Summer Fun!

Introducing Emma's new best friend, Violet Mariam Amaro! We're so glad Violet is here...not so sure I'm so glad that in some of these pics my child was encouraged to play in mud puddles! Clearly, I wasn't around. Oh well, they had fun, and as always Carrie Fay was right there with her camera. :)  We love you, baby Violet, welcome home!

18 Months

My sweet baby Emma is 18 months old today. I am convinced that right now, at this stage in her development, she is changing on a daily basis. For a child who was deemed "developmentally behind with regard to her vocabulary" at 12 months, I am confident she will blow them out of the water at her 18 month appointment. Here is a list (not at all conclusive) of what she can say right now (and what I can remember!):

ma-ma. daddy. bubbles. belle. doggy. tree. up. down. vi-ye (Violet). nano (Daniel). doa (Dora). boo (Boots). yeah. wa-wa (water). uh-oh. hi. bye-bye. blankie. nigh-nigh (night night). sissy. please. than oo (thank you). piggy. frog. bunnny. cow. wow. moo. sheep. baa. nose. eye. belly. cheese. uv oo (love you). milky. ball. baby. bite. hug. kiss. car. in. out. wing (swing). lide (slide). all done. book. more. bu (blue).

Pretty impressive, I think, for a child who could only say 3 words 6 months ago. We couldn't be more proud! We love you so much, Emma, and happy 1/2 birthday!

Swimming Lessons

It's definitely that time again, time to go swimming! Last year, at 6 months old, Emma laid the foundation for her swimming lessons to continue this year. And we couldn't have been more excited to get her started. She is now complete with the process - and even though she is not quite 18 months old yet - is highly skilled in the water.

Here's a video of her last day of lessons. You will see her in her pajamas, they're testing to make sure she knows what to do if faced with an emergency. You will also see her just having fun - she loves to swim now!

It's going to be a really fun, and safe, summer swimming with the girls!





Lazy Legs No More...

Emma has been getting better and better at walking every day. The only thing she has yet to master is standing up on her own, without holding on to anything. Once she does that - she'll be taking off even more I'm sure.

Here's a video of her walking all the way down our hallway tonight! She's getting so big!

Lazy Legs

Emma. Sweet baby, Emma. She will be 14 months old very soon, long passing up the 1 year old mark, and yet she has absolutely NO DESIRE to walk. If you try to hold her up and encourage her to walk she becomes limp, unwilling to stand, and drops to her knees. Thus the nickname: Lazy Legs!

She is typically motivated by food (she is a MUCH better eater than her sister), more specifically any form of meat. In fact, Carrie Fay has said, “How is it that the smallest, most adorable Garland is also the most aggressive Carnivore?!” True. So true. However, even when holding the tastiest of treats, she has no desire to walk. She will speed crawl across the floor to get to what you are enticing her with, but refuses to even attempt to walk.

While there is a part of me that is so ready for this milestone to happen, there is also a part of me that knows that once she starts going she will never stop. Right now, if you sit on the floor, she will crawl right to you. She will get in your lap, and just snuggle. Will this still take place when she becomes more mobile? Or will she just chase her sister around? Either way, it’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of time.

Until then, we will simply cherish our time cuddling on the floor and anticipating what adventures are yet to come for our little Lazy Legs!