Morris Family

So High

2011-11-19T12:24:00.000-06:00

OMG I couldn't push her high enough. She has laughing so hard - adorable!!

First Day of Preschool

2011-11-18T12:10:00.000-06:00

Since Emma was 6 months old, she was at an in-home daycare that we absolutely loved. She was even able to be at the daycare the same time that Elle started, so they were together for a little while. Chaz and I decided that we needed to move her to a preschool because Leah (daycare provider) had mostly babies, and Emma was by far the oldest. We wanted her to be in a setting where she was around kids her own age, and there was a more structured environment.

We found a perfect preschool for Emma to go to that is right around the corner from our house. We started her the Tuesday after Labor Day. The first few weeks were really rough. She cried when we dropped her off every morning, but her teacher said that she was fine after we left. She finally started to make friends and stopped crying when we dropped her off. She constantly talks about how she loves her friends and loves her teachers. She asks me every morning if she is going to "Ms. Hinna's House" (that's her teachers name and what she calls the daycare) today. She gets pretty upset when it's the weekend, but looks forward to going during the week.

As you know, back in June we started potty training Emma. One of the stipulations of getting into her class was that she had to be potty trained. After the first month of potty training, she finally got the hang of things, and I'm so grateful that my mom talked me out of quitting.

Emma is learning so many new things at her school that completely amaze me. I think that the initial transition was a little rocky, but she is doing great now. She even has a little boyfriend named Braden. They get into trouble for kissing in the corner. I know, they are only two. I have my hands full.

First Hair Cut - September 5th

2011-11-17T12:01:00.000-06:00

We decided the get Emma's hair cut because it was so long, and it was so hot outside. I just wanted to get a little trimmed off so the ends would be nice and neat. I thought that she would freak out, but she was so calm. I gave her a starburst, and that kept her content the whole time. I feel like the pictures make her look like we drugged her, but we didn't. We ended up getting about 2 inches cut off, and it looked so cute!! All day long she talked about how she got her hair cut, and when we were going to do it again.

Day at the Park

2011-11-17T11:49:00.000-06:00

A day at the park. Emma loves the park so much. I almost hate it when we go because it is such a fit to get her to leave. Major bribery happens (just saying). She will go down the slide a thousand times if she had time. We found this little park tucked between a few houses just down the street that is perfect for a toddler. Also, there are hardly ever any other kids there which is awesome.

Cousin Love

2011-11-16T11:43:00.002-06:00

Emma and Bella... In April, Chaz's sister Summer moved to Washington with her 5 kids. Emma loves her cousins so much. They were able to come to visit for about a month during the summer, and Emma had so much fun hanging out with Bella. As you can see, Blonde hair and Blue eyes comes from Chaz's side of the family.

Emma & Doug

2011-11-16T11:35:00.002-06:00

Emma and Doug (our next door neighbor). She loves him so much. Emma always asks where Doug is when we leave the house or come home. When we go to get the mail she will run over there if their garage is open. It is really cute. We're lucky to have awesome neighbors.

July 4th 2011

2011-10-25T13:02:00.003-05:00

For the weekend of July 4th, we went to a friends house for a barbeque. Emma had so much fun in the pool! I have to admit that because it was so hot outside, it actually was NOT refreshing to get into the pool. It felt like warm bath water. Crazy how hot the summer has been...

I know that the pictures aren't great shots of our friends backyard, but he has a backyard out of a magazine. It is amazing with the palm trees and the stone work. One day...

I know, I know...

2011-10-25T12:58:00.002-05:00

Has it really been 4 months since my last post??? I have seriously fallen off the posting wagon, but I am really going to try to make an effort over the next few weeks to get things updated. Things have been good at our house, just busy busy with Emma and everything.

On to a new post!!!

Why Do We Have to Potty Train Kids???

2011-06-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I took Emma to gymnastics. While I was there, I overheard a mom ask her daughter if she needed to go potty. I ran over to her and said "Kelly, please tell me that Piper is not potty trained?". Yes, she was, and they did it over Memorial Day weekend. We talked a little more about Emma and Piper, and she reassured me that Emma was probably ready.

Emma would tell me after she went potty or pooped.

Emma would say "new diaper" when she was wet.

She communicates really well.

She follows instructions that are given to her.

She would have a dry diaper for long periods of time.

So, after feeling completely jealous that someone 2 months younger than Emma was potty trained, I decided that we would get Emma potty trained as well. That same weekend, we headed to Walmart to go Big Girl panty shopping. We got her tons of panties and different stuff for the big event. After looking at the calender, I realized that June 25th would be the date. The weekend of the 11th, we had Chaz's company party, and then the weekend of the 18th was Father's Day and we were planning on going out of town. So, the 11th, I take Emma to gymnastics and I was so proud to tell Piper's mom, Kelly, that we were going to shoot for the 25th and that if we didn't go to gymnastics we were at home on the potty.

Well, Chaz wasn't able to get off on the 18th to head to the lake like planned so I decided to move up our date to the 18th. So exciting. Emma is so smart, and she will get this and then it will be done.

June 18th...
Saturday morning, Emma woke up at 8:30. So immediately, we put on a pair of panties and headed for the toilet. At this point, I didn't have a floor potty for her, we had a built in child's toilet seat for her. She sat on the toilet until 9:45 and she just wouldn't go. I was okay, but a little irritated. I had given her plenty of water, snacks, and juice. I get her off the toilet, and within 5 minutes, she pees in her panties. I was still good. I told her that she needed to keep her panties dry and to pee in the potty, blah blah blah. So after about another 15 minutes, we headed back to the potty. This time, she sat for about 30 minutes and wouldn't go. After she got off, within 5 minutes she had again peed in her panties. At this point, I was starting to get really frustrated. Again she goes potty in her panties and I am done. I throw my hands in the air, and I say "fine, lets go get a diaper on". Immediately, I call my mom and start crying about how hard this is and she just doesn't get it and I can't do it and I quit. She told me that I had already spent 2 hours with her, and if I quit now I will have to redo those 2 hours all over again another day. After getting off the phone I felt a little better. Emma and I ran to Walmart to get a child's potty for the floor and a few more m&ms and headed back home. We parked the potty on the family room floor and I kept feeding her m&ms to keep her on the toilet. By noon, she had been sitting on the potty for about an hour, and then finally she just went. I cried because I was so happy that she went. I screamed and yelled about what a good job she did and that she was such a big girl. We had lots of hugs and kisses and hoorays!

After the first potty, I had higher hopes, but I knew that we were still far from perfection. About 15 minutes after going potty, I sat her back down on the potty to have lunch. She sat and sat and sat, and she finally went again. That afternoon, after nap, she had 1 more accident. Day 1 down, a lot more to go. I was extremely relieved that the day was over. I have never sat on the floor so much in my life. Hopefully, day 2 (Father's Day) will go better.

June 19th...
On Sunday morning, Emma woke up at 6:45, why? So, we put her panties on and headed out of her room for the potty. At this point, I am sure that she was thinking, "seriously we have to do this again". She wanted nothing to do with the potty, and candy at 7:00 in the morning was not what she wanted to eat. She finally went, hooray good start for day 2. I kept putting her on every 20 minutes or so and if she didn't go within a few minutes I would try again a few minutes later. She was doing really good, but every half hour she would trickle just enough to need new panties. Is this how it is going to be? Why are you in panties if you really truly can't hold your bladder? I started to get frustrated again, but not to the point of quitting. Later that morning, my mom came over again to bring Emma a few presents and encouraging words. She went through 3 panties before her nap time, but only one was a true accident, the others were just trickles. Emma went down for a nap, and even though I wanted a nap myself, I needed to get ready for Father's Day dinner. My dad was coming over, so I needed to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things and start getting dinner ready so that I wasn't overwhelmed when they got to the house. After Emma's nap, and throughout the rest of the evening, she had ZERO accidents. That is right people, ZERO. She was also going 1 1/2 hour stretches in between going to the bathroom, no trickling, my hopes were soaring. Hopefully the 20th will be good too while she is at daycare.

