Here are some pictures from Emma's 9 month photos taken at JCPenney. I wasn't very happy with this bunch. I have more to post but won't be able to do so for a little while. Grandma Peggy is now in hospice care and Emma and I will be flying home Thursday to be with her. Please keep her in your prayers. Keri

Emma is 9 months old!

Emma turned 9 months old on Thursday (where has the time gone?). I have taken her picture with a 3x5 card since she was born to track her growth. We did it every week at first and now we have upgraded to every month. I can't wait until she turns 1 because trying to get a picture with her and the card now is nearly impossible. She wants to crumple and eat the card the minute I put it near her. You can see from the pictures below that I gave it my best shot.

We had a nice Valentines Day as a family. We had dinner at home with barbeque chicken, brown rice, green beans, salad and homemade cream puffs for dessert - yummy!!! Jay and I don't like to go out and battle the crowds on Valentines Day so we usually stay in and cook a good dinner and watch a movie. Jay and Emma had a little treasure hunt set up for me with fancy workout clothes along the way. I got some Under Armour shorts and shirt as well as a pair of Nike workout pants and socks. It was so thoughtful since they know how much I like to go for my walks. Jay got some cologne from Emma and I - boring but useful.

On a much sadder note my Grandma Peggy went into the hospital on Friday and was transferred to the ICU today. She had some really bad bloody noses and her INR level had skyrocketed. Basically, she has too much coumadin in her system and her blood is too thin and she is bleeding internally and from her nose. My mom and dad and aunt and uncle had just left on their vacation together in Florida and ended up having to change their flight to come home today and miss their week of vacation. Please keep Grandma Peggy in your prayers.

"Am I doing something wrong":

A smile you can't resist:
She loves looking out the window:

My attempt at a 9 month picture:

A Day At The Park

Emma went to the park today for the first time! Here are some pictures and a video of her swinging for you to enjoy.

Emma's Second Tooth

It's official - Emma now has two teeth!!! She just started getting the right front bottom tooth. She is going to look like a little chipmunk with her two bottom teeth!! I know what you are thinking "Is she going to tell us about every single new tooth?" (That would be 20 for those of you who don't know baby teeth.) No, I won't tell you about every single tooth. The newness has not worn off and Jay and I still get very excited to see her new teeth. This means that soon she will be able to chew real food. They don't seem to bother her too much. She does love to chew on her frozen teething rings. I am sure they feel good on her sore gums.

She is still crawling everywhere and loving knobs. She always crawls to the cabinet in the kitchen where she can hold onto the knob. Same thing in the living room and bedroom - she is trying to open the drawers and it won't be long before she will be able to. She is also a little acrobat. I have a basket with magazines and she will put her hands on the magazines and then get her feet on the ground and she will be semi-standing on her feet and hands. She has a hard time getting out of this position. We practice standing at the coffee table and she loves it. She smiles and laughs and hits the table with her hands.

Jay is FINALLY done with his contract negotiations with the union. He spent many nights and weekends at work and away from Emma and I. He was gone so much that I have a newfound respect for single moms. There were many days when he would be gone before Emma woke up and home after she went to bed. We are very, very happy that the union didn't strike and Jay didn't have to go on "lockdown." He did get a couple extra days off this year for all of his long hours. We will happily take those!!

Emma forced me into buying this bib for her. Yes it does say "My mom is hotter than your mom"

Just before dinner tonight in her Valentines Day outfit

My First Blog!!

Hey everyone! Well, I have officially started my own blog page. I currently have just the basics on the page and I hope to expand it as I learn more about the capabilities. I am using this as a means to easily communicate with all of our friends and family, who are spread across the country, about what is happening in our lives. Since our lives currently revolve around our precious little Emma, I am sure that 99.9% of the info, pictures and videos will be about her! Feel free to visit as often as you like and to post any comments. I plan to update the site once every week or two. I hope everyone is enjoying their new year and will be able to enjoy the Super Bowl tonight. Jay and I are rooting for the underdogs - Go Arizona! Here are a couple new pictures of Emma:

Emma crawling

Look at her standing!!

I am going to share a couple of my first videos. After viewing them, I know that you will have a couple thoughts about what a terrible videographer I am. I realize that they aren't the best quality and I am trying to improve my skills!

Emma crawling:

Jay finishing his marathon (this one is pretty bad quality - oops):

Hope you enjoyed!! Keri