Emmy loves Hawk!

It was Christmas at our house today!

 We're looking forward to spending Christmas with family so soon! We'll leave tomorrow after church to stay with Bron's family till Christmas morning. We'll see mine later that afternoon. We had our own little family celebration today. The video pretty much sums up Emmylou's first Christmas. 

 

Last year we were given a few 'Our First Christmas Together' ornaments. This year it's 'Baby's First Christmas' ornaments, hehe.

 

 

Bron and I are officially parents of a 5 month old- so unreal! It's been almost half a year since she was born.

Alot has changed within this past month. Some fun things- like Emmy growing in cute-ness and zany-ness. She is rolling over like crazy- we had to move her pack/play down to the next level. And she is reaching for things, and for us- which melts our hearts.

But a much less fun change has come, and it's basically been the theme of the month- she has become a really bad sleeper! I know this is normal for babies, but it's a whole new world for us. From about a month old, Emmy would sleep long stretches every night from about 10pm till 6am. It was glorious. Now I realize how spoiled we were. You may have heard my laments over her naptimes- and those are getting alot better. But the nights haven't changed. She is up EVERY NIGHT, at least twice. Lots of ladies at church comforted me that she is probably going through a growth spurt. That would make sense.

It is hard for me, but the Lord is giving me grace. And Bron is giving me grace too.

She always wakes around 4:30, I feed her, and go back to sleep. Bron's alarm goes off at 5. He comes back at about 6:30/7 and asks me if I'd like to start my day. I am faced with the decision each morning, to sleep in with Emmy till about 10 or 11- which is always my gut reaction of course...
or to wake up and have a few minutes with Bron before he goes to work, and then to have coffee and my quiet time before Emmy is up.

I am realizing that getting up at that point is the best option!( I don't like being a slave to coffee,-I haven't been drinking coffee at all for the past couple years, but it is a necessary evil in my life right now.) I can take a nap later in the day with Emmy if I need to.

I am just a happier person when I start my morning before her;when I can be with Bron before. .Most of all, my soul needs to be refreshed in the Lord. 'The joy of the Lord is my strength'- so true to me these days. Especially this past week, when the world seems like such a dark place. I am writing now on a day where I did sleep in. And I'm typing this out as 'a note to self'.

I have memories of my mom, always up before all of us, with her coffee and Bible at the kitchen table. And I can remember my Dad using his break time on the train to read his Bible, while his conductor took a nap.

Goodbye to November,

 

We had a really happy thanksgiving this year! We both agreed that it was our best one yet. :) (Our third together- hard to believe.) We spent Thursday with my family. It's the only holiday where :ALL: 9 of my siblings -with wives and husbands and nieces and nephews- are all together. It is usually pretty hectic with all of us squished together, and kids running around. But we love it. My mom had a good idea this year- to have all us kids and spouses around 2 tables in the kitchen, and then all the grandkids(except the babies) in another room with her and my dad.

 

My favorite part of this year was hanging out with Suzanne! My brother Kurt and his wife just had their second baby-another little girl, and it was so fun for me to hang out with her and talk about babies and birth...like all the sudden we have become peers. It is so neat for me, because all of us younger kids were so little when Kurt and Suzanne were dating. I always thought she was the coolest person ever-and now we're moms at the same time.

 

Friday, we left to spend the weekend with the Irwins. It was a fun weekend for us. Bron's brother Zach was there, and got to meet Emmy for the first time. Jane had the idea to do a craft with the ladies on Saturday- and we made Christmas wreaths together. Bron and I left Emmy with Tom and Jane on Sunday morning, and we went to two of my favorite places that don't exist in Lancaster- Trader Joe's and Wegmans.

Of course, I did not bring my camera for any part of our Thanksgiving weekend. What is my problem?:)

 

Here are a couple pictures to represent the winter and Christmas season that are coming upon us so quickly now! Eeek! I hope this is as much snow as we get this year.

I bundled Emmylou up in two snow suits, and just had her lay on the bathroom floor as I gathered our things to walk to market. When I came back she was asleep. Emmy is having napping issues these days! , and so I let her just sleep for awhile.

pictures ,month by month.

Emmy is now 4 months old, and I have not done a very good job of being one of those sweet mothers who takes a cute picture of her baby each month- with a creative theme and handwritten sign to document growth and milestones. I have seen quite a few of those, and always have thought that was such a good idea to show how the babies change so much each month in their first year. But well, it just didn't happen. But I have sort of made an attempt!...So, here is my bad collection of photos- all taken on or around the new month mark. Somehow, it always seems to be that I become inspired to take these pictures on a laundry day, and so Emmylou is wearing an interesting outfit. But oh well:) Ok, starting with pictures of her birth-day(July 19th):

One month: Don't get used to the sign:)

Two months:

Three:

And four:

 

 

 On Thursday, I had one of *those* days. And
my awesome husband had a good idea, "Want to come to work with me tomorrow?" He had to go to Bucks County for the day, very close to where my sister Robin lives. I texted Robin and she welcomed Emmy and me for a last minute visit for the next day while Bron worked in the area. It was such a fun time!

