Emberlyn is This Big!!!

Emberlyn had her 4 month check-up on Monday. Wow has she grown! She's 14 lb. 1 oz., which is in the 50th percentile. And she is 26 1/2 inches long, above the 95th percentile! Emberlyn's going to be taller than me on her first birthday at this rate! I asked the doctor about her cold, and her chest sounded clear. Looks like she has an upper respiratory infection. Hopefully in 3-5 days, it'll be over and done with. We pushed the shots back a few weeks. So, we still have this to look forward to. Or I should say NOT forward to.
Other than that, she's doing fantastic, and I couldn't be more proud. We got to talk to Daddy several times in the last few days. We both had webcams, so he got to see Emmy in action. That was amazing! He's dying to get back to her! We miss him so much, and are currently counting down the weeks, because the days seem too long, until he comes home. We love you Wade!!!

To Emmy, From a Dear Friend

A BIG thank you to Mrs. Bayne! She knit Emberlyn the most precious baby blanket for these cool Texas nights. It's gorgeous! And I don't think it could have made Emberlyn happier! Emberlyn loves it! She doesn't have any blankets quite this soft, so she snuggles with it, and likes to cover her face with it. It's already at the top of her list for naptime! We are going to get a lot of use out of it, I can tell!

Emberlyn's 4 Months Old!

Happy 4 month birthday to Emberlyn! I really can't believe time has gone as fast as it has. Moments spent with her are cherished. Although she's been fighting a cold now for a week, she can't stop smiling. I overload Wade's email with pictures about every other night. The pictures of her "squinted" smile, eat him up! He can't get enough. She must know that Daddy loves it. I've learned so much from her in these short four months. Here are a few lessons learned from my little miss. #1 Patience. On some days, running errands with an irritable baby may seem like an impossibility. But, with patience, it's amazing how things get done. This is a daily lesson, but I'm learning! #2 Love. Love isn't necessarily a "new" thing that I've learned. But, this kind of love is something else. The moment she came into my life, the world paused, and it was just me and her. I was head over heels. She reminds me so much of her Daddy. She's a constant reminder of the love I share with Wade. #3 Self confidence. I've had to learn to be aggressive and strong-willed when it comes to dealing with insurance and pediatric offices. What a pain! But it's made me a more aware, independent, and self-confident mother.
#4 Strength. Emberlyn gives me so much strength as we go through this first deployment together. My family, undoubtedly, is at the root of my strength as well. Without them, I can't imagine going on a journey as difficult as this. Everyday she gives me a sense of purpose. My job everyday is to shower her with love, give her hugs and kisses from Daddy, and nurture her every need as she thrives. And it's the job of a lifetime! Emberlyn, you're an amazing little girl. You inspire me everyday. I can't wait to see what's around the corner! Thank you God, for this sweet, sweet girl!

Someone Wants Her Mommy

Emberlyn cried for me for the
first time today!!! Yeah, that's right. She cried for her mommy! I was running around the house like crazy today trying to get things done, and each time I walked out of the room, Emberlyn would cry. Then, I would come back into her line of sight, and she'd smile! And I would sing to her, "Mommy comes back, she always comes back to get you!" Oh she is too cute! Cute now, later on... well, it may be a little less cute. But I'm loving it now! What new mommy doesn't want to feel needed?

Not My Emberlyn!

What's a mom to do with a baby who's got the sniffles? Cry her eyes out! Well, Emberlyn was sick for the first time on Sunday. She came down with a fever, but you wouldn't even know it.
She was playing and acting just fine. Her symptoms were that of allergies. She had red, watery eyes, stuffy nose, a little cough, and a slight fever. At night, I rested her head on a pillow so she could recline and let her nose drain. That night, I couldn't suction her nose enough! All the poor girl wanted was her pacifier. But her nose was so stuffy, she had to spit it out to breathe again. It was very frustrating for her. Her naps have been limited, and Emberlyn is just wiped. She got much better as the day went on. We may need to postpone her doctor's appointment, scheduled for the 29th of this month, so she is at her optimal health for her four month shots.


SURPRISE!!! Emmy laughed for the first time today! It was a complete belly laugh. She was cracking up!!! We were doing our arm and leg exercises, as we normally do, and as soon as I raised her hands above her head, she busted up laughing! AMAZING! There's nothing more gratifying than seeing her smile and HEARING HER LAUGH!!!

Love you girly!