June 20th...
On a normal Monday morning, Emma is usually so tired that she sleeps in until I get her up 10minutes before we have to go. This Monday had to be a little different. I woke her up about 30 minutes before we needed to leave so that I could put her on the potty. Within 5 minutes she went potty. I'm so excited that this is working out so well!! We head to daycare, and she freaks out because she got 1/4 of the amount of juice than she normally gets, but we make it to daycare with no accidents. Once we get up to the house, I let Leah (her daycare provider) know what is going on and what I do that kind of works and so on. After I leave, I pray that she will have a good day and that she will continue to improve. At about 11, I text Leah to see how she is doing. She had one accident, and she still hadn't gone in the potty. Why are we backtracking, we have already established going in the potty? After another 2 hours, Emma still wouldn't go in the potty. At this point she was down for a nap so there was no point in worrying. I got the idea to have my friend record me giving Emma a motivating speech with lots of encouraging words. I e-mailed it to Leah, and when Emma woke up from her nap she played the video for her. She said that Emma was so excited to see me on the computer and she went pee in the potty right away. That night, when we got home, she went potty twice, and then we went out to dinner with my Mom and family. She didn't have any accidents in the restaurant (YEA)!

June 21st-today...
Each day we are getting progressively better. On Tuesday, Emma did well at daycare, and yesterday she did even better. As of 12:00 today, she hadn't had any accidents. I just keep encouraging her to use the potty and I tell her that it is time to go. Every once in a while, she will tell me that she has to go, but I am usually the one to say "it's time". I am very proud of myself for sticking to it, and I am very thankful that my mom talked me into not quitting. This has probably been one of the most stressful and most demanding things that I have had to do as a parent. In the past 5 days, I haven't been able to say "oh well, we'll try next time", I have to be extremely consistent so that she will continue to get better at keeping her panties dry all the time.

I know that we are going to have to continue to watch her closely to make sure that she isn't having accidents, but everyday that we get through is one day that I am closer to having a completely potty trained kid. I will continue to update her progress, and more pictures of her cute little tush in panties.

Big Girl Bed

2011-06-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

If you can't understand, Emma says "One second, k". She is a funny little thing.

So, I have kind of been toying with the idea of potty training Emma. When I was getting tips and suggestions from people, one of my co-workers asked if Emma was in a toddler bed yet. I told her that she was still in a crib and we loved it because she couldn't/wouldn't get out. Anyways, so that night, I told Chaz that maybe we should convert her bed and make the potty/bed thing into a huge "BIG GIRL" thing. So, on a Wednesday night, we converted her bed. In the process, I kind of hit Chaz in the head with a two by fourish piece of wood that was on the front of Emma's bed, opps.

She absolutely loves it. She thought it was the most exciting thing ever. She kept screaming "look" over and over again. So, the first night, I kept waking up thinking that she was going to be standing at the edge of the bed, but she wasn't. In fact, she will not get out of her bed unless we open her door in the morning, or go in and get her. Hooray!!! Now, how is nap time going to go... Well, that next Saturday, she did great. She slept really well and then when she woke up she started to cry until I went in and got her out. We converted her bed two weeks ago, and she still won't get out on her own. I wonder how long this will last?

Hurricane Harbor - Company Party

2011-06-23T11:45:00.008-05:00

Every June, Discount Tire, has a company picnic for all of the full time employees and their families. It has been at a ranch, Six Flags, a baseball stadium, and now at Hurricane Harbor. We didn't initially want to take Emma because then it would really limit what Chaz and I were able to do, but we didn't have a choice, so with us she came!!! We had a great time. The park wasn't too crowded which is always nice. Once we got Emma into the water, she didn't want to leave. She had so much fun in the water playing and splashing. Her eyes were so tired and sore from the sun that tears were streaming down her face even though she wasn't crying. We finally got her home and she was so tired that she crashed hard once she got into bed. Like I said before, she will not take naps in the car no matter how tired she is. We had a great time!

Elle N' Em

2011-06-22T13:27:00.003-05:00

Emma looks giant... A couple of weeks ago, I had to stay home with Emma for a half day because her daycare provider was going to her son's graduation. I asked Trish if she wanted me to watch Elle for a few hours so that she could do whatever she wanted to do (sleep, read, watch tv, relax, whatever). She accepted my offer, and so Emma and I went to pick Elle up for the afternoon. As soon as we got home, Emma went down for a nap, so really I only had Elle to take care of. We snuggled and played. I will admit that she did throw a fit for a little bit, but I was more than happy to give Trish a break. Once Emma woke up from her nap, she was all up in Elle's grill. Poor little girl. Emma really knows how to smother a baby. She can't help it, she loves babies so much.

I was holding Elle, and Emma said "no, I sit". So, I put Elle on the pillow to hold Emma for a little bit, and as soon as I laid Elle down, she said "no, I lay down". They were so cute together, and Emma loves her cousin so much. Can't wait till Elle is a little older so that Emma doesn't accidentally hurt her.

I loved watching Elle, and I would do it again in a heart beat. As Trish will tell you, I am the baby hoarder. If Elle and I are in the same room together, she HAS to be in my arms. I can't help it, I want to eat her!!!

June - Virtual Quilting Bee

2011-06-22T12:21:00.004-05:00

These are the fabrics that I decided to use for my quilt. Not sure what will happen with the quilt when I am done, but I love all the different patterns. So, for my month, I decided that I wanted to do a disappearing nine patch, or some variation of squares and rectangles.

Here is my first ever disappearing nine patch. I love this pattern; it is quick and easy. There are so many different ways that you can arrange the fabrics that none of my squares will look identical.

This is my random non disappearing nine patch square. I know, my pictures of the squares are horrible (iphone). I will take more later.

So, I mailed out all of my fabric to each of the other 11 members. I know that in the end, the squares will all looking amazing. I can't wait to see what they all look like. I will post more about it once I receive more squares back.

Virtual Quilting Bee

2011-06-22T11:42:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, my cousin Elise asked me if I would be interested in joining a virtual quilting bee. My initial reaction was, "Umm, I better not because I am bound to let someone down". After talking to Trish about it, we decided that if we did it together, we would be able to hold each other accountable. So, at the beginning of April, I received my first package of fabric along with instructions. She wanted a block that used the flying geese pattern. I decided to use the pattern and create my own block to send back to her. This is what I came up with. It is a little bit plain, but for my first attempt I think I did pretty good.

The next month, May, was wonky stars. I thought that this was 100 times easier than the flying geese. I thought that they were fun and easy. This is what I came up with. The first one was pretty simple, and then the second one I added a border around the middle block. I was more proud of myself this month than last.

June is my month...scary!!!

**Sorry about the horrible pictures, but it is the best that my damn iphone will do.

Splash Park

2011-06-22T11:36:00.003-05:00

Emma and Daddy playing in the water

Emma getting splashed

We got invited by one of Emma's friends from gymnastics to go to this park close by our house. The park has a concreted area that has tons of fountains that shoot water in all different directions. At first, Emma was a little hesitant, but once she finally got wet, she loved it. When it was finally time to leave, Emma threw the biggest fit ever. She was having so much fun. I'm sure that we will be going back very soon.

