Happy 1st Birthday to Our Princess

Our Sweet Pea

Emberlyn's first birthday is finally here! Wade and I have been reminiscing all morning about a year ago today... feeling contractions starting at 3:15 am, telling Wade to time them only to discover that he fell back to sleep, calling my mom around 7 am to tell her that I'm feeling some weird pains, still unsure if this is actual labor and contractions that I'm feeling, waiting for Wade to run his errands for work, still trying to figure out if this is labor, getting a phone call from the doctor's office to set up my induction a couple days later and then telling her that there's no need because I think I might be having this baby today, and then hanging up with the doctor only to nearly get sick all over Wade. At this moment, we decided to pack up the car and head to the hospital. I was convinced that we were going to be sent home because of false labor or not substantial progression. After I got checked out, I was told I was 4 cm. and 100% effaced. This is real! They're keeping me! About an hour later, my water broke. Now, things were really happening. About an hour after that, I was fully dilated and ready to meet my daughter. The only problem is I still hadn't received an epidural. Most people would just continue naturally, but I thought that was crazy! So, ready to start pushing, I asked for an epidural. My anesthesiologist was wonderful! An hour later, we still haven't met Emmy. The epidural had taken the feeling away, making it very hard to feel anything! Which is a GOOD thing, but not when you're trying to deliver a baby. Finally, at 5:24 pm our bundle of sunshine arrived. No words can satisfy our emotions. It has been so much fun watching her grow these last 12 months. From her little 8 lb. 1 oz. to now at a whopping 19 lb. 7 oz. Emberlyn Jade has experienced so much in her first year. Her Daddy getting deployed when she was 5weeks, making a cross-country trip to Texas to stay with family, driving to Illinois for Christmas, welcoming her Marine uncle home from Iraq, driving back to Virginia, and welcoming Daddy home after 7 long months. I'm so thankful for our families and getting the opportunity to be with them for Emmy's first 7 months. And I'm so thankful for the wonderful husband that I have. He's a loving father who has developed such a strong bond with Emberlyn. She is his little mini-me. Happy first birthday Emmy! Mommy and Daddy are so blessed to have you as part of our family! All I can say is...the 14 hours of labor- worth every second!!! We love you!

A Year of Memories

Nearly 1 Year!

How is she almost 1? It's hard to believe that her first birthday is Friday! We can't wait to celebrate! She's crawling, babbling, and growing nonstop! She LOVES reading books, playing with her "house" and her newest game is taking things out and putting them back in. She does this with our diaper bag, blocks, laundry baskets...anything you can think of! She also loves raising her hands high in the air with toys, and then letting them fall through her fingers, only to crash to the floor. It's very funny to watch. We visited Daddy at the airshow yesterday, since he had to work his squadron's booth. We were there for about an hour, and Emmy fell fast asleep on my lap. When does that ever happen...never! But she did, and we left shortly after. How you can sleep with jets zipping through the sky, I have no idea! But, she managed to just fine. We continue to have SO much fun with her. Daddy's really helping her out on this whole "walking" thing. She kicks her legs in the air, and sometimes crosses her feet over eachother while walking. I think she just does this to make us laugh. Because it works everytime! Emberlyn, Daddy and I can't wait to celebrate your first year! We love you!

And 11 Months Later, She's Crawling!

It might have taken her awhile, but she's finally CRAWLING! Last night while at our friend's for dinner, Emmy decided she wanted the diaper bag so much that she crawled about four feet to get her little hands in it! We couldn't believe it! We've been trying to catch it on video all week. And the one night, we don't have it, she decides to crawl. It was a sight to be seen! She was weebling and wobbling and moving those knees while trying so hard to not fall over. We were just screaming and clapping. I could not believe it! It turns out she's not going to be like her mama and go straight to walking. We are SO thrilled and excited. It's such a fun milestone! And now my next thought is...Ah! We need baby gates ASAP!

11 Months...We're Almost There!

Emmy is 11 months already! She's going to be 1 soon, and we can't wait! She's been a busy girl lately. Emmy's been having so much fun getting together with her friends. She loves to pat her younger friends' heads, and she loves to stare and admire her older friends, especially the ones that walk! I think she's taking mental notes. She just can't wait to walk. Wade and I were talking about how we haven't babyproofed yet, because she's not crawling or walking, but I know that's soon going to change! So, we better be prepared. We bought a bike seat for Emmy this past weekend, and she LOVES it! She wears a hot pink helmet, and she's adorable. I need to get pictures! So, when the weather clears up, the 3 of us are going to get out and ride the town. Happy 11 months Emmy! What did we ever do without you? You are an amazing girly. Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Emmy is not an accomplished crawler, nor walker, but she's trying! Emmy's been learning to get around from toy to toy by sitting, turning, and sort of scooting, and she's learning to pull up. But, she can't quite get the weight of her legs from kneeling to standing. It's hard work! I really can't believe what a big girl she's becoming. She truly amazes me.

Emmy's Newest Trick

Emmy LOVES to eat! Emmy's favorite part of mealtime is putting her food in her hair! I haven't seen anything quite like this. She loves to smear her food in her hair. Most often, I find Cheerios and the occasional pasta shell. She's a crazy one! I've been getting in the habit of stripping her down before she goes in her highchair because she constantly rips her bibs off and she loves making a mess. So, mealtimes have become quite interesting in the Ashley household...

Have you seen my Cheerio?

10 Months and 1 Year Molars

More teeth? We have 8 going on 12! Her poor gums have been a wreck this last week. She hasn't been sleeping, and has been biting ME like crazy! She loves her frozen teethers and sucking on ice pops. She loves the initial cool feel on her gums, but then screams out after her mouth is completely frozen. So, it's been a battle; she wants the ice on her gums so bad, but can't take the cold. I just can't wait for them to all break through. Enough pain and suffering already! My poor baby! Emmy has been up to so many tricks lately. She really tries to get around on her tummy. But she's still trying to figure out how to work those legs. I told Wade that by the end of the week, she'll be crawling. We'll see how that goes. She loves to read her books with flaps that she can lift and see what's behind. She also loves to turn the pages. She really enjoys watching other kids play. She could stare for hours. But what's really funny, is when she gets "in the zone", she becomes so serious. No smiles, no nothing. She zones out and is very curious about what's going on. I love how much she changes everyday. But at the same time, I miss all the "babiness" about her. She's becoming more independent. I know when Wade reads this, he's going to laugh because she's been quite a mama's girl lately. Emberlyn has been quite dependent on me, BUT all in all, she's getting good at playing on her own with her toys, feeding herself, and becoming curious of everything around her. Her hands are everywhere. The second you put her down, her arms shoot out in all directions, snatching everything in her vicinity. It's fun to watch her. I have to say, it's quite different around here without all the visitors. We miss each one of you!!! We had a wonderful time while Chelsea stayed with us for the entire month. If we could read Emmy's mind, I know she'd be saying, "Aunt Chelsea?! Where did my best friend go?" Thanks again for staying with us Chels! You're an amazing sister and an AWESOME aunt! Love you!!!

Teething's a messy job. But someone's gotta do it!