Eventful week....for Emily at least!

So the little bugger has accomplished quite a few things in the last few days....

* arrival of tooth #2 we noticed on Saturday

* doing more actual crawling then dragging

* learned to sit up on her own!  First time was in her crib and I thought it was a fluke.....nope she's doing it pretty regularly now!

* actually drinking water out of her sippy cup....just a little....she mostly still just bangs it around

For me on the other hand, just been a plain 'ol week.  Nothing too exciting!  Been thinking about things for Emily's birthday party.  Got some invitation ideas in mind and a few other DIY decor ideas.  It's early yes (birthday is in May) but I figure the sooner I get things together the better so I won't be rushing around like crazy at the last minute!

Jim found a neat new toy for her at the store the other day - a ball pit!  It only came with 25 small balls (kind of a joke) so we purchased a pack of 100 from amazon to make it a real ball pit!

She loves it!

 Mmm....Red ball

 Oooh....Green ball!

 Banging around

 Hey....the green ball....

 I need to go get that!

 Oh...there's another one!

 I think I like my shoe better.

 Mommy took away my shoe, on to the yellow ball!

And here is my favorite picture of the week.  ADORE that smile!  I was making loud annoying sounds at her to look at the camera and she decided to giggle at me.  So sweet....

Craft-tastic!

So every winter I get back into my knitting hobby, and this year has been no exception!  Just this past weekend I had a wonderful outing with my friend Kelly (who is an expert knitter if I may say)!  We went to the local yarn shop and then went to JoAnn Fabrics to peruse their knitting goods.  I left with some great stuff and great ideas for projects:

Sock Yarn in a beautiful red and black stripe to make a pair of socks:

Pretty purple/black combo yarn to make a capelet:

Some pretty cream yarn to make mittens/gloves (haven't decided yet):

And I would say my best find was "Baby Blanket" yarn to make Emily a new bunny - it totally feels and looks like blanket material, love it!

Here's the story of "Bunny Buddy"......

So Emily got this great little bunny blanket from Pottery Barn Kids from the baby shower.  Cutest thing ever.  We started giving it to her to sleep with at like 4 months and she loved chewing on it and snuggling with it.  Well, this thing is getting DISGUSTING!

Exhibit A:

So for the past month or so, Jim has been ready to throw this thing out or burn it, haha!  I have protested because it's her night time snuggle bunny and we can't just get rid of it!!!  I stumbled across this pattern:

Perfect!!  So after my shopping venture last weekend I knitted one up on Sunday - only took the day to do!  It's a little big bigger than I expected so if (when) I make it again, I will just cast it on to smaller needles.

Exhibit B:

But it doesn't matter, because.....

She loves it!!

This is why it gets so gross, haha!

Currently I am working on a messenger type bag:

This is what we have done so far - it's about 1/3 done - that pattern needs to repeat two more times:

I'm looking forward to finishing this up so I can work on the capelet:

and a pair of socks - which I have never done before, so will be an interesting experience I am sure!

And here are a few other projects I've done over the past year:

 Wore this at my baby shower!

 Knit hat for the hubby (also made a red one for myself)

 Knit hat for the baby!

Kindle cover

If anyone is interested in any of the patterns I have used, just let me know and I will definitely share!

Winter Blahs

Winter Blues
Stuck in a Funk
Cabin Fever
Seasonal Affective Disorder

Whatever the heck you want to call it.....I gots it.  I wish I was a bear and could just eat a ton and then curl into bed and sleep until spring.  Well, I've got the first part down.....

Instead I am just getting fatter and NOT sleeping that well at night.  Sometimes it's Emily waking up randomly in the night, other times it's just me - not falling asleep.

I am now left feeling in a complete funk.  I feel like a living zombie!!

I know I need some vitamins, but just haven't taken the time to figure out which ones to get and then go out and get them - can't say I'm looking forward to blowing $50+ on some pills.  Exercise would help too, but I'm stuck in the infinite loop of too tired to workout in turn feeling worse in turn feeling too exhausted to work out, etc, etc.

This time of year is always the worst.  No more holidays to keep busy and look forward too.  Just craptastic weather for the next 4 months!!

I need a beach vacation STAT!!

8 months old today!

