincer grip is getting stronger everyday. She also seems to be in the "only Mommy will do stage," she need to know where I am at all times and prefers to be touching me if possible. While I love this new phase, it can make getting anything else done hard. I wear Emily in her sling a lot and she is very content and close to me which really helps in getting things done around the house. We are beginning the countdown to Summer!

Back from Atlanta

We all survived my trip to Atlanta. It sounds like Emily and Nate had a great time. There didn't seem to be too many bumps in the road. Nate did a great job of keeping me in touch as he sent me lots of pictures of Emily on my phone. Although I really missed my family, the reading conference was really good. I was able to attend many sessions that pertained to Kindergarten. I was also able to sneak off to the Coca-Cola Museum, The Georgia Aquarium and took a tour of the CNN Center. It was a nice trip, but I was really ready to get home and hug Emily. Nate says that she said "Ma Ma" while I was gone. Although since I have been home I haven't heard it. Maybe she was looking for me :).

Just Daddy and Emily

I am leaving for Atlanta in the morning to attend the International Reading Conference. I will be out of town until Thursday. I am going to miss Emily so much. I wish I really could just put her in my suitcase and take her along. Since that is not possible, she will get to spend some quality one on one time with her daddy.

It's been too long...

It has been too long since I have updated this blog. We have been very busy here at the Allen House. It all started with Emily getting sick. Poor little babe just couldn't breathe at all. How frustrating as a parent to not be able to do much to help them. The good news is she recovered fairly quickly just in time for the weather to get semi-nice and get us outside on many walks. I also found out that I am going to be teaching Kindergarten next year at Wright Elementary. The federal grant that I have been working under is expiring in June so I have been placed in a school on the SW side of Des Moines. I am very excited bout getting back into the classroom. The plus side is after working year round for the last 5 years, I get to enjoy the Summer with Emily and we have lots planned.

Gifts from Grandma

In April, Emily's Grandma H. went to Las Vegas. She just couldn't resist buying something for Emily. A bib, socks and a M&M candy dispenser that we plan on using for potty training down the road. Thanks Grandma!