Milestones

Darling Emma is growing up ever so quickly! Here's a very blurry picture, but proof that our wobbly girl is sitting up (sometimes) by herself. We're practicing all the time and she is so proud of herself! I do have a couple of pictures of her sitting up on her changing pad smiling at herself in the mirror, but she is in her birthday suit, so I thought I'd forego putting those on the internet!

Even now as I've been writing this blog Emma is playing on the floor by herself with her little dolly (of course she is trying to eat her friend Dolly). Independent play (aka Mommy not holding Emma every waking minute) is something we have been working on very hard. Many tears have been shed--and Emma has fussed a little too. Just kidding. Our little cuddlebug is growing up ever so quickly and I don't want to miss a second of it--so I'd better run!

P.S. Emma decided Mommy needed some help finishing the blog post, so the independent playtime was cut short...but at least there were cuddles involved!

{MSP}

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is by far my very favorite holiday! Family, Falltime, food, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, football, and lots of love. All ingredients for a wonderful day! And it definitely was. I'm incredibly thankful this year for my baby Emma and her darling smile. My family is my greatest treasure--and even though I missed Brother, Carol, Abraham, and Anna Beth (and little Mary Elle of course too!), I'm so proud to lend my family to the service of King Jesus.

{MSP}

Weddings

October and November were a month full of weddings for us. We went to three weddings in fact. The first of which was in town. One of my sorority sisters got married on her parent's farm here in Louisville and it was lovely! The weather was gorgeous as was the bride! We were a little nervous about little Emma's behavior (my parents were out of the country and couldn't babysit.) but she was a gem! She was quiet through the whole ceremony and fell asleep at the reception.

The second and third weddings were in Nashville. For two weekends in a row the Pattersons were pretty much burning up the road on I-65S. Again though, Emma was a champ! She had to stand up in the back during both of the Nashville weddings, but she was a trooper--I couldn't have been more proud!

The third weekend my parents were also in Nashville and on Sunday we went out to brunch after church with my very best friend from college. It was so much fun! Unfortunately, Amanda has the photo of us with Emma, so I'll only be able to post the one she so graciously took of the family.

We are so happy for all of our friends who are newlyweds and wish all happiness and God's richest blessings upon their new marriages!

{MSP}

5 months old

Our sweet baby flower is 5 months old! How did that happen? I know the time is quickly coming where she will start rice cereal, then about 6 months later be weaned from nursing, and next thing you know she'll be getting married! Ok, not exactly, but how is it that time can be slipping away so quickly? I'm so grateful and cherish every day with this sweet baby darling.

Now that little darling is five months she is quickly approaching lots of developmental milestones. She can almost roll over both ways (though she despises tummy time, so development there is a drudgery). Our house is filled with the happiest of jibber-jabbery noises and laughs and coos. She is so close to sitting up on her own, but I'm treasuring the time before she is too independent. I love knowing that when I set her down for a second that I'll come back to find her in the same place. I think it's safe to say our girl will be a petite lady--she is in the 12th percentile for her height and still in her 0-3 month onesies. We're working into her bigger clothes, but all of her 3-6 month pants are miles too long (more or less). She is growing and changing every day! I can't wait to see what the next few weeks have in store. 

Brother (Uncle Brother) as our little one will call him, says this is one of his favorite baby stages, and I can see why! We love our affectionate, social butterfly and she is the apple of our eyes! 

{MSP}

Photo Shoot

 I have never prided myself on being a wonderful photographer. I took a class with my mom at Mississippi College when I was in middle school, so I know a few of the basics, but I am by no means an expert. Taking pictures of and with my baby girl has taken me from being a not completely terrible photographer to being a dismal one. Whenever I post a picture of her, people always compliment her and say how gorgeous she is--and boy are they right! But if they only knew--it takes approximately 65 pictures to get one happy smiling one--and usually that one is blurry or has my finger inching into the photo. She really is the happiest of creatures--but she is so curious about the phone/camera/ipad--whatever is being used to snap her picture that she won't smile or falls apart. I assume most mothers have this problem--but  I'm prepared to release a few photos that show what really happens when moms try to get that one perfect shot to prove to their friends that they have the happiest and best behaved baby ever.

Roger borrowed her pacifier

Here's a break to show you that sometimes it all comes together.

Darling photo...had to throw in a good one!

Peeling off that sticker to have a good look.

Chewing on Sophie

Eating her hands

Eating the book

All that to say, I do have the most beautiful and darling girl in the world! And like singer/songwriter John Mayer (the voice of my generation) sang, "Didn't have a camera by my side this time. Hopin' I would see the world through both my eyes." So here's to moms like me who aren't the best photographers in the world, but snap a few photos and then put down the cameras to see our kids through "both our eyes".

{MSP}