New Emmy Making Her Debut

Emberlyn has changed overnight!!! She woke up earlier this week and turned into a new baby! Her transformation has been amazing to watch. She has this little "whine" she does. I call it a whine, but she's really not fussing. She just loves to hear her voice! She loves hearing all the funny noises she can make. She squeals, she snorts, she laughs, and gets very excited. She tries so hard to tell me things! It's amazing!!! She has this smile that takes over her entire face. She loves to smile. And instead of sitting there trying to make her smile, and trying my very hardest to
catch just a smidge of it on camera...she does it continuously! She smiles, and holds it while Mommy snaps away. She's my favorite girly in the world! It's so funny to see how fast she's growing. Her clothes can't keep up! I'm already getting her stocked up on 12 month clothes. It's funny, because she can still wear her newborn shoes. I'm sure her feet will catch up soon! I count my blessing with her everyday. I love you Emberlyn, Mommy's little butterbean!

Gifts from Daddy

Yay! I FINALLY got to open my Christmas present from Wade. It was the most beautiful jewelery box I have ever seen. It was hand-crafted in Sorrento, Italy. Thank you honey! I'll cherish it forever!
We also got a package from Wade yesterday. In it there were two cd's. He made one especially for little Emberlyn. I told him that she hasn't been sleeping very well the past few weeks. So, he made her the cutest lullaby cd! And...it's already worked! What do you know? Daddy knows best! We also got a cd with lots of pictures! Emberlyn seemed fascinated by one in particular. She loves her Daddy! We also got a video message! We are going to be playing that one over and over and over.
The video itself seems like the shortest five minutes in the world! It's so good hearing his voice and seeing his face. We miss him so much! Wade received the DVD I sent him about a month ago, and unfortuntately, there was NO sound to it. At least he got to SEE Emmy in action! I've been emailing him lots and lots of pictures of our ever-changing daughter. And he's just amazed at how fast she's growing- 15 weeks already! Let's see, what's Emberlyn doing these days? Well she has a voice and she loves it!! Her favorite time to talk is around bedtime. She likes to tell me all about her day. She also loves going on walks in her stroller. The weather in Texas has been very good to us. We can still get outside in January without bundling up! I just bought a baby yoga video today. So, that's going to be our new hobby. We tried it out for a little while this afternoon. And Emberlyn reminded me that I just fed her! Oops! In the future, I'll have to work around the feeding schedule, but I can tell we're going to have TONS of fun working out together!

The Start of a New Year

Wow! December was a whirlwind. It came and went, and now we're at the start of a new year. Well, we ended the month with a trip to see my extended family. We packed up the car and headed to Illinois for Christmas. And it was amazing! It was about a 16 hour drive, so we broke it up into 2 days. Both sides of the family (mom's and dad's) have been anticipating this big event for several months. They could not wait to meet the newest addition! First, we stopped to see my dad's side of the family. It was great! Emberlyn and cousin Hayden got along wonderfully. Hayden was just loving on her. She wanted to hold her and open her arms big and wide to
give Emmy hugs! Grandma Wells was ecstatic to see her first great-grand baby! She can finally match a face to all those pictures she's been receiving.
Next, we headed to my mom's side of the family. Grandma Zimmerman fell in love at first glance. (Also the first great-grand baby.) I don't think I held Emberlyn for more than five minutes at their house! My cousins, aunts, and uncles couldn't get enough. Unfortunately, our white Christmas melted a couple days before our arrival. It was in the twenties the entire time we were there. Our shopping trips and errands were limited because it took about thirty minutes to bundle Emberlyn up. I do NOT miss that weather. The drive back to Texas went really well. We only had two meltdowns. I don't know what we would have done without our Baby Einstein DVDs. She just ooooos and aaahhhhs at the screen. It's so funny how those movies can just hold a 3 month old's attention! Yes! Emberlyn's three months already! I can hardly believe it! She'll be 14 weeks on Wednesday. Someone tell me where the time has gone! I can't even begin to explain how much her personality has grown. Her expressions are really coming alive. She's becoming a lot more aware of her surroundings. She is in love with her doll, is fascinated by lights and sounds on her toys, and of course recognizes mommy's voice! Gotta love that one! She has her next doctor's appointment on the 29th of this month. So, we'll see how much she's grown! Most memorable moments of 2007- finding out that we were pregnant in January, carrying our baby girl for nine months, an experience that I absolutely cherished! Buying our very first home, meeting and holding Emberlyn for the first time, watching Wade change a diaper for, pretty much, the FIRST time in his life, seeing what an amazing dad Wade is and how natural it comes to him, and seeing him off on his first deployment. It's been quite a year. We can't wait to dive into 2008 and celebrate a thousand more milestones including Wade's much anticipated return! We love you all!

Happy New Year!