3/4 Way to the Big ONE!

At 9 months, Emersen is a happy baby almost all the time. She's getting another tooth on the bottom, and her doctor said to expect two more on top soon. This does put her in a slightly clingy mood at times, or makes her not want to eat her meals well. Usually a pacifier will help her get over it. We're fortunate that teething isn't that big of a deal - I know other moms deal with fevers and very cranky kids. Yesterday evening, Emersen managed to stay awake after eating around 4 something all the way until 9:30 or thereabouts. That's a LONG time for her. She did want to be held the last little while before she ate again. She's a new kid after eating - it's an immediate transformation from quiet to smiling and talking.

We had our 9 month check up on Monday. Easy peasy check up - no shots! Em wasn't sure about the doctor when she walked it but got over it. She does NOT like to have her face played with or checked out - this includes wiping her face after eating. But all things looked good! Since Em's visit to the allergist a couple weeks ago, she's up to 30 1/2 inches (99th percentile) and 21 lbs 10 oz (87th percentile). Guess what this means? That she's officially TOO long for her INFANT car seat. Thank the Lord that my cousins felt compelled to donate TWO big baby car seats to us so all we had to do was get them out of the attic. I saw "all we had to do" but my husband and father-in-law spent HOURS getting it all rigged up and installed in the car last night - with temps in the 90's mind you. Dad's (and dad-in-laws) are great at that stuff! Love them.

So here is Miss Emersen, looking rather boyish here, sitting in her new seat! Can't believe she's so tall and already out of that seat. 

Em is also kneeling to do things a lot these days - look out of her pack-n-play, look in her toy bins, reach for things she can't play with! Our friend, a pediatrician, advised us to "create an every day environment she can be successful in" so that she doesn't hear "NO" so much that it loses it's meaning. Our key phrase is "Not for Emersen" and give her a toy saying "This is for Emersen." She knows what the phrase means, and "NO" as well, as she is usually quick to obey. We added a gate to our decor in the living room as well so we don't have to tell her "NO" all the time for the steps. She fancies herself a mountain climber apparently.

Hopefully we can get Emersen on camera doing her "bye bye" wave, and her "yea!" clapping/"more" in sign language. She still "dances" a little - like Stevie Wonder she shakes her head.

FYI to the parents out there - Lil Lambs Closet Consignment Sale at Centenary Methodist Church in Lexington is NEXT Friday and Saturday. Went last August and got some steals - $20 for a nice gender nuetral baby swing. Considering Em wasn't one of those babies who magically stopped crying in it, glad we didn't spend over $100 for that particular item. Actually found the exact diaper bag I had registered for at the sale and the entire gym is clothes. There will be a line when it starts on Friday, just so ya know. 

Hilton Head 2011

Well, I am ready to move to the Sea Pines area of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina! Our vacation was wonderful. Thanks, many thanks, to my in-laws for taking us along, with Bryce and Holly, and both of Wes' grandma's. The house was wonderful, the place was wonderful, the week was wonderful!

She thinks Uncle Bryce is SO funny!

Aunt Holly and Uncle Bryce - a little early in the AM.

Em LOVED the pool! Thanks to the Cooper grandparents for the bathing suits, and Holly for her assistance in helping pick them out.

Family pool pic.

Hollywood - as Waverly would say.

Emersen's a genius of course, reading to herself about the Itsy Bitsy Spider, a gift from Nina Cooper.

The week was full of fun. Emersen fully embraced her new crawling skill - I don't think I had mentioned that. She's developed so many new skills over the past few weeks I haven't been able to keep up! She went from belly to sitting up, then crawling. On vacation she took to sitting on her knees a lot, and finally stood up at her music table one day. The grandma's got to see this in real time! She's feeding herself puffs and yogurt melts as well. She had baked potato, which she loved, on vacation and some sweet potatoes with cinnamon sugar on them. Yum.

This week we've been doing some other "table" foods - lentils and cut up avocado. We'll be introducing meat as well. Bad experience with some baby food yesterday - highly seasoned = regurgitation for Emersen. I was at Pilates...Wes was feeding her. And we're trying to transition to soy formula, hoping she's outgrown her milk protein allergy. She's tolerated yogurt well thus far. SO - many changes and I'm trying to keep up! More pictures of vacation to come of Emersen at the beach. Also, anybody with some suggestions on a diet for a baby learning to eat true solids, not jar food, that isn't macaroni and cheese or pasta...high iron or protein preferred. Thanks!

