Happy Halloween!

We started celebrating Halloween yesterday at my little office get together. Emmy got to try on her costume and hang out with the big kids.

Superman (Cooper), our little bee and Dorothy (Kaylie)

Trick or Treat!

This evening we had some friends over for what may be the first annual Halloween Happy Hour. We sat around drinking Josh's sweet tea vodka and lemonades and taking pictures of all the adorable kids dressed up. I took so many great pics I had to post them all so here goes....

Happy Halloween!

Checking out Roman's giraffe costume

Catching up with Kash

Group picture!

Costume Change! My mom happen to buy Emmy two costumes the bee and the monkey. We couldn't let either go to waste so switched it up mid-party.

Hanging with Ava

Me and my Monkey :)

Halloween Preview

We had a little Halloween get together at the office today so Emmy got to test out her costume. She looked so damn cute all dressed up but I have to say the partial costume pics were too hilarious not to share! We're having some friends over tomorrow so will have lots of pictures to post including some more cute ones from today.

Ha! Look at those tights! Wait until you see the rest of the costume :)

Helping Daddy finish up his work

Sesame Street

I love Sesame Street! I put it on every morning as I am getting ready for work. It helps keep Emmy occupied for a few minutes while I frantically run around trying to get ready, otherwise she cries when I leave her sight. The show is awesome. Not only does it have great things for her to watch and learn, it has the funniest segments! For those who have not watched it recently they have included all the current shows within. Are you smarter than an egg layer, 30 rock (Liz lemon is literally a lemon) and my favorite Law and Order Special Letters Unit. They showed a kid going to yoga class who was learning breathing techniques and Elmo checks his email. Way to keep up with the times Sesame Street. Seriously, I don't know what it is about Elmo but kids just love him! I usually carry Emmy around with me in each room and sit her on the floor with a toy while I do what I need to do. She especially likes sitting outside the bathroom while I brush my teeth :) This morning Elmo came on in the other room and I swear she dropped her rubber duck and listened, as if she recognized his voice. You know you've entered a new stage in life when you turn on the TV and it is on KPBS. Gotta love Sesame Street.

Auntie Julie sent her a new Elmo book, what a lucky girl!

Loving Sesame Street

Crawling!

For the last few months pretty much the only thing Emmy does is sit. The first thing she does when you put her on her tummy is push herself back to sitting. She is a professional sitter. Finally this week she has started to go on her hands and knees. I think that is in part due to Pillar at daycare spending an entire morning trying to teach her to crawl! Okay, I have to admit I have been a terrible mom. I have not encouraged the crawling at all. Without even realizing it I sit her on the floor and surround her with all the toys in the world so she has no reason to move. Plus, selfishly I love my professional sitter, I leave the room and when I come back she is still there :) Well, I decided since I know they are teaching her at daycare to crawl, I wanted to be the first to