Happy Holidays!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  It has been a while since I posted (largely due to the fact that Emma took off walking in the last month!), so I decided I better update everyone on our busy lives.  Emma is now 14 months old and weighs 22 pounds, 8 ounces.  She took her first steps on her first birthday, but was very cautious when it came to taking up walking.  She didn't really take off until she was 13 1/2 months.  Now we have a hard time keeping up with her!

The holiday season has been a fun one for Emma, beginning with a trip to see her mommy's side of the family in Alaska for Thanksgiving. She had a great time spending time with her Gramma and Pa, great grandma and meeting the rest of the family.  Emma didn't seem to be too bothered by the cold (15-20 degree temperatures) and even made her first trip to the Mendenhall glacier.  For Christmas, we took a trip out to San Diego to see her daddy's side of the family and her mommy's uncle Linus. She loved being surrounded by her Grammy, Papa, aunts, uncles and cousin Tyler. Emma got lots of fun new toys and books to play with over the rest of Winter Break!

Emma is at such a fun age and is changing so quickly.  She is getting several more teeth in and is trying more and more 'real food.'  So far she hasn't been too picky, and will try pretty much anything we are eating.  She's a fan of spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and chicken noodle soup.

Before I go, Emma would like to make an announcement (for those who don't already know)... she is going to be a big sister!!!  In April her baby sister will be born and we are so excited for Emma to have a little playmate. :)

Happy New Year to everyone!  We wish everyone a year full of blessings in 2013.

"Littles"

Littles 2 (click) - "let them be little"

Year in Pics

Emma's 1st Year(click to play)  -  monthly pics from her first year!    

1 Year Old!!!

On October 19th, our sweet Emma Grace celebrated her first birthday!  We had two parties for her - one with the family and one with friends.  She got to have both sets of grandparents come out for the special occasion.  She loved all of the attention at her parties, but wasn't a fan of the cupcakes Mommy made her, or the cake.  She totally refused to eat any part of it - even the frosting!  Emma's birthday was also a special day because she took her first two steps on that day.  She is very cautious and hasn't taken more steps than two at a time yet, but she is doing a lot of practicing on the furniture and holding our hands!  She is also babbling more, and tries to say 'no' and 'dogs.'

Emma is eating more 'big girl' food now, and is a fan of Mommy's cooking.  She's eaten everything I've made her so far!  So far she's tried everything from spaghetti to salmon with mashed potatoes and has liked it all!  It seems like she's not a picky eater so far, just like her daddy.

Daddy also celebrated his birthday in October and Emma and Mommy threw him a little party at home.  Emma loved helping Daddy open his presents and blowing out his candle!

During the middle of October, Emma took her first trip to Moline, Illinois to see where her daddy was born and spent the first part of his life.  We all had a great time at Brendan and Jenny's wedding and spending time with the whole John family when we were there.  Emma even got to go to the John Deere store and see all of the big tractors.

Towards the end of the month, we took Emma to two pumpkin patches.  She got to go on hayrides and pick out a pumpkin at each!  It was so much fun... Emma's favorite thing to see were the animals in the petting zoos.

Before we knew it, Halloween was here.  Emma celebrated during the day, at school, by dressing up as a princess, and dressed up as Baby Minnie Mouse for trick-or-treating that night.  We went to our friends' neighborhood to join them and their twin girls to trick-or-treat.  Emma loved going from house to house and looking at all of the kids dressed up.  The first two pieces of candy she got, she clenched on to for the entire time we trick-or-treated!

September 2012 - 11 Months Old

Fall is here (even though it doesn't quite feel like it in Phoenix yet) and Emma is almost a year old!  She is getting so big and it seems like she learns something new every day. As of today she weighs 22 pounds.

Emma started standing on her own this month.  It's so funny to watch because she'll use something to stand herself up and then will let go, but once she realizes she's not holding on to anything she sits down.  She uses her push walker to 'walk' around the house now too.

One of Emma's favorite things to do is to play with her doggies, Winston and Jersey.  She talks to them, follows them around and even stands herself up on Winston.  Just this morning she played with each of them for at least 10-15 minutes and it never got old!  They are so patient with her.  When Winston is laying on the couch, Emma will stand in front of him and open up her mouth for kisses.  Mommy and Daddy get kind of grossed out by it, but she loves it!

It is a busy time of year as we get ready for Emma's first birthday, Halloween and a trip to Moline, Illinois for Brendan and Jenny's wedding and to see the John side of the family.  We are doing a Minnie Mouse theme for her first birthday party... she loves the giant Minnie Mouse doll at her daycare so we thought she'd like that.  For Halloween (we're keeping her costume a surprise so check back at the end of October!) we'll get Emma dressed up and take her Trick or Treating for the first time.

Sending love your way from the John family!

