Catching Up

OK...this is a small step towards updating my blog on a regular basis. It feels like a lot of things have "gone by the wayside" this summer while we've settled into life with Miss Emily. I laugh now when I look back at my aspirations for the summer break.

In May, as Jack's school year was coming to an end, I e-mailed several friends & offered to do an e-mail playdate. Using their suggestions, I planned on sending a weekly e-mail announcing where we would all meet for a big playdate. Well...now that we're at the end of summer--Jack starts school in less than 2 weeks--I have YET to send ONE of those "weekly playdate e-mails"!!

I FINALLY got around to getting Emily's first professional pictures taken at the end of June. Alicia even went so far as to get us a Target gift card with a big hint that we could spend it in the portrait studio...

Although I brought way too many outfit changes--gimme a break, it was her 1st session & I've been out of practice--I made sure the most important picture was taken first. Emily's birthmother wove a blanket for Emily and we had just received it the week before. I dressed her in a hand woven Guatemalan shirt (dress on her) we bought while on our visit trip last year & we draped the blanket around her. After much wrangling the photographer managed to get a couple good pictures. Now I'll be able to send some pictures to our birthmother along with a letter updating her on Emily's adventures.

Over the 4th of July weekend, Emily officially became a member of our church when we had her baptized. Uncle Aaron "the Godfather" and Aunt Clarris traveled from afar to stand up as Emily's Godparents. Grandma & Grandpa "with M&M's", Uncle Chris and cousin Adam joined our local friends in celebrating this important event. A family friend from "back home" made Emily's baptism "bib" and the blanket Emily's birthmother wove were a special part of the ceremony. A big thanks to Alicia and Robin for videotaping and taking pictures during the ceremony. On a side note, Robin is a GREAT photographer but had to make due with our crummy point & shoot camera...

Since taking her 1st steps at the beginning of the month, you'd think she's been walking all her life. She toddles around quite quickly & I've learned to put "no-no's" farther out of reach. She's also developed a love of "reading" books. Each morning when I get her out of her crib, we better not be in a hurry. She insists on pulling every book from her shelf and going through them--sometimes she'll even let me read the whole book!!

Teething days are in full swing. She now has 7 teeth with some more sure to pop through soon. With that, we've been experiencing another round of sleepless nights, lots of snuggling & the need to reassure her that we're not leaving her. It breaks my heart when she "climbs" me like she can't get close enough to me during the middle of the night. I hope as time goes by & she settles in more, those nights begin to fade...