Just look at her grow!  She is just so darn cute....I am biased of course!

She is getting ready to crawl any second now...or so it seems that way.  She is getting on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth.  She is also doing somewhat of an "army" crawl where she will just drag herself across the floor using mostly her arms.  One day she is just going to "get" it and then mommy will be given a run for her money!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Okay, so TOTALLY late on this post, but what can I say?  I haven't been on the computer too much lately.  Been pretty busy with Emily and enjoying my new Kindle as well as partaking in my knitting hobby once again!  Leaves little time for computer surfing and blogging.  Alas, better late than never!

Emily's first Christmas was great.  She of course didn't grasp the concept of it at all, but she had fun and is enjoying all of her new toys!  Of course she made out like a bandit.  "Santa" only brought two things for her, however, the grandparents (all three sets!) managed to pick up the slack!

Our first Christmas party was actually in early December.  We met at my dad's house for his side of the family.  Emily did great and even let people she never met hold her (which in the past was a no-no and she would SCREAM bloody murder).  We did a "White Elephant" exchange in which everyone just brought whatever they had lying around the house.  Definitely an interesting exchange ;)

 Emily playing with Grandma Liz

 Emily hanging with Grandpa!

 Emily and Great Aunt Stella!

 Bedtime story....in the kitchen?!?

So a week or so before Christmas we were invited to a 1st bday party for one of the kids of our parenting group.  They had this neat rocking horse and she just loved it!  Thought this pic was too cute!

Christmas Eve we went to the Jim's parents house.  We had a great spread of appetizers and just hung out while the girls played with tons of plastic food!

 Lunch break!

 Back to the fun!  Kathleen is sharing with Emily.

 Mmm....tasty cup!

 Daddy being bombarded by the kiddies!

 Kathleen LOVES her new baby doll set from Uncle Jim and Aunt Andrea!

We then headed out to Jim's aunt and uncles house for dinner.  It was a long day, but of course a lot of fun!  Emily came out with quite a few cute clothes and toys.  Jim and I didn't leave empty handed either. We got some good ol fashioned $$, gift cards, and some official HUGE A&W Rootbeer mugs.  We totally made rootbeer floats for the rest of the week ;)

Christmas Day!  Woke up bright and early Christmas morning.  Our tree looked a little sad with just two little presents under the tree for Emily, but it was all good!  Jim and I had gotten eachother Kindle's earlier in the month, so we were all set :)  Emily didn't need a lot of things either and we figured this wasn't the year to go overboard since she is still so young.

 Examining the loot

 Cookie monster remote gets Emily's seal of approval!

 She really does like Violet....but she LOVES that remote!

 Kitties are enjoying their gift too!

 Daddy shows her how it works

 Devo the Prozac kitty (that's a whole other story!)

Christmas extravaganza part II.  My dad and Liz came over for Christmas breakfast.  We had eggs, bacon, bagels and mimosas.  Good stuff!  Emily got some fun stuff from her grandpa including a rocking "zebra", baby piano, & play hammer.  I think the piano is one of her favs!

 Ooh new stuff!

 Merry Christmas!

 Lovin' the piano!

Part III.  We then kicked them out (no not really) and got ready for the next wave.  My mom & John, Uncle and Aunt, & Great Uncle came over for dinner.  Also Jim's parents stopped by for a drink and some apps.

 Yummy appetizers

 Grandma snuggling up to Emily.

The whole gang (except for me)

Dinner table is set

 Dinner is served!

 Hahahaha!!!  Love ya ma!

 The loot!!!  Only some of it.  She has gotten a bit more since then!

 One of her favs.  "Mad Scientist" blocks from Aunt Carol and fam!

Giddy up!  We are going to Branson, MO for a family vacation this summer!  Great family gift from Grandma and Grandpa Choate!

Seriously Emily cleaned up well.  In addition to the boat load of noisy toys pictured above, she got some cute clothes, a giant classic minnie mouse christmas figurine (another gem from Auntie Carol and crew, hehe).  I should of gotten a pic of that before we tucked her away in the christmas decs.  Ah well, we will definitely get one next year!  

Great Christmas, great celebrations, great family.  Can only hope that everyone felt as wonderful and blessed as we did this year.