Here Comes Emma!

Today Emma was playing nicely with her stackable links, tapping them against the dishwasher. Elated at her content independent play, Scott watched from a distance. Every so often, Emma peeked her head around the corner to check and make sure Scott was there. When he attempted to quietly capture this moment on video, Emma bolted for him and the camera!

Spring Frills

We had some fun trying to get Emmy to wear her Easter hat for a few pictures. She doesn't seem to like when we pull up her hood or put on a hat. Emma also found it difficult to crawl in a dress, so she didn't wear it for long. It was such a cute Easter outfit. You have to admit that she has great facial expressions!

Easter Basket Exploration

Emma opened her Easter baskets from her grandparents a few days before Easter, but we're just now getting around to downloading the video. Here's Emma exploring some gifts from Grammy Jill and Grandpa Mike.

Shake, Shake, Shake!

Rattles make Emma absolutely giddy! She has several that she just loves to shake, shake, shake. We make sure to have a few in each location throughout the house so that they're available at any time. It's a lot like pacifers, diapers, and burp clothes . . . you need these essential supplies in the diaper bag, family room, and nursery. She's also modeling a sundress that she recieved as a shower gift just about one year ago exactly.

So Big!

How big is Emma, you ask? She is soooooo big . . . and she'll show you just how big she is if you ask! Here she is the first time Grandpa Ross and Grandma Connie introduced it to her two weeks ago. She's a fast learner. What a stretch and smile!

Easter in Chicago

Second Cousin Lindsey

Uncle Chad

Emma enjoyed visiting with the Schultz (Greves) side of her family over Easter weekend. We went to Aunt Heidi and Uncle Rick's house in Chicago for the day. All eyes were on Emma as she displayed her skills of crawling, pulling up, babbling, and opening presents.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny, who lives in a nest under our deck, brought Emma some goodies for being a good girl this year . . . well, these last 9 months!

The Assembly Line

When it comes to assembling toys, Emma is quite the helper. She wanted to put the pieces of her Playskool Walk 'n' Ride on herself. Daddy was so patient and let her explore during the process. It was an Easter gift from her Grandma Connie and Papa Ross. We'll share more pictures and videos of it in use in the coming months.

Happy Easter!

Sweet Pea was visited by several Easter bunnies this season. This picture doesn't even show everything, because she got more after it was taken! I think we'll have to ration her gifts and introduce one a week. By then it will be her first birthday, and we can start the process again. Thanks Easter bunnies!

Nine Months Old

We celebrated Emma's "golden" birthday this week. She turned nine months old on April 9. We do realize that her true golden birthday will be on July 9 when she turns nine. In the past few days she added so many things to her "I Can Do It" list including finger foods, crawling, pulling up, and babbling.

That's What Friends Are For

Emma had a swell time with her friends Morgan and Jude in early April. After watching 13-month-old Jude masterfully parade around on foot, Emmy decided to put her full energies into crawling. She demonstrated her new skill the very next day. And two days later, she began babbling to beat the band just like Morgan. That's what friends are for!

Crawling Queen

Emma surprised us with her first real crawl on Sunday. It's amazing how quickly she's been honing her technique. It's only been 3 days, and she is already pulling herself up once she reaches her destination. Our little crawling queen has taken over the house. We can no longer take our eyes off of her for a second! It's time to get out the gate, cabinet locks, closet locks, and outlet covers. We are hoping that we won't have to go the whole nine yards.

Building Blocks

So you may have noticed that I've been posting A LOT of pictures under recent entries. That's because there are too many good photos, and I can't narrow it down to just one or two. In this case, Emma is playing with her peek-a-boo blocks. Each one has a Velcro flap that hides a minature toy. She masterfully opens and removes the treasures. The smiles show just how much fun Emma has playing with these bright blocks.

Who's That in the Mirror?

Daddy entertained Emma while folding the clothes in the guest bedroom and Mommy vacuumed downstairs. She quickly noticed Daddy's reflection in the full-length mirror. What a discovery!