Something Borrowed & Something Blue

2011-06-14T11:10:00.007-05:00

Something Borrowed, by Emily Griffin, is the story of two best friends, Darcy and Rachel. Darcy has always been the beautiful, popular girl, while Rachel is more down to earth and under the radar. After a night of drinking at Rachel's 30th birthday party, Dex (Darcy's fiancee) and Rachel end up sleeping together. This book is from Rachel's perspective.

I read this book with my friend Angela, and I just loved it. I felt like I could relate to the characters, and really grew to love/hate them. It was hilarious, sad, frustrating... I think that it pretty much hit every emotion out there.

Super light reading!

5 out of 5!

Something Blue, by Emily Giffin, the sequel to Something Borrowed, but it is in the perspective of Darcy. I'm not going to go into detail because then it will give away the ending of the first book.

These books were both amazing, and super quick reading.

5 out of 5!

Angela and I went and saw Something Borrowed, and it follows the book pretty closely and was freaking hilarious. If you don't get a chance to read the books, definitely watch the movie.

Water For Elephants

2011-06-14T10:58:00.003-05:00

Water For Elephants, by Sara Gruen, is about a man named Jacob who jumps a traveling circus train that is headed across the country. I am just going to leave it at that because I don't really feel like looking up what the back of the book says.

Anyway, MUST READ, NOW. I love this book, and I have actually read it twice now. I read it about 3 years ago, but when I found out they were making a movie, I needed to reread. I still haven't seen the movie, but I will eventually.

Oh, and I cried!

5 out of 5!

Memorial Day 2011 - 5

2011-06-06T14:08:00.005-05:00

Our last day, we headed back down to the beach to get a picture of us in front of the ocean. Emma stood on the compacted sand for about 1 minute before she lost it and wanted to be held. Baby steps!

Memorial Day 2011 - 4

2011-06-06T14:06:00.003-05:00

Just some cute photos that I got of Emma on the trip.

Memorial Day 2011 - 3

2011-06-06T13:44:00.007-05:00

After spending a couple hours at the outlet mall, Chaz and I decided to take Emma to the aquarium. It wasn't huge which was good because Emma has no attention span, but just big enough to see a bunch of really cool stuff.

Chaz holding a horseshoe crab. Emma hated them. She touched it for 1 second before she realized that it was alive and moving. Then, she freaked out.

Emma looking at the sharks. She wasn't scared at all, she thought they were amazing. She just sat there and watched them swim by.

Emma and me watching the fish swim by.

Emma watching the fish swim.

Emma, what a ham. She is so freaking cute. I just want to pinch her chubby inner thighs. Her smile is so fake and forced, and the hands on the knees, really she is so cute!

She love love loved the fish.

Chaz and Emma watching the fish. I know that Chaz's eyes are partially closed and he looks high, but his smile is to die for. I love my babies!

Memorial Day 2011 - 2

2011-06-06T12:37:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, we all headed out to Myrtle Beach for the weekend. On a side note, it was Black Biker Week - does that say it all, or do I need to go into more detail?. We knew before we went, but it was pretty crazy. Everyone had jacked up cars on the biggest wheels/tires ever, and it was crotch rocket central. They all rode in packs. There were some amazing bikes/cars out there, but then there were some that were ridiculous. It was some interesting people watching.

The day that we got there, we went to a mom and pop burger joint and then headed to the beach. Emma walked around in the kiddy pool for a little bit while we waited for everyone to get ready. She loves the water, and she loves to swim. We started to head down to the beach, and she walked a few steps and then freaked out. Chaz and I kind of knew that she would hate the sand because she doesn't like for her hands and feet to get dirty, so we kind of expected the reaction. Once we got down to the water, the only way she would go into the water was if I was holding her. She laughed a lot when we were jumping into the waves, but hated the sand. I'm sure that we will have more adventures in the sand later in her life that she will love.

Memorial Day 2011 - 1

2011-06-06T12:21:00.004-05:00

For Memorial Day this year, we went to go visit Chaz's Dad in South Carolina. Emma did really well on the airplane. This was the first flight that she got her own seat, and I have to say that it was definitely worth the money (even though we didn't have a choice). She got a little restless by the end of the flight, but so did I. Our flight was at 7:30 in the morning, so we had to leave for the airport at 5:15. I was so tired during the flight, that a couple of times Emma woke me up because I wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. Of course she didn't sleep at all, that would be too easy. The world would come crashing to a halt if Emma ever fell asleep anywhere but her bed.

Anyway, we got to SC at around 11:30, and the heat there was a shock. It was so humid there, and the heat was intense. We were greeted by Chaz's Dad, Dave, and his wife Gail. It was so good to see them. We hadn't seem them since last June. After a few hours, Emma welcomed Dave and Gail into her life like she had known them forever. She was super cute with them. That day, we walked around downtown for a few hours. We got to see the capital building, and the USC college campus. The trees out there are beautiful.

The pictures above were taken in a brewery called the Hunter & Gatherer. Chaz loves trying new beers, so it was pretty cool to taste what the locals are making.

Bath Time

2011-06-06T12:16:00.003-05:00

Emma loves her bath time!!! She is really good about letting us wash her hair and body before she gets to play. Do you see how long her hair is, crazy? I told Chaz that I was thinking about cutting the ends off a little bit, and he told me that I couldn't yet. I agree. Her hair is actually at the perfect length; it goes up in a pony tail and actually stays out of her face.

Welcome Elle

2011-06-06T12:00:00.004-05:00

Isn't she beautiful?

I Finished My Quilt!!!

2011-06-06T11:11:00.006-05:00

FINALLY!!! After what felt like 10,000 hours, I finally finished my quilt. For my first quilt, I think I did an amazing job. I definitely could not have done this by myself, so thank goodness Trish was helping me out. I think I asked her every question possible. I am sure that I drove her crazy a few times because even I knew I was asking questions that probably didn't have an answer. It was a great experience, and I can't wait to dive into my next quilting adventure.... oh wait, I already have...

I got an e-mail from my cousin, Elise, asking if I wanted to join a virtual quilting bee. So naturally never wanting to do anything on my own, I asked my sister to do it with me. She didn't really want to because she was about to pop with baby Elle. I told her "whatever, you can do it, and if you can't, I will help you with your squares". She agreed and now we are doing a quilting bee. Our team is The Newbees, and there are 12 of us doing it. Basically, one person gets their month that they send out their own fabric to the other 11 people, and we make whatever that person wants us to make with the fabric. It is an amazing experience so far because I have made 3 squares that I have never made before. I will update again on this with pictures. June is my month, scary...

Warrior Dash 2011

2011-05-02T13:39:00.003-05:00

Chaz and I before the race.

Angela and me before the race.

Jumping over fire obstacle. My husband the bad ass!

Angela and I with her friend Kristen after we finished the race.

Chaz and I after we finished the race.

My goal for this race was to finish, and that I did. Chaz decided that he was going to go for it and finish as fast as he could. He finished in 29 minutes and 24 seconds. I didn't do as well, but I decided that I wanted to stay with Angela just in case either one of us got stuck. I finished in 45 minutes and 16 seconds. The course was 3.24 miles of uneven torrain and 14 obstacle courses. Click here to see the course. All of the obstacles were a lot easier than I had expected which was good. The only part that made things difficult was that the first obstacle was wading through water. From that point on we were soaked and our shoes were caked with mud. Hopefully when we do it again I will have a much better time. It was the funnest race that I have ever done, and I would love to do it again with more people that we know. If you have a chance to participate in a race like this, go for it!

Blue Bonnets - 2011

2011-05-02T12:31:00.005-05:00

Once again, Emma in the Blue Bonnets looking absolutely gorgeous. Every year at the beginning of Spring, the Blue Bonnets bloom in fields all over the area. We are lucky that there is a place a few minutes away that gets tons and tons of them. So, we headed out on a beautiful Sunday to take family pictures in the flowers. Emma LOVES flowers, so she thought this was great. She was a little sceptical when we asked her to sit, but she did and we were able to get a few great shots.

