The Day After Christmas

Saturday evening Rachel and Andrew arrived and we ate and opened presents at Bradley's parents house. Emory had a good time and really liked this little santa hat!

She still was not feeling her best but enjoyed seeing Aunt Rachel and Uncle Andrew and playing with her new toys! Side Note- That is why blankie bear is in every picture just about, she would not let her out of her sight, she loves that thing and needed her why she felt bad. Side Side Note- If you are wondering, yes I did manage to get it washed everyday!

This is Emory doing her classic "Oh no." Whenever someone says oh no Emory puts her hands to her face/head and goes "Oh no." In this picture her hat fell off and she did an "Oh no," but with just one hand because she was holding her blankie bear in the other. She has started to call blankie bear Dot. We are not sure how she came up with that name, but she is definitely saying Dot and not dat. So blankie bear is now officially Dot.

Emory loved playing with the bows. They are definitely her favorite part of unwrapping presents.

She got this little instrument set from her Mimi and PeePaw and she knew just what to do with the drum sticks. She also likes to put the drum strap on and wear it like a purse. She is really into purses now and walks all over the house with all 3 of her little purses on.

She loved this little toy too!

All in all we had a wonderful Christmas at Bradley's parents and got many wonderful things, including a family bible which I loved. We also celebrated Rachel's birthday who turned the big 30 Christmas day. I can say her age, because I will be turning the big 30 in March. SIGH!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

After Emory played with her presents from Santa, Bradley and I it was time to get dressed and get cooking because we were expecting a house full... 13 to be exact. My parents, grandmother, aunt, Cameron, Noah, Blake, and Bradley's parents, grandmother and uncle all came over. Emory had been sick all week and although she was not 100% she was feeling much better.

Emory sitting in the middle of all her presents just taking it all in. You can see in her eye's that she was not feeling well, poor baby.

But once everyone started opening presents she perked up a bit and joined in. She really liked climbing on this present.

Ripping into a present. She got real good at opening presents. I am curious to see if she remembers how next month at her birthday party.

Showing mommy a new jogging suit she unwrapped.

Noah showing me all his presents, which consisted of Lego's and board games. His FAVORITE!

Emory liked the bows!

Noah James (7 years old) and Emory Grace (11 months)

Christmas 2009

Despite Emory having a cold we had a wonderful Christmas and I am so very thankful for everything God has blessed us with this year! I am looking forward to the new year and Emory's first birthday party! Still can't believe she is already going to be a year old. As well as the birth of Rachel and Andrew's baby who will be arriving sometime in July! I can't wait to see how Emory reacts to a new little cousin!

Baby's 1st Christmas

Christmas morning 2009

Christmas morning Emory awoke to find toys from Santa, Mommy and Daddy. I decided not to wrap her gifts from us this year and instead just set them out with her gifts from Santa. I did not want to overwhelm her with all the unwrapping, plus she had a cold and was not feeling her best. She was a little amazed at first. She just stood and looked at everything for the longest time. After awhile her Daddy gave her a little nudge towards her presents and I guess she finally realized they were hers. She then had to check out each and every toy, point, and say "dat." Even though she was not feeling great she seemed to really enjoy her toys and I loved watching her expressions, especially when she realized what everything was/did!

Emory in her new bean bag chair with her sock monkey. She loves to climb the bean bag!

This was a present to Mommy from Daddy. I got to open it before everyone came over because it was a new camera that needed to be put to use! Emory figured out how to unwrap things very quickly!

Emory riding her new rocking cow named Patches. She just climbed right up and started rocking!

The pig, little lady bug purse and drink cup were in her stocking. Emory must have been thirsty from all the playing because she immediately put the straw in her mouth.

Santa Claus

On Saturday I took Emory to the mall to get her picture taken with Santa Claus. I was a bit nervous and unsure how Emory was going to react to him. While we waited in line she watched all the kids take their turns sitting on his lap and would wave and tell them hi. Then it was Emory's turn. When I put her on Santa's lap she cried for a second or so but then stopped once he started talking to her. She wasn't much for smiling and I could tell she was very unsure who this strange man was all dressed in red. But after a few goofy faces we managed to get a little smile. So here is Emory's first picture with Santa.