Emmylou's newest discoveries,

Today, here is a list of Emmy's new little things that make her seem more and more like a little person. Most of these things fall under the category of 'normal baby things that are only exciting to parents', hehe, but I thought I'd share even so.

 A particulary cute one to me is that she has been sucking her little thumb- we are hoping that means our days of running upstairs to put her pacifier back in her mouth during naps shall soon be but a memory. I used to suck my thumb as a little girl, so it is especially sweet to me. We'll try not to let it last till she is 11 though! :)

And here you can see why we have to run upstairs for her pacifier. She figured out how to take it out of her little mouth and hold it, which is usually quite cute.

Her two favorite past times these days: hopping in her jumpy seat, and kicking off one sock when we are not looking. That second one has been going on since her first weeks however. Bron and I pretty much can't take the cute-ness of Emmy when she is in this thing.  That inspired us this past weekend to take a walk with Emmy to a park nearby and see if she'd like the baby swings- and she did, but it was probably a little too soon. It will be fun to take her over there when she gets a little older.

Also, she is now interested in toys and blankets, and likes to snuggle and chew on whatever she can get her hands on. ...She also likes to snuggle and chew and pull hair, which is a little less cute.

 

 And lastly, she is now obsessed with our food! She watches us so intensely and curiously as we eat. I was hoping to wait a bit past the 6 month mark to begin introducing solids, but I don't think I'll be able to resist.

 

sister weekend!

 

My sisters came this weekend and it was such a fun time. We went to BBs first thing in the morning on Saturday, and then to my favorite thrift store. We watched a Christmas movie and drank minty hot chocolate, and had a campfire with s'mores while Maddie read aloud funny lines from the vintage greeting cards she bought that day. We had lunch at Lyndon Diner after church. My sisters are such cool girls! It is so neat to becoming better friends as we get older. Bron and I are trying to gently persuade both Dot and Maddie that they belong in Lancaster and should move here someday:) That's my current biggest dream, I'd just love that. Emmy too.

October updates,

Well, I did not do a very good job of posting this month -so I will share some quick October-life facts.

The first weekend of the month was spent with our favorite people in State College! Tom and Jane hung out with Emmy, while Bron and I got a chance to be together outside in the pretty fall weather. I got to ride Bron's mom's old red bicycle, which was special for me:) And Bron was able to get some outdoor practice shooting his bow- much more space and time for that in his old backyard, than in our basement at 5:30am before work.

 

Also, Jane taught me a really simple method for canning! And we made yummy apple butter together. It was a happy way to begin our favorite season.

Another special thing for us- we discovered it's possible to take Emmy out in a public setting! We chose our place carefully...Lyndon diner, a favorite of ours. It is also where we had our first 'sort-of date', so that is always pleasant and meaningful for us. She did such a good job! I think the big tvs helped, and all the people to look at.

 

The month was full of all kinds of things, like late-ish evenings watching the political debates together (all 3 of us) on the live internet feed, a hunting weekend, and a hurricane-which closed down all the schools, but Bron still went to work because he's that kind of man. Our friends/tenants downstairs moved out, which is sad and marks the end of an era for us. But we have in mind someone who may be able to take that spot:)

 

I started going to a m.o.ps group at a church nearby, a friend invited me- excited about that, except I still haven't been brave enough to leave Emmy in childcare! We'll see. Also began getting milk from a farm on a weekly basis with two friends from church,which I had success making kefir and ricotta with-a fun little endeavor for me during Emmy's naps. And I bought lots of bulk meat from a farm, touched it with my own hands and weighed and seperated it into portions for dinners!- a funny moment for me, to remember how I was a vegetarian before I met Bron, hehe.

 

I think this was the month that we are really getting into a rhythm with Emmylou and feeling more like a family. God is kind and faithful.

 

She is doing all sorts of fun new things-which I shall devote a post to soon.

 

Oh, and of course- the month of the cloth diapers! which we are loving now actually:)

 

Ps-those flannel sheets you see she is laying on have been a desire of my heart since this time last year! The Lord provided them for cheap at TJMaxx- so comfy and warm and worth the wait.







Emmy bear

A scene from the first hunting weekend in Pitman. Clifton's 12 year old daughter recently got her first deer...I told Bron not to get any ideas:)