Happy Nine Month Birthday Miss Emma!

Okay...I've surrendered to the harassment. Here are few pictures. I was hoping to actually post a real blog but...

She actually has two teeth now. But snapping a picture of them is impossible.

She love love love loves her great Grandma and great PoPo.

I think she has Great PoPo's smile.

Happy Nine Month Birthday Miss Emma!

Sleeping Booty

The title says it all!

How cute is this?

Hurricane Ike: Update

I can't seem to say often enough, "We are blessed."

Darren, Dad, Mom, and I ventured home (Dickinson) yesterday with an empty pit in our stomach not knowing what to expect. Thankfully, we were AMAZED. We pulled into our subdivision to discover a house fully intact. No broken windows, no major water damage in the house. Hurricane Ike's destruction of our property included lifting away a few roof shingles and a few portions of our privacy fence lying on the ground. The missing shingles created a small hole in our roof that led to a little water damage in our utility room (tile not carpet). We are out of electricity. However, when we arrived yesterday, our freezer chest still had ice and the butter in the refrigerator was beginning to soften but still cold to the touch. The estimated time of arrival for power restoration has very from a few days, to a week, to even a month.

Galveston College, from reports, also was spared and very lucky. Initial reports indicate that only a few windows were broken and that there was not, I repeat not, flooding. We are very lucky. There still has to be a complete assessment of the facility. There is no power and power is not anticipated to be available for several days at the very minimum. Limited personnel have been allowed back onto the island at this point. Therefore, faculty, staff, and students are not expected to report back for some time.

And for those of you wondering, the Hellibu survived as well. No damage.

I will keep you posted with updates as I can. We appreciate your prayers and thoughts.

Happy Eight Month Birthday, Miss Emma!

It's hard to believe it's been eight months. And what a wonderful, crazy roller coaster it has been.

This month's milestones:

• Emma's first tooth appeared as of August 30th. I know that has been a long time, but I have been trying to get the elusive picture. Maybe another day...
• Emma does not feel it is necessary for her to remain on a blanket or in one place. She rolls where she needs to go, preferably at the edge of the blanket but on the carpet.
• She is starting to babble a lot more. There is nothing distinguishable, yet. However, the angry babble is certainly too cute.
• The jumperoo is favorite baby "gear" of the moment.
• Favorite toys: pink love bug, soft eeyore, a duck that quacks, and dotty the blanket
• Other cuteness: She had long given up her binky. However, she found a different brand binky and loves to "pop" the binky. Imagine her taking the binky with one hand on each side while it's in her mouth. She then pulls as hard as she can. This results in a "POP" that makes her giggle every time.

I don't have pictures to post. Dial-up connectivity is a little slow. I'll post when I can.

Run from Water, Hide from Wind

Well, we have done so.

For those of you who may not know. I work for Galveston College, the community college on Galveston Island. We live in Dickinson/League City, Texas. (Interesting story there, our mailing address is Dickinson but we pay League City taxes and utilities)

In fear of the nasty, nasty, did I mention, nasty evacuation for Hurricane Rita we left as soon as we absolutely could. During the Rita trip, the normal 2 hour driver turned into 10 almost 11 hours. We left this Wednesday evening and made it to Weimar in 2 hours 45 minutes, thankfully.

We are going to ride out the storm here. It is not looking good for home and work.

It's always an adventure in our household and definitely never boring.

Compromise

When Darren and I started dating, there was an obvious difference between the two of us. A difference so big, the family even asked if I was sure there was no one else. I am, and always have been, an Astros fan. The entire family supports the Houston Astros. I have been to at least one game a season since I can remember. I actually lost count how many games a year I went to when I attended U of H, after all Tuesday was college night. I digress. Needless to say, I am just a little bit of a fan. And well, Darren is not (or was not, still debatable) an Astros fan. And he didn't just like any team. He support the Atlanta Braves. How could I possibly spend the rest of my life with a Braves fan?

Before Emma, we would root our separate ways. However, we didn't feel that it was appropriate to make our daughter choose. Thus came along the compromise. Emma's baseball team of choice is the Houston Astros not Atlanta Braves. Emma's football team of choice is the Dallas Cowboys not the Houston Texans (and really I'm not giving up much there :) ) That is until she is old enough to choose her own teams, but for now anyway is the Astros and the Cowboys.