Lorelai: "What is the special omelet?"
Luke: "You won't like it"
"How do you know?"
"'Cause you've been eating here for years and I know what you like and you won't like it"
"Can I at least here what it is?"
"Fine. It's three eggs with bits of bacon."
"I like bacon"
"Cubed tomatoes"
"Sounds good"
"Swiss cheese and a dash of oregano"
"A dash he says"
"I've got other customers here"
"I’m gonna go with the special omelet"
"Okay"
"With a side of bacon"
"There’s bacon in the omelet"
"Oh, then skip the bacon"
"The side of bacon?"
"The bacon in the omelet"
"Hold the bacon"
"Can I get Jack cheese?"
"On the side?"
"Instead of Swiss, Swiss is so stringy"
"Fine, Jack cheese"
"Also, I think I’m allergic to oregano so hold that, too, and some coffee"
"So, just the eggs, tomatoes, and Jack cheese"
"Not too many tomatoes"
"Light on the tomatoes"
"Very light, just a teeny-tiny amount, practically none"
"I’m skipping the tomatoes. It’s an omelet with Jack cheese"
"Perfect"
"You did this on purpose"
"Did what?

Quote from Gilmore Girls. I've started the seasons on DVD and am obsessed right now. Quote above is from an episode....

Emersen went to see the allergist, at Family Allergy and Asthma. We saw Dr. Warrier, she was great! We did an allergy test to get an idea of what she might be highly allergic to. The prognosis even before the test was that with two parents with allergies, she was doomed. I myself had numerous ear infections and allergy problems, and got weekly allergy shots until around end of high school. Dr. W thinks Em will probably end up getting the shots too. Sorry Em.

To clear up the never ending rash/rawness she's had on her hind parts, she told us to do the liquid Mylanta 3 times a day, and give her naked dry time as well. She confirmed she didn't have a fungal infection, or any infection. She has us go back to Huggies since we had recently switched even though it didn't seem like it directly related. But we've done all these things and she is clearing up - still not all clear - but not raw at all and much less pink. Dr. W said with a baby with allergies and such sensitive/eczema prone skin, the combo of even one molecule's difference between regular and off brand combined with sensitive skin and perhaps the change to all formula which affected her pooping caused some damage. Sheesh.

Em was AMAZING during the allergy test. It was like 40 pricks I think. She had her pacifier, me holding her arms, my mom holding her legs. And no tears made it out of her eyes - she would start with the crying and they would be finished with a tray. She cried more with her sets of shots at the doctor. Then they gave her a princess rubber ducky - which Em LOVES her rubber ducky's. She was awesome.

Results from this first testing showed allergy to egg and tree nuts, dust mites and cockroaches (they're like the same make up), and grass pollen, particularly Bluegrass. Of course. Luckily, she didn't show an allergy to milk which is encouraging since she had the milk protein allergy. We've since tried yogurt now that her bum has cleared up some, and so far so good!

The first time we try egg will have to be baked, like in cake. And then we'll make an appointment with the allergist to do scrambled, most likely, if she does okay with the baked version.

I think we continue re-testing and trying again on things as it changes as they grow. We'll eventually test the things that she only barley reacted to to personalize the allergy shot vial for her specific allergies. In the meantime, she's a sensitive baby. Blah. It could be so much worse. It could be peanuts or a bad disease.

So this is Em during her naked time. I bought a vinyl tablecloth for her to roll around on. They had super cute ones at Meijer for $2.99 and they even have the soft backing on them. I got polka dots, plaid and Greek key. So cute! Anyway, it was perfect for naked dry time. Because the first time, she peed. And you've heard about her previous naked time and bodily functions as well.

Additionally, she's twirling around her clearance new pj's that are so cute on her!

And as you can see, still a happy baby despite a hurting behind and pricking in the back! Love her face so much. Oh and she's 29 1/2 inches long and 21 lbs and a week shy of 9 months!

Random Tidbits

Granna and Grandpa Cooper are buying Emersen some swimsuits. We were doing a fashion show. Here's one they picked out - she likes it I think. We're probably keeping this one - love the skirt!

Wes decided to put his shirt on her....and she's leaning against the ottoman, not standing all on her own.

I've shown these kind of pics before. The couch still remains one of Emersen's favorite toys. She loves the flaps and can back herself under there.

Updates to come: Diaper rash/raw butt round 3, visit to the allergist and Emersen's 3 accomplishments all in a 12 hour period...