August 2012 - 10 Months Old

Emma had a big month in August... it was back to school time on August 8th!  She is back in the Infant Room at the Early Childhood Campus.  One of her teachers is the same as last year, so it was nice to have someone she already knew. During school she plays, listens to music, swings, gets stories read to her, and of course gets her naps in!

Sweet little Emma Grace now weighs 21 pounds and is growing up so fast!  She loves eating her puffs and recently started eating little bits of cut up fruit, like peaches and bananas. We have learned she has quite a sensitive stomach, so we are introducing new things pretty slowly.

Emma is crawling all over the house these days and continues to get faster and faster at getting where she wants to go. She loves standing and pulls herself up on anything and anyone.  Her favorite place to stand is in front of the refrigerator when the door is open!  She also loves cruising around the house in her little car (walker).  Emma learned to clap this month, and when Daddy brought her to 'Meet the Teacher' night at Mommy's school she was clapping as all the teachers were introduced.... it was so cute!

Daddy got Emma her first swing for the patio last weekend and she absolutely loves being outside swinging in it.  She cries when we take her out!  Speaking of Daddy, her favorite word these days is Da-da.  When Daddy gets home from work she squeals Da-da, Da-da and gets the biggest grin on her face. It might even be her favorite time of the day!

July 2012 - 9 Months Old

Little Miss Emma had another busy month!  During the beginning of the month she got to go to Mission Beach for the Fourth of July.  She loved playing in the sand (and of course, tasting it!) and playing with her Grammy, Papa, aunts, uncles and especially her cousin Tyler.  

This month at Emma's 9 month doctor's appointment, she weighed in at 20.5 pounds and measured 28 inches long.  She is crawling all over the place and pulling herself up on couches, tables and whatever else she can find!  She has also started holding on to furniture to help her walk. 

Emma is so much fun to play with right now because she squeals, imitates and laughs at you.  She loves playing Patty Cake and Peek-a-Boo.  She also really likes reading touch and feel books.  Her favorite is one with puppies of course!  

In August Emma will get to spend time with her Grandma and Grammy and Papa before she starts back at school August 8th.  It will be fun for her to see all of her little friends again!  

June 2012 - 8 Months Old

Summer is flying by way too fast...can't believe we only have one month of summer break left!  At 8 months old, she weighs in at 20 pounds and seems to get taller by the day.  She reached a huge milestone this month... she started crawling! So far she only goes short distances (usually to get to the dogs) and then sits herself back up again. We have started baby-proofing but probably need to kick it into high gear and finish before she's all over the house chasing after the dogs and exploring!

Emma also said her first word this month.  Of course it was Da-da!  It is so cute to watch her babble away, smile and giggle.  She loves being read to and will chime in sometimes to help read.  In addition to saying Da-Da, she has learned how to give kisses - big wet ones with her mouth wide open...it is so sweet and Mommy and Daddy can't get enough of them! 

Another highlight was taking Sea Babies swim lessons with Mommy.  She did a great job and loves the water.  She practiced floating on her stomach and back (with help from Mommy) and even did a few submersions.  Last weekend we took Daddy to the pool so Emma could show off what she learned.  While we were there Emma even got to go on her first lazy river ride.  She looked so cute in her little life-vest! 

Emma had a great time celebrating her first Father's Day with her Daddy this month.  She took him to church and then had him open the gifts she made him: a 'Daddy and Me' scrapbook, a mug with a collage of pictures of her with Daddy and a picture frame.  He loved them and had a special day.

This month Emma started eating puffs and using her sippy cup to drink water from.  Such a big girl!  She holds the sippy cup quite well and attempts to put the puffs in her mouth but hasn't mastered it quite yet.  Emma also loves eating fresh fruit in a little mesh feeder we have.  Her favorites are nectarines and peaches. 

We are very excited for the week of the Fourth of July when we will take Emma to Mission Beach for the first time with her Grammy, Papa, aunts, uncles and cousin Tyler.  It will be fun to watch her feel sand for the first time and to put her tiny toes in the ocean. :) 

Daddy and Me

Daddy and Me -- Click here to play video

May 2012 - Emma is 7 Months!

Emma is officially on summer break from school and the summer fun is just beginning!  At 7 months old she is now sitting on her own and loves sitting on the floor to play with her toys and the dogs.  She loves having picnics with her little picnic set, playing peek-a-boo and listening to music.  When we play peek-a-boo with her, she giggles up a storm! 

Emma is so close to crawling but it hasn't happened just yet.  She scoots, gets up on all fours and looks like she really wants to move but hasn't figured out the next step quite yet. Maybe next month we'll have exciting news to report! 

Emma made Mother's Day extra special for her mommy.  We went to a special Mother's Day service at church and got a mother/daughter picture taken.  Emma also made a card at school complete with footprints and a picture, and even got Mommy an iPad!  She is now looking forward to Father's Day in June when she'll get to celebrate her Daddy. 