The Emperor's Children & The Help

2011-03-29T15:36:00.009-05:00

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud is about 3 friends who are approaching their 30's living in New York City before 9/11. In my non-expert opinion, the book trails the lives of these 3 individuals in a soap opera sort of way. The author uses big words, and wordy sentences to entice the reader, but it only frustrated me. The author builds up the book so much that I got 200 pages in before I felt like she was actually getting to the point. Once I got about half way through, I started to enjoy it, but the ending just dropped off, and I was left saying "what was the point".

I gave it a 3/5 - kind of a big fat let down. I read really good reviews, so maybe it was just me.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is set during the civil rights movement and is about a young white socialite that just returns from college with high hopes of becoming a writer. She is told to write about something that disturbs her by an editor in New York. After finally deciding what she, Eugenia, wants to write about, she enlists in the help of Aibileen, a black maid. With the help of Aibileen, Eugenia begins writing about what it is like to work for a white family as a black women.

This book was amazing. I couldn't stop myself from reading at every chance that I had. The stories that were told were so heartfelt and real. I cried, laughed, and felt so much while reading this book. Must read if you are able to pick it up.

I rated this book 5/5. I may have even told Tricia that I liked it more than Extremely Loud & Incredible Close. It is a toss up because these books aren't related in anyway, so it is kind of hard to compare the two. Read it!

Running a 5K and a 10K

2011-03-28T12:04:00.002-05:00

On March 12th, I ran my very first race (5K) with my friend from work. I was so nervous. I got up early so that I could eat a couple of hours before the race, and my stomach was in knots. I was super excited, but nervous at the same time. Mostly, I was afraid that I would pull a muscle, trip, or just wimp out. I have been running for several years on and off, but I am finally running a little more consistently which is nice. I wanted to run the 5K to get a race behind me before I tackled the 10K on the 26th. After the race was over, I waited very impatiently to find out what my time was. I ran the 5K in exactly 28 minutes. I was shocked that I was able to run it that quickly. I finished 42 out of 194 runners. Hooray me! Now on to training for the 10K.

This past Saturday, March 26th, Chaz and I ran the 10K (Running for Cover). A couple of weeks ago, we did a trial run to make sure that we were going to actually be able to finish, and we finished in 58 minutes and 45 seconds. We were able to run the whole time, so our goal for the actual race was to just beat that time. It was amazing, Chaz and I both ran the whole time which was amazing. I finished in 55 minutes and 19 seconds, and Chaz finished in 55 minutes and 26 seconds. I was 29 out of 116, and Chaz was 31 out of 116. It was a great race, and I can't wait to do another one. The video above is of me and Chaz finishing the 10K. We are so lame and didn't get any pictures. Maybe next time! Oh, and I beat Chaz, but I am not entirely convinced that he didn't just let me win because he is a good husband.

**5K = 3.1 miles

**10K = 6.2 miles

Emma's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-03-14T13:30:00.003-05:00

Emma wearing her adorable birthday girl outfit holding her balloons. We decorated the house the night before her party so that when she woke up she would be super excited. She thought it was awesome. Everything Tinker Bell!

Of course you have to have the Tinker Bell cake to go with the theme. I was super nervous about making this cake because if it didn't look like Tinker Bell than it would be horrible. But it did, and it was super cute.

The spread... You can't really tell, but I made tons of stuff. Sausage balls, cake balls, dips, and more.

Me with my master piece. It turned out pretty good, huh? I was impressed with myself. Emma loved it, and that is all that matters.

As you can see, Emma got tons of stuff, and had her family there to help celebrate her 2nd birthday. It was a great day.

7 Layer Taco Dip - Whip Up Something New

2011-03-10T13:48:00.005-06:00

Seven Layer Taco Dip:

Ingredients:
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese - softened
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceburg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded cheese

1) In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread mixture onto a large serving platter.

2) Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bow. Spread over the refried beans.

3) Top the layers with salsa.

4) Place a layer of tomato, green bell peppers, green onions, lettuce and black olives.

5) Top with cheddar cheese and refrigerate until needed.

I made this for Emma's birthday party, and it was amazing. I got comments from everyone regarding how good it was. And, I am pretty sure that it took like 10 minutes to prepare and clean up. Try it!

I got this recipe on here.

Emma's 2!

2011-03-10T13:14:00.005-06:00

AHHH! Seriously, two, are you sure??? Two years ago February 26th, Emma was born. A week or so before her birthday, I went up to my friend's house, and her friend took pictures of Emma for me. These are just a few out of 250 pictures that were taken. I wanted to have a few pictures taken of Emma in her birthday outfit, but not in a studio, and they live in the perfect setting. The last year has been unreal. Emma has changed so much. She has turned into suck a fun loving little girl. She is so talkative, smily, affectionate, loving, sweet (most of the time).

Julie Bradford (photographer) - embellishedimages.us

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T12:17:00.004-06:00

Emma making Mommy and Daddy cookies, and eating tons of candy!

On a side note: I was just reading my cousin's blog and she was going on and on about her adorable little boy getting bigger and how she was going to miss all of the baby things that have happened. As I was commenting, I decided that maybe I should post about how Emma still melts my heart. So here goes...

Everyday when I go get Emma from daycare, as I am waiting outside, I can hear Emma yelling "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy". It makes me smile huge! Sad for Chaz because he has to hear her yell that on the days he picks her up.

In the car, Emma will say Mommy over and over and over again, and when I finally get a second to turn around, she will either say "hi", or "I love you".

At the grocery store, Emma loves to repeatatively hug and kiss me (sometimes agressively, but still affection). She will say "hugs and kisses" throughout the entire grocery store. Yes, it makes for a long trip, but I love the affection. We will also frequently getting into yelling wars over who loves who; we tell each other over and over "I love you".

Every once in a while, Emma will take my face in her little baby hands and kiss me to death, or she will just look at me. It's amazing.

These are just a few things that I love these days, but there are obviously so much more. I was always afraid that Emma would start to pull away from me, and I would have to steal love from her, but she is the most affectionate little girl ever. I loved the way that Emma used to look at me, but she looks at me with so much unconditional love, that I feel like life has gotten better with age. I love Emma to pieces.

Books Read So Far

2011-02-10T16:00:00.004-06:00

The narrator is the 16 year old daughter of a professor. In the beginning of the book, she finds several letters and a book. The book's pages are blank except there is a woodcutting of a dragon in the middle. When the daughter confronts her father, he unfolds the story of the book, the letters, and his belief that Vlad Dracula exists in present day.

I loved the book. I thought that is was extremely mesmorizing. At first, I was scared to pick it up because it is 815 pages, but it didn't feel like it was that long at all. There were a few parts that went into the history of certain countries which was hard for me to follow, but the rest of the book was a page turner.

I would rate this book at 4.75/5 because there were a few parts about the different countries that I didn't really care for. Also, if you get the hard copy, there is a map that Trish says really helps to understand parts of the book.

Jacob is an 18 year old that was diagnosed with Aspergers at a very young age. His passion is forensics analysis, and has been known to crash a few crime scenes in his life. A murder happened in their town, and the authorities come to Jacob for help. His aspergers plays a huge role in his ability to help the police officers, and Jacob soon becomes the investigated instead of the investigator, but is Jacob really capable of commiting murder.

I am in love with Jodi Picoult. I don't think that she has ever let me down. This book was written from the persectives of several different characters, not just Jacob. I really like reading books that are set up like that because I want to know what everyone is thinking/feeling. If I didn't have a child, I would have finished this in a couple of days. At times I had to force myself to put the dang thing down.