So, the family attended Emma's first baseball game on . It was a special game beyond Emma's first. It was the day Craig Biggio's jersey was retired. The 'Stros won't be the same. But anyway, Emma had a great time. She fell asleep in the top of the first inning, slept through Ty Wigginton's 3-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. Yes, this included her sleeping through the crowd noise, the firework explosion, and the train. However, we did have time for a few pictures. Here's our favorite.

But not to be outdone, here's another. And yes, she is in an Astros outfit as well. In the top picture she's just hiding it.
And another family photo...(thanks Bryant!)

And so, the compromise goes. Emma went to her first 'Stros game. This past Sunday she watched the Cowboys game with Daddy. And so you don't think I am totally picture biased, here are a few pictures.

The Cowboys had scored a touchdown right before I grabbed the camera. And yes, she does have a Dallas Cowboy outfit, it's just a little big. So, according to Daddy, she saving it for the playoffs. We shall see.

So...go 'Stros and go Cowboys!

Goodbye My Friend

Today we lost a special member of the family. Samantha Claire (aka "Sammie"), our Siamese, passed away this morning. She was almost fourteen years old. We knew in our hearts that she wouldn't be with us forever, but somehow it's the same heart that knew that's hurting right now.

Darren corrected me today when I said she was mine. Yes, Darren, you are correct, she was ours. However, she was and always be mine. I am the one who held her inside my letterman jacket when I took her home from the shelter. I am the one she slept next to or on top of. I am the one who argued with her over possession of the "duckie" blanket. And she was the one who knew me and comforted me before you. I've joked but it's the honest truth. I knew you were the man who would be soul mate because Sammie approved.

Sammie was special for so many things. She did back flips for paper balls as a kitten. She was so cross-eyed she would often run into walls, pick herself up, and carry on as nothing happened. Or, when she did venture out of the house which rarely occurred, she would always turn left and make a complete circle. She had the Siamese Texas drawl. She loved the top of the stairs. And, when you combine the drawl and the top of stairs you got an echo that she was so proud of, yet it rattled everyone's last nerve. And, speaking of stairs, of course the bunny hop was the only way to traverse them carefully.

Sammie was intelligent. She considered herself a real human. She knew the phrase, "Go to your room." And though Darren didn't believe me that she said, "Mom" or what sounded really close to "Maaaaaaaaaa," he became a believer during my first trip away from home at approximately 2am in the morning when she was looking for me at the top of the stairs.

I will miss all the little things. But most importantly, I will miss my friend.

Amazing

A friend of mine shared on her blog, a fun website (http://wordle.net/). So, of course I had to try it out. Basically, it takes a collection of words and makes them into art. The words that are used most frequently are made the largest with less frequently used words tucked between. I used Emma's blog to generate the following two images.

I can't but help notice that the words that are most noticeable are Emma and God. Amazing.

Whoa...Horsey...

In Darren's pursuit of making his little girl a cowgirl.

Emma has begun to ride horse.
Well sort of...

Seven Months...Already....

Happy Seventh Month Birthday Miss Emma!

Accomplishments/milestones of the month:

• No more preemie formula. Emma has advanced from Similac Neosure to Similac Advance (a regular formula). Yeah!!!!!
• BACK to TUMMY! Emma can roll from her back to her tummy. She has also discovered that she can do this as she falls asleep and loves sleeping on her tummy. Did I mention she loves sleeping on tummy? If not, she really loves sleeping on her tummy.
• She's an all-nighter. That is, she sleeps from approx 8 in the evening to 5 in the morning. Thank goodness Daddy is a morning person.
• She had her first true road trips. We stayed in San Antonio for 4 days 3 nights in the Westin Riverwalk. There she got to spend some valuable time with Great Grandma and Great PoPo.
• She also spent the night in Waco on another road trip. There she got to spend time with Granny and PawPaw.
• She has begun solid foods. I'll have some pictures posted later.
• She has survived her first Tropical Storm (Edouard). She was absolutely smashing and wonderful throughout the day. What can we say? She's a survivor.
• She has started to giggle and laugh. Hopefully, soon I will have the audio clip for everyone to here.
• Has fallen in love with her bug (stuffed pink and yellow toy with bell, not pictured) and her beloved Dotty (the polka dot blanket in the majority of pictures.

And now for what everyone is really here for....

pictures, pictures, pictures.

My apologies if you have a slow connection, but you asked for these.

Such a big girl...