After Santa Emory and I finished our Christmas shopping and then came home and played. Emory also decided last week that she no longer likes to crawl and LOVES to walk. I do not think she crawled once this weekend. She apparently thinks that she has mastered walking because she started running on Saturday. The running still needs some work, but she is so cute doing it.

11 Months Old

Yesterday Emory turned 11 months old. She has really changed over the past two months or so and is looking more and acting more like a toddler.

- She is still wearing a size 3 diaper

- She wears 6-9 month, 9 month, and some 12 month clothes, which are still a little big.

- She wants to eat whatever Bradley and I are eating

- She gives hugs and kisses which I adore

- She has learned to drink from a straw

- She is walking more and more, but is still a little wobbly at times, especailly when wearing certain shoes

- She loves her stuff animals and her blankie bear and gives them big hugs when she sees them

- She loves to point at something and say "dat" and then wait for us to tell her what it is she is pointing at

- She can say daddy, dog, dat (that), oh, iwuvu (I love you), hello, hi, bye, mamamaa (mommy) and I think duck.

- She has started to pitch little fits when she does not get her way but is starting to learn that those are not going to work!

- She already understands the concept of the telephone and puts her shoes, toys, etc. to her ear and says hello. This is our new favorite game to play.

Emory asleep snuggling with blankie bear

This was this past weekend at our hotel in Fredericksburg. She loved spinning around in this desk chair. She then decided she would stand up in the chair. This was her expression when I told her to sit down.

She did not listen! This is her expression thinking she got away with standing in the chair.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We had a very fun and busy weekend, which included cutting down our Christmas tree, decorating it, and attending the lighted Christmas parade. Every year Bradley and I go to a local Christmas tree farm and pick out our Christmas tree. Emory seemed to enjoy picking out the tree and really liked it when it fell to the ground. We yelled TIMBER and clapped for daddy who cut it down. Later that evening we went to the Christmas parade which had over 100 lighted floats. Our town is the oldest in Texas and its history is celebrated during November and December through the Nine Flags Festival. The floats in the Christmas parade have to represent at least one of the nine flags that have flown over Nacogdoches and of course Christmas. Emory really seemed to enjoy the parade but got a little sleepy towards the end. On Sunday we decorated our big Christmas tree plus a little one for Emory’s room. I started a Santa ornament collection for her and her little tree is decorated with Santa’s. Emory also surprised us again with her climbing abilities and took it upon herself to climb the 6 foot ladder I was using to decorate the tree. She sure is strong for such a little thing and does not seem to be afraid of heights. All in all we had a wonderful weekend and I think Emory really had fun! Now I have to get busy wrapping presents!

Our Christmas tree!

She was quite proud of herself after she reached the top.

This is the tree we picked out. It is 10 feet tall!

One of the floats!

Emory loved the horses!

Every parade needs Elvis singing Christmas carols!

I thought this float was cute!

Emory had a good time watching the Christmas parade!

Thanksgiving & Garage Sales

We have been very busy since my last post having had two Thanksgivings and a garage sale. The weekend before Thanksgiving we celebrated Thanksgiving at Bradley’s parents and Emory got to meet her great uncle and second cousin from Colorado and California for the first time. We also learned that she will soon have a new cousin and are very excited to report that Aunt Rachel and Uncle Andrew are expecting a baby in July. YEAH!! Then Thanksgiving Day we loaded up and headed to my parents house for our second Thanksgiving and a garage sale. Yes, my mother had a garage sale the day after Thanksgiving, which turned out to be quite successful given it was the busiest shopping day of the year. My parents are moving or have sort of moved to El Dorado, Arkansas. My dad took a position there with his former company so we had the garage sale to get rid of things that they did not need or want to have to pack for the move. Emory especially enjoyed playing with my mother’s beanie baby collection which is now quite smaller thanks to the sale! She also liked playing and inheriting Noah’s toddler toys, she especially enjoyed being pushed on the tricycle which now resides at our house. All in all we had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and our very thankful for all the blessings we have received this year.

She thinks it is funny to squat!

Emory thinks her sunglasses are hilarious.

Ready to ride!

She loved being pushed on Noah's old lawn mower.