I would rate this 5/5; love love loved it.

You can read my sister's overview of the book here.

This book gave me extremely heavy boots. In the beginning, I had a really hard time getting into the book. I kept telling myself that anytime it would get really good. I know that my sister said that it wasn't for everyone, but she has only let me down once (Bel Canto). About half way through I was utterly confused. I kept calling Trish to ask her questions, and she kept saying "it will all come together". It did, and I ended up loving the book to pieces. I found myself mad at times, sad at times, and happy at times. Like other's have said, this book has so much feeling attached to it. The first half wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I had anticipated. I don't like having so many unanswered questions up front. After reading, and then going back and re-reading some parts, I truely loved the book and loved the way things unfolded for Oskar and his family. By the end, my boots were a lot less heavy.

I give this book a 5/5, enough said!

This post is for you Michelle. I really didn't want to do this, but you put pressure on me. This whole book review thing is Trish's love, not really mine. It is good to give everyone input on what I have read though; I secretly enjoyed it a little. The one I am reading now is going to probably get a really bad review.

Do you stick to your books hoping that in the end you won't be so disappointed, or are you able to put a book down half way through and not give it a second thought?

SNOW SNOW SNOW - February 3rd & 4th - Day 3 & 4

2011-02-10T13:31:00.008-06:00

Day 3 was pretty good, it had warmed up enough that the roads weren't that bad. I went to work from about 10-3 while Chaz played at home with Emma. It was nice to get out of the house and socialize with adults for a day. Day 4 was beautiful! It started to snow in the middle of the night, and by the time we woke up we had about 6 inches on the ground. Hooray, another snow day!

Emma loved the snow from afar. She kept looking out the window saying that it was snowing. I realize that 6 inches isn't a big deal to most, but it was a lot for Dallas. We had to bring in snow plows from different cities further north to get our streets drivable. All in all, Emma and I had 3 great snow days together!

SNOW SNOW SNOW - February 2nd - Day 2

2011-02-10T13:19:00.004-06:00

Emma and I built the tallest legoscraper ever...

And then she cried because I tried to take a picture before it fell instead of adding to it...

And then...

That's right, Emma tried to take a nap in her dolls bed. I was in the kitchen, and I looked over and she was sitting in the bed. As soon as she saw me looking at her she layed down. She was so funny because when I get the camera out she usual runs, but she thought it was funny. I would tell her to lay down so I could take a picture and she would.

Day 2 of the snow storm was just as bad as day 1 except we didn't get anymore ice/snow. It was just as bad because there was no sun, and the temperature didn't get above 30 all day. I did a lot better day 2 because I knew that I was going to be home with Emma all day. I wouldn't say that I planned the day out, but I was better prepared.

SNOW SNOW SNOW - February 1st - Day 1

2011-02-10T13:14:00.003-06:00

Day 1 of the snow storm was crazy. It sleeted all night, so when we woke up there was a thick layer of ice everywhere. My work closed for the day, so I got to stay home with Emma. I was able to sew a lot. I have done all of the log cabin squares (all patterned squares) and some of the squares that have the cream border. Emma was really good when I was sewing, she just watched and handed me straight pins. By the end of the day I started to feel really trapped and isolated. I was on the verge of going crazy.

I wear my sunglasses at night...

2011-02-10T13:00:00.003-06:00

Emma and I went to Walgreens to pick up some medicine, and we had to get her some new sun glasses. It was pitch black outside, but she had to wear them all the way home. It was super cute.

***she broke the sun glasses 5 days later***

An Update of My Projects (Goals)

2011-01-20T12:39:00.008-06:00

Here are pictures of the fabrics that I have chosen to use for the quilt. I am using a hodge podge of blue fabrics. I chose blue because I like the color, not because I am pregnant with a boy. Trish had someone ask her if this is why I chose blue. Trish chose pink because she is having a girl.

I am not pregnant, I promise.

More of just the fabric before I actually started sewing. Again, I bought the pattern off of Etsy here. I bought this pattern because Trish wanted it, and I bought it before she could because she gave me her gift card to Hobby Lobby.

These are 4 of the 30 squares that I need to make. It has actually been really easy to make this quilt. I was a little scared when I saw the pattern/instructions, but it has been pretty easy so far.

As of today (Jan. 20th), I have made 7 of the 30 squares, so I feel like I am making good progress.

RUNNING

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the running, but I just wanted to update what I have done so far. I found my training schedule here. Chaz and I have signed up to do the 10K on March 26th. I am expecting that it will be snowing because it seems like every year around spring break we have snow. Boo, I don't think that I will do good running in the cold. I really hope that it is sunny and 60s. So far, I have done pretty good sticking to the schedule. I have a calendar that I track my distance and times. Oh, I can scan, upload and post...

Yes, Emma colored on my calendar; she thought she was helping me, but not really. So, I was supposed to run on the 10th, but 1) It snowed the night before so I couldn't leave the house and 2) It was my birthday. The rest of the time I have no excuses for not sticking to my schedule. All That I can say is that I have done pretty good so far. I will be running 4.5 miles tomorrow which seems really scary, but I think that I will have no problem.

Chaz and I are also signed up to run a "Warrior/Mud Dash" on April 17th. It is 3.25 miles with 12 obstacles. You can find one in your area by clicking here, or just more information about what I have signed up for. I think that it will be really challenging, but super fun. Plus, Chaz will be there with me to hold my hand if I get frustrated and cry.

Books

I finished reading "The Historian". Eventually I will post about the book, and my opinion, but I loved it. I have a List on my side bar showing the books that I have read in 2011. I am currently reading "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult, and I love it so much that I am almost done with it.

I have done nothing in regards to scrapbooking, but I will get there. I still have 11 1/2 months left!

Emma Admiring The Snow

2011-01-15T18:16:00.001-06:00

As Chaz and I were driving to pick Emma up from my Mom's house, she texted us this picture. Emma was enamored by the snow; she just sat there staring at it. Can anyone say adorable??? I am in love with this little girl, she is simply just too cute!

Our Snow Storm

2011-01-12T13:16:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few pictures that were taken of us with the snow. So, I have mixed feelings about the snow... I think that it is beautiful, and I love when the ice freezes around the branches of trees and they are all shiny. I love how smooth untouched areas look, and how perfect the ground looks. I hate that it has to be freezing and gloomy for this to happen though. I don't like being cold at all, I don't like my feet getting wet, and I hate when my nose runs because it is redonk* cold. All in all, it was pretty cool that it snowed the day before my birthday minus the cold. Emma really liked the snow; she would have stayed out there all day if we would have let her. Here is a video that we took when she first saw all of the snow. Too Cute!

**redonk = redonkulous!
Yes, this is a technical term, look it up I dare you!

2011 Goals

2011-01-11T15:51:00.000-06:00

I am still in a state of shock that 2010 is over, and we are in 2011 already. I feel like the years are going by quicker and quicker now that Emma is around. What happened to my baby? Is this why people have babies so close together; because time flies and then the baby isn't a baby anymore? Speaking of babies, Chaz and I currently do not, I repeat, do not have any plans to have a baby in 2011 or 2012. At this point, I am so in love with Emma, I can't imagine having to share that love with another child. I know that people are able to, but I am not there yet. I am extremely attached to Emma and the bond that we share; she is like my little girl friend.

Anyways, I am not actually going to try to change who I am in 2011, but simply try to accomplish things in 2011. I am really happy with my lifestyle, I eat good most of the time, I work out consistently, I cook and clean (well my maid does) regularly. Here is what I would like to do in 2011.