A Thought for All Preemie Moms

This message was shared on one of the numerous preemie message and support groups that I joined. It's beautiful, so I thought I would share.

Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting hisinstruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew.Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia.Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity.

"Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles."Give her a preemie."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."

"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect She has just the right amount of selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary.When her child says momma for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see-- ignorance, cruelty, prejudice-- and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

Happy Half Year Birthday!!!!

Happy Half Birthday Miss Emma!!!!!!

Emma Estimates:

• Height: 25 inches (25th percentile for a six month full term baby)
• Weight: 15 pounds 2 ounces (25-50th percentile for a six month full term baby)
• Head circumference: 44 cm (90th percentile for a six month full term baby)

Other accomplishments:

• Emma rolls to her side.
• Emma is no longer on a combination of moo juice and preemie formula rather she eats a moo juice/full term infant formula combination.
• Emma has a laugh that makes your heart giggle.

Happy Fifth Month Birthday!!!!

Okay...nothing but pictures taken today on Emma's 5th Month Birthday!!! How time flies!

I tried to capture some in the bouncer and car seat for size reference.

Nothing's Wrong Just Testing You

Okay...okay...alas, I know you are here for the pictures of Emma. Here's a couple of quick pictures of Emma. You will note a few things:

1. She is no longer sleeping completely on her wedge. She prefers to move, aka turn not toss, at night.
2. She is using a big girl binky. We have transitioned her from her beloved green soothie binkies to Avent binkies which will grow with her. Her new favorite is the Pinky Binky she has in her mouth in the picture.
3. Yes, the onesie is one of our favorites. It states "Nothing's Wrong Just Testing You"
4. And yes, she is getting bigger. She's growing too fast.

Wanted: Freezer Space

So...as many of you have read, I express "moo juice" for Emma frequently on a daily basis. This pumped moo juice is then dumped into plastic bags to be frozen to be defrosted to then be dumped in her bottles. We shall call this the "pump and dump" process.

Well, currently I have pumped enough milk to be dumped for 2 weeks. Now, officially this is not enough moo juice to supply Emma's demand, but a beneficial ratio of moo juice to formula.

Therefore, freezer space is devoted to moo juice.

But that's not all. This past Memorial Day weekend, I spent time making Emma baby food. Emma helped in the kitchen (basically, she sat bouncing herself in the bouncer and amusing herself while Mom was busy). So....we made.....

• Butternut squash
• Acorn squash
• Calabaza squash
• Applesauce
• Pears
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potatoes

So here is what the freezer currently looks like.

Her pediatrician wants us to wait until Emma is 6 months old plus 10 weeks (Emma's adjusted age of 6 months) before we begin baby food. Quite honestly, I can't see us holding out that long. She is already taking approximately 30 ounces per day. If we wait as long as her doctor suggests, we will not be starting solid food until October. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.

1000 Hits...

Okay...not quite as big of ordeal as Biggio's recent record, however, I find it very impressive.

If you look at the number of hits since Emma came home, we have hit the
1000 mark.

Oh, how I regret and wish I would have put the counter up sooner.

Thank you all for making it happen!

Long Awaited...

Well...I know it's been a long time and a lot has happened.

The first pictures you'll see are from May 16th. Darren and I renewed our vows. Emma slept the entire time so there aren't any cute pictures of the three of us. She was, however, up long enough for us to snap a few shots, the best being Emma with her great grandma. I am hoping the two other cameras in attendance will have better pictures.


Mickie presented me with a beautiful bouquet.

And Mom made a wonderful wedding cake that tasted as awesome as it looked.

But I know what the blog readers really want and that is pictures of the Ladybug. So here you go....

I can be cute.
I can be mischievous.

I can be cute.
I can make you laugh with me.
But then I can be serious.
But get cute again.

And again...

It's hard to believe that Emma is 4 months old already. It's hard to believe that I actually celebrated my first Mother's Day. It's hard to believe I have a beautiful, wonderful, absolutely precious daughter of my own. It's hard to believe I have a husband that is so supportive, always there, and always making me feel loved. It's hard to believe my life is as fulfilling as it is.

It's hard to believe all these things...unless you believe in miracles. And I ask, with the proof that I have, how can you not?

Quick Post

Emma had her four-month wellness exam yesterday, so...

Emma Estimates:

• Weight: 11 pounds 3 ounces
• Length: 22 1/2 inches
• Head circumference 40 1/2 cm

I will post more details later...