Since the weather is starting to get hot here in Arizona, we broke out the baby pool this week and Emma loves splashing around in the water with her toys.  She even got to have a pool 'play date' this past week and played with a couple of her little friends in the water. So much fun!!! 

We hope everyone has a great summer!

April 2012 - 6 Months Old

Little Emma Grace seems to be growing by leaps and bounds lately.  Daddy took her to her 6 month doctor's appointment and she weighed in at 17 pounds (70th percentile) and measured 27 inches long (90th percentile). 

Emma is getting so close to sitting up on her own.  She can hold herself up for a few seconds and seems to be liking being in that position more and more.  She is still rolling and scooting around on her play mat and is becoming quite mobile! 

Not much new to report in the food department other than Emma's first experience with yogurt was not a good one!  Poor baby got so sick from it. Guess we won't be trying that again for a while, as we don't want to watch her have to go through that again. :(  She got a new high chair this month, and she loves it.  Mommy and Daddy love it too because it makes feeding her so much easier! 

Emma celebrated her first Easter this month. We took her to church and then she got to play with her new toys and read the new books she got in her Easter baskets.  No candy this year!  We put her down on the floor in her Bumbo so she could watch the dogs do their Easter treat hunt. She is totally fascinated by the dogs so she loved watching them running around looking for their puppy treats.

Now we are just counting down the days until summer break!  The last day of school for Emma and Mommy is May 23rd and then we will get to be home together every day for the whole summer. :)  

Me and Mom

Me and Mom  (click)

March 2012 - 5 Months Old!

Happy Spring!  Emma has gone through quite the growth spurt during the month of March.  She now weighs 16.5 pounds and continues to grow taller.  Emma is rolling over and loves to stretch out on the floor to play. When we hold toys out in front of her she scoots towards them.  I think we will have a crawler on our hands soon! 

Emma has also really started paying close attention to the dogs this past month and reaches out to pet them.  The dogs are so patient with her and don't snap at her when she grabs hold of their fur a little too hard! It's only a matter of time before she'll be crawling around with them...

As far as feeding goes, Emma is now eating rice cereal, a vegetable and fruit every day.  Her favorites are sweet potatoes, apples and pears.  She's quite a good little eater and things haven't gotten too messy yet (knock on wood!!).  I think she takes after her Daddy with how neat and tidy she is!

During March Emma and Mommy had a week off for Spring break.  Her grandma and great grandma on Mommy's side came out to visit and we had a great time shopping, hanging out in the sunshine and playing.  At the end of the month her Grammy and Papa on Daddy's side came to visit and Emma got to spend Grammy's birthday with her!  Everyone had a fun weekend... Mommy and Daddy even got their first date night out while Grammy and Papa babysat. :)

We hope everyone has a very Happy Easter!  We will post pics of Emma on her first Easter next week.

Emma Grace's 1st Week Slideshow

Emma's 1st Week (click)

February 2012

Emma is already 4 months old...time is flying by!!! At her four month doctor's appointment she weighed in at 13 pounds, 7 ounces (40th percentile for her age).  We started her on solid foods and so far she is doing very well with them.  Every morning she has rice cereal and for dinner she has been eating peas and green beans.  She is working her way through the vegetables and then she will get to try fruit. If she takes after her mommy she will love fruit!

We are noticing changes in Emma almost daily....she is such a big girl now! She is working on rolling over and has it down except for pulling out that one arm that gets stuck underneath her every time!  We are amazed at how strong and active she is. She also likes to sit in the Bumbo chair in the morning while Mommy and Daddy get ready for work (she loves watching herself in the mirror). 

Our baby girl also took her first big trip this month...to Cancun!  The entire John family was there for the celebration of Sedona's 25th anniversary, and it was so much fun for Emma to meet that whole side of the family. :) She got to hang out with the family at the beach, pool and even went on her first boat ride! Emma did great on the plane and mommy and daddy were so proud of her for being such an easy baby to travel with. 

In March, Emma and Mommy get a week off of school for Spring Break!  Her grandma and great grandma (from Mommy's side of the family) will be visiting from Alaska.  It will be a fun-filled week for Emma of playing, reading lots of books, and of course, shopping! :)

January 2012

We hope everyone's new year is off to a good start!  January was a busy and eventful month for little miss Emma Grace.  She now weighs a little over 13 pounds and is holding her head up really well. She loves playing, taking baths and listening to stories (she loves looking at the pop-up books!).  We just recently started feeding her some baby food and she's doing pretty well with it... feeding her is a pretty messy task!

Emma also started going to daycare this month, since Mommy had to return to work. She has adjusted very well and she is one of the favorites of the daycare workers.  The infant room she is in is brand new with all kinds of fun toys and books to entertain her.  Her two 'teachers' are wonderful and Emma seems to like them very well.  Mommy works just down the street so we even get to have 'lunch dates' sometimes. :) 

During February we are looking forward to a relaxing trip to Cancun with the whole John family!  We will post pictures to the blog when we return.