Read 12 books. This is 1 book a month which shouldn't be too hard. In 2010, I started 3 books and finished 2 books. I am still in the process of finishing the 3rd book I started, "The Historian" (page 795/816), but I am pretty sure I will finish this week.
Completely finish making a full size quilt. My sister (Tricia/Trish) and I are starting a quilting project. We are both making a separate quilt. Last Saturday we went to the fabric store and bought fabric. Last night I ironed all of the fabric to prepare for cutting it this week. This is the pattern that Tricia decided to use, and I have decided to use the same pattern (thief). I bought the pattern on etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/knitknat. Tricia is going to use pink fabric, and I am planning on using an assortment of blue fabrics. I will periodically update you with my progress.
Run at least 3 races in 2011. I am currently training to run a 10K in March 26th. I will post my training later in a separate post. I really enjoy running, and I would like to keep myself going by entering races. I am not hell bent on winning at all, I just want to say that I was able to run a 10K, or whatever race, without stopping. I am also entered to race in a Warrior Run/Mud Run on April 17th. Chaz has picked up running as well, so we will be doing both of these races together.
Start our family and Emma's scrapbooks. After Emma was born, I got the family scrapbook up to the point that she was born. In 2010, I really wanted to start them up again, but life always seemed to get in the way. I don't have a specific goal as to how much I would like to accomplish this year, but I would like to start working on them again regularly.
Blog more consistently. I am beginning to get to the point that I am doing this more frequently, but I would like to continue to be consistent with it. I am also going to start blogging more about our entire family instead of just Emma. I like to know the whole families story, so other's should have our whole story too. Hopefully I will gain a few more readers; I think I have an average of 3 right now.

As of right now, I can't really think of anything else that I would really like to do. I am sure that this will take up most of my time, so it is a good start. I am hoping that having this in writing will hold me accountable, but we shall see. I don't want to feel like a total loser for saying that I am going to do all of this stuff and not follow through.

***This is the longest no, well one, picture post that I have ever posted. I will make sure that they aren't all this boring.***

Wraping Up 2010

2011-01-11T12:25:00.000-06:00

Emma had her 1st birthday and smashed cake in her own face...

...

Emma relaxed in her chair for about 10 minutes...

...

She picked bluebonnets and didn't get arrested...

...

Emma drove a boat for the very first time...

Emma had fun swinging with her Great Grandpa Morris in West Virginia...

Emma became a ham and learned to cheese face...

And then she swam with Daddy and did a little more cheesing...

We had many family cuddle sessions...

We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary in Aruba...

We spent lots of time in the sun, babiless, enjoying one another...

We took a jeep tour, and I almost drove us off a cliff...

I hugged a cactus because I rock...

Chaz got promoted at a fancy shmancy sales dinner..

Brooke cried because she is proud of her husband, but didn't post the picture to prove it...

Chaz and I partied our booties off to celebrate the big promotion...

Emma learned to cry and laugh in a matter of seconds...

Emma became a beautiful pink tinker bell/butterfly for Halloween...

We got amazing family pictures taken that make us look like professionals...

Emma fell in love with her new baby doll for Christmas...

---------------

All in all, we had an amazing year. Hopefully this coming year will be more adventurous than the last and that I can continue to keep everyone updated on our little family.

On a side note... Chaz and I went to Aruba in October for our 5th wedding anniversary. It was the most amazing trip that we had taken. Since 5 is a big milestone, we wanted to go a little crazy. Aruba was the best place to do this. The weather was amazing as long as the breeze continued. We did a day jeep tour around the island, got a couples massage, sailed in the ocean, shopped, and relaxed on the beach. It was a great trip. We were gone for 8 days, so we were glad to come home to Emma after such a long trip.

"I Miss You"

2011-01-10T16:42:00.000-06:00

Here is a little video that Emma made for her Daddy before she went to bed one night. This might be the cutest thing that she has done to date. She is telling the dogs "no" because they were barking in the background. I think that I might tear up a little bit every time I watch this video. I think that I have watched it an average of two times each day. I can't get over how big she is; it blows my mind.

Christmas Videos Galore - 2010

2011-01-05T13:22:00.000-06:00

If you are interested in seeing more videos of Emma and the family on Christmas, go to www.youtube.com and search bkk0030; there are tons of other videos. bkk0030 is my YouTube user name, and I will try to continue to regularly upload videos that we take of Emma.

Happy Watching!

Brand New Bean Bag

2010-12-28T11:16:00.000-06:00

Emma's new bean bag.

Emma and Mommy

2010-12-28T11:11:00.001-06:00

Opening Presents

2010-12-27T14:03:00.001-06:00

Emma with Uncle Nick, and Aunt Kim in front of all the presents.

Emma with her Daddy laying in her new bean bag. Emma and her Mommy laying on the floor being silly.

Emma is so excited about her new bean bag. She also got Lego's and we built a huge castle.

Emma got a baby doll named Dolly. That was her favorite present. She wanted to take her everywhere we went. Sweet...

Emma got Chaz a ceramic picture frame with her hand print. She cried when he opened it because she was afraid of the clay. Chaz cried too because it was so sweet. Then they gave Christmas kisses and everything was all better.

Christmas Day - 2010

2010-12-27T13:26:00.000-06:00

Emma just waking up to find all of her Christmas presents under the tree. It was exactly the reaction that Chaz and I were hoping for, but she is still the cutest.

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-27T13:22:00.000-06:00

Emma was very blessed to get tons of presents this year. Last year, I think that Chaz and I only got her two things because we knew that the grandparents would get her tons. This year was a little crazy and overboard, but we had tons of fun shopping for Emma and each other.

Our Tree

2010-12-27T13:12:00.000-06:00

Emma and I fluffed the tree, while Chaz took pictures. Emma liked it. I was spreading out the branches, and she tried to copy my hand movements. Our tree is 9 feet, but it stands about 11 feet, so there is a ton of fluffing a decorating to do. Chaz's Mom, Sandy, helped me fluff.

The End!

The Tent - 21 Months

2010-12-27T13:06:00.000-06:00

Emma loves her Dora tent. Chaz and I were making dinner, and we looked over and she was inside (kind of) putting her fish puzzle together. Usually, she lays down in there with her blanket and watches TV. I guess it makes her feel safe?

Total Ham - 21 Months

2010-12-27T13:05:00.001-06:00

Our baby diva!

Christmas Pictures - 2010

2010-12-27T12:43:00.001-06:00

So at first glance, these pictures are amazing, like extremely amazing. I cried when I saw the end result.

From the beginning...

me: Chaz, seriously, we have no professional pictures of our family or Emma.

Chaz: So...

me: We are getting it done before Christmas no matter what.

Chaz: I don't know when it is going to happen. It is already December, and we have tons going on the next few weekends.

(time passed, and I procrastinated booking the sitting)

Chaz: Aren't we getting pictures taken tomorrow?

me: Crap, I didn't think we were going to have time.

me: Okay, it is happening tomorrow at 3:30.

...

So, after so much planning and preparing (not), we put Emma down for a nap early so that she would be happy for the pictures. The experience was a nightmare. We got to Picture People (in the mall, right next to Santa), and we had to wait for like 30 minutes. Really, I thought that is why we had an appointment. Whatever... So Emma became increasingly restless after 3 minutes of waiting. Luckily, our best friend Chris was there to help. We finally got called, and they set up our shoot right in front of the huge window. We started to take the pictures and Emma was super cranky, and she didn't want to sit still. I started to feel myself sweating, gross. We took pictures for about 15 minutes before the photographer announced that she got what she needed. REALLY, Emma was freaking out the whole time. 2 hours later, I sat in the chair crying because the pictures turned out so good. YEA for family pictures, BOO for the experience.

If you didn't know, Chaz is the ultimate Steelers fan. He wanted to do a clothing change in the middle of the shoot which made me sweat more. I'm glad he did because these pictures turned out so cute.

Halloween 2010 - 20 Months

2010-11-05T13:34:00.000-05:00

So, orignially Emma was going to be Tinker Bell. I bought her the little green leotard. It was really cute. Once Sunday rolled around, she freaked out when we put it on her. Chaz suggested to put a shirt on underneath because maybe it was itching her. When I went back to her room, this is what she walked out wearing. It is amazing what you can come up with on short notice. Needless to say, she is a pink ballerina/butterfly thing.

I love these big round baby blues.

We didn't take Emma trick or treating because she can't say it yet. Maybe next year. We sat outside and passed out candy to the other kids. Emma screamed her head off anytime someone with a mask came up to us. She was really scared by that.

October - 20 Months

2010-11-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

Emma has the most adorable sad faces. I know it is horrible, but that cute little pouty lip makes me smile.

She was trying to hide from me because she didn't want me to take her picture. I love her outfit. It is rocker/skater meets diva.

She is so adorable.

Gymnastics - 20 Months

2010-11-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

Emma always tries to see how many balls she can hold. It is a personal goal to at least hold 3 at one time. She is so proud of herself.

I love this little girl. Her smile is so precious.

She loves to swing on the bar like a monkey. She usually stands on a platform and says "Ready, Set, Go" and she will jump off and swing. It is so cute.

The Evil Pacifier

2010-11-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

A little blurry, but it will get my point across. I took this picture one day, and I couldn't believe that my baby actually looked like a toddler. She looks way older than 19 months. Except that stupid pacifier. When I got ready to take the picture, she started to cry uncontrollably when I tried to tear it out of her mouth. So, I decided that I was done with the pacifier.

This was a couple of days later. Much better. You can actually see her beautiful face and awesome smile. We are in the process of slowing getting rid of the pacifier. She is down to naps and bedtime. It has been almost a month, and she is doing great without it during the day. Now we just need to get rid of it all together. Maybe another day; I love my sleep!

Day at the Park - 19 Months

2010-11-01T16:47:00.000-05:00

Now that it is starting to get cooler outside, I love to run with Emma up to the park. I get my exercise, and she gets to blow off some energy. I think that she went down this slide 50 times. She wanted to do it all by herself; such a big girl now. She cries hysterically when we leave. It's the only bad part about being a good parent; you look like a bad parent when you are dragging your child away from the park because you have been there for over an hour. It is fun, and she loves it. That is all that matters.

The Healthy Breakfast

2010-11-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Emma loves some McDonalds. Chaz has a day off during the week, and every day off he takes Emma to McDonalds for breakfast before she goes to daycare. He used to get her the pancakes, but she is such a little monster now that she gets the big breakfast. (Eggs, sausage, hash brown, and pancakes) OINK OINK!! It is sweet though because that is their thing; the beginning of their daddy daughter relationship started at McDonalds.

Nick's Cheerleader

2010-11-01T16:40:00.001-05:00

Tough day cheering for her Uncle Nick!

Nick started high school, and here in Texas it is all about the football. Emma and I have been to a couple of Nick's games to cheer him on. My mom bought Emma this school cheerleading uniform. She is the most adorable little girl. She loves to watch the cheerleaders do their cheers. She dances when they cheer.

Labor Day 2010 - 18 Months

2010-10-31T16:28:00.000-05:00

First thing in the morning. Her hair is crazy, but there is no way I will be cutting it any time soon. It is just beautiful when it isn't in her face.

Hanging out in bed...

This is the most devious picture that we have taken of her. She usually looks pretty mischievous, but this borderline devil child. If looks could kill...

My baby in her adorable swim suit getting ready to go out on the boat. And this is what I am talking about with her hair fixed. It is a little ratty, but she is so beautiful. I love the picture of her looking to the side with her little hand on her leg. SWEET...

Emma and Daddy, and Emma and Mommy on the boat. She had such a good time. She loves being on the boat.

Shirtless, just like her daddy.

Sleepy Head - 18 Months

2010-10-31T16:23:00.001-05:00

Emma is so funny when she sleeps. This was at like 11:00 one night. I went to tuck her in, and she had both legs up on the crib side. By the time I got the camera, she let one fall. Really... is this comfortable? And her hair is the biggest hot mess ever.

Feeding the Ducks - 16 Months

2010-10-31T16:18:00.000-05:00

Emma and Daddy went to the lake by our house to feed the baby ducks. Emma loved it, but she is a true animal lover. She thinks that anything they do is so funny.

I love when she squats like this, her little chubby legs are so cute.

July 4th - 16 Months

2010-10-28T16:30:00.001-05:00

Emma and her Daddy swimming. Emma now loves the water, at the beginning of the summer, she wasn't so sure, but then she really started to enjoy it.

Emma playing with her toys.

Emma and Mommy swimming. Are we sure that she is my child? Her skin is crazy white!

Gotta love those baby blues.

Just hanging out by the pool!

Cheese Face - 16 Months

2010-10-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

Emma's new thing is that when we take a picture, we will tell her to say cheese. When she says cheese, she gets this huge fake grin on her adorable face. It was so funny and Chaz and I were laughing hysterically. We were laughing so hard, and then Emma would start to laugh really hard too. It was so cute. She is such a ham for the camera.

This is her laughing hysterically because Chaz and I were laughing too. Oh my baby... And that hair is craziness.

Chris and Emma... At this point she was tired of me taking hundreds of pictures of her, but Chris is really good about getting her to smile for the camera.

Ultimate Steelers Fan

2010-10-26T16:24:00.000-05:00

When we went up to West Virginia, we drove over to Pittsburgh to see the city and do a little shopping. We bought Emma a jersey for this season and next season. I also bought a huge Steelers bow to match. We get compliments everywhere we go when she's got her Steelers gear on. They all say that she is so adorable. We are trying to teach her to throw her arms up and yell "TOUCHDOWN." It is a work in progress, but she is getting there.

West Virginia Vacation 2010

2010-10-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

Emma and me rocking the sun glasses. It is amazing that we were able to get a picture with them actually on her face. The second we put them on her she pulls them off. And the pacifier has got to go.

Emma with great Grandma and Grandpa Morris. She loved seeing them so much.

Brooke, Chaz, and Emma in front of downtown Pittsburgh.

Emma and Elle... Elle was not always sure about Emma, but she was really good with her.

I found the biggest four leaf clover, and Chaz got jealous and had to look for forever. So competitive...

Emma swinging with great Grandpa. She loves to swing.

Puppy Love

2010-10-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

Emma loves her puppies. She loves to give them kisses, and be kissed by them. Kind of gross, but really sweet. They are so good with her; they will lay there while she climbs all over them.

All Clean - 15 Months

2010-10-25T16:23:00.000-05:00

I gave Emma a bath, and I realized that someone had given us a robe for my baby shower. Yes, it is just a little too small, but it is so cute. She is also really good about brushing her teeth; I'm sure that it is the fruity toothpaste that I put on her toothbrush. You have to start somewhere!

Memorial Day 2010

2010-10-25T16:11:00.000-05:00

Emma all ready to go on the boat. Now if we could just get rid of that pacifier.

Oh wait, need to pet the dog first.

And concentrating really hard to drive! She looks so sleepy. She loved the boat, especially because it was not a thousand degrees. She was fine with that big life jacket on too. We spent a nice relaxing weekend at the lake with Emma's grandparents.

Texas Bluebonnets

2010-10-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

I have to say that I didn't really care about going and seeing the bluebonnets. I didn't think that Emma would really care about the flowers. I am so glad that Chaz forced me to go. Emma loved it, and there were so many there. Fortunately, Chris came with us and took tons of family pictures for us. Emma loved the flowers, she thought that it was so funny. And she cried when I tried to take the necklace from her. There are some battles that are just not worth the fight. I think that we took over a hundred pictures; these were some of the best.

TV and Milk

2010-10-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

Emma relaxing in her deck chair watching a little tv. She always puts as much stuff as she can in that little white basket including her milk. She is such a funny little girl. What do you think they really understand as they are glued to the tv that young? Does she really understand what is going on? I can only imagine what I was watching...

Easter

2010-10-22T16:07:00.000-05:00

Emma's second Easter. Her first dress was so adorable, but then Chaz took her outside to play and I didn't want it to get all dirty. Look how chunky her legs are. I just want to pinch those chubby rolls.

Beginning Gymnastics

2010-05-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

Chaz and I decided to sign Emma up for Gymnastics. Her first class was the day after her birthday. She had so much fun interacting with other children, and becoming more familiar with her body. They teach her different things like hanging from the bar, walking on a balance beam, climbing, dancing, forward/backward rolls and much more. It is an awesome experience, and amazing to watch her accomplish different things.

An Emma Size Chair

2010-05-05T18:13:00.000-05:00

For her birthday, Emma received the most adorable chair that was just the right size for her. My friend Alli found this chair, painted and wrote her name on it. She loves being able to get in and out of the chair because it is the perfect size for her.

Eating Her Cake

2010-05-05T18:06:00.001-05:00

When we brought the cake out to Emma she was a little nervous because there were some many people sitting around watching her. Once she saw that there was cake she immediately smashed her face into the cake. Only our little girl!

Emma taking a break from sucking on the icing. She finally noticed that she had an audience. It didn't bother her one bit. She continued to shove her face in the cake.

She was finally finished eating. She had icing everywhere. She started to lick her fingers, but the icing was everywhere. She had a great time.

Emma's 1st Birthday

2010-05-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

Emma with Chaz's Mom (Sandy)

Emma sharing with her friends. She had a lot of people at her birthday party. She is a very loved little girl.

Baby Bunny

2010-03-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

I love this picture of my baby bunny. She didn't seem to mind when I put them on her head as long as I was holding her. As soon as I would put her down, she got a little freaked out.

February 3rd - Random Photos

2010-02-03T12:22:00.000-06:00

Give the girl some food and she is bound to smile for the camera.

11 Months

2010-02-03T12:11:00.000-06:00

She gets such a devious little smile sometimes. Once again, I can't believe that my baby girl is almost one. Seriously, I think that this year has passed by faster than any other. We almost have a toddler. She isn't really a baby anymore. Crazy...

Baby Bath Time

2010-02-03T11:56:00.000-06:00

Emma loves to splash in the bath.

10 Months

2010-02-03T11:52:00.000-06:00

Emma's hair is some kind of crazy. These were taken on New Year's Eve. Chaz woke Emma up right before 12:00 to celebrate the new year as a family.

Presents

2010-02-03T11:42:00.001-06:00

Emma intrigued with all of her new toys.

Emma's 1st Christmas

2010-02-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

Emma on Christmas morning. Poor little girl was sick, so when she woke up she was all snotty. She didn't really understand how to unwrap the presents, but once she saw what was wrapped she got really excited. Of course Chaz has his shirt off; we don't expect anything less.

Christmas Baby

2010-01-20T15:35:00.001-06:00

Taken the week of Christmas. Emma got dressed up in a Christmas outfit everyday for daycare. This was one of them.

Crazy Hair Days

2010-01-20T15:30:00.000-06:00

Even more crazy to come... I swear that I don't send her to school looking like this. Her hair is always so cute when I get her ready. I don't know what happens throughout the day though.

Santa

2010-01-20T15:23:00.000-06:00

Emma and I went over to a neighbors house to sit on Santa's lap. She was so scared. She cried the second that he got to the house. Everytime that she saw him the biggest tears would stream down her face. Poor baby girl.

Our Christmas family photo that didn't make it around in Christmas cards. It is amazing the things that don't get accomplished when you have a child.

Walk Around the Block

2010-01-20T15:21:00.001-06:00

After a day at church, my mom walked Emma up and down the street to see all of her neighbors. She loves spending the day with her Grandma! Her hair is getting so long...

Bake Day

2010-01-20T15:18:00.001-06:00

Every year we have an annual bake day with my mom, sisters, and brother. This year Emma got to enjoy the insanity. She crawled around the floor while everyone was busy busy. Next year I am sure she will want to help everyone do everything!

9 Months

2010-01-20T15:05:00.000-06:00

Wow! Emma is 9 months all ready. She has started to crawl on all fours finally. She only does it when no one is looking. The rest of the time she does a funny scootch. She wanted to touch the tree, but she was almost afraid of it. She sat there and stared at the lights all night.

Proud daddy. Always with his dang shirt off. What is with that anyways?

West Virginia Vacation / Nine Months

2010-01-20T14:18:00.000-06:00

On our way to West Virginia. This trip was a little harder because Emma was busy busy. It was hard to keep her entertained for the 3 hour flight. We made it through with no crying. Yea!

This was taken at Chaz's grandparents house. Emma sat under this coffee table everytime we sat around there house. She loved it under there. What a nut!

Again, this picture was taken at Chaz's grandparents house. They have about 7 boxers (they rescue boxers), and Emma loved them. Elle didn't know what to think of Emma. Everytime Emma got close she would move.

The day that we left, we headed back to Pittsburgh to drive around. Chaz really wanted to walk the strip to see if he could find a Steelers flag. We ended up in this shop and found a huge hat for Emma. She wasn't impressed at all. In fact right after I took the picture she started to cry.

This is in Pittsburgh on the strip where there are tons of shops. It was a little windy, and we wanted Emma to stay warm so we bundled her up tons. It was actually about 45 degrees outside. When we went into the shops I felt bad because she was probably sweating.

Halloween

2010-01-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

Emma was an adorable lady bug for Halloween. Chaz and I went to a party, so we went as a cowboy and cowgirl. No, this is not how we dress on the weekends!

All Dolled Up

2009-10-27T12:33:00.001-05:00

Yes, she is all dolled up to go to daycare. This will be the last time that she can wear this outfit so I had to take pictures. She is so cute.

Standing

2009-10-27T12:28:00.000-05:00

I know that all of these pictures are alot the same, but they are so different to me. Emma will pull herself up on anything that she can get a good grasp on. It is amazing. One day, she just did it.

8 Months - Mama's Big Girl

2009-10-27T12:23:00.001-05:00

Our crazy little girl. I can't believe that she is 8 months old. I know that I say that every month, but it is just so hard to believe. At this stage, she is able to pull herself to a sitting position, pull herself up on just about everything, and she has started to eat big kid food (bananas, graham cracker, cherrios...). Her hair is really crazy because she had a clip holding her bangs back. We lost the clip half way through the day, and this was the result of them being pinned back.

Emma with Daddy

2009-10-27T12:19:00.000-05:00

The ultimate Steelers fans. Of course Emma has a pink Steelers outfit. Everything that she has is pink!

Couch Potato

2009-10-27T12:14:00.001-05:00

She is such a little ham for the camera. Every time that I get the camera out to take pictures of her, she opens her mouth as wide as she can. It is almost like she is yelling at the camera.

Trick or Treat

2009-10-27T12:11:00.001-05:00

Emma in her first Halloween outfit. Just wait until I post pictures of her in her costume. She is so dang adorable.

Emma and Aunt Tricia

2009-10-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

Tricia and I took Emma for a run. This is after we got back. Her poor little hands were the only thing that I couldn't cover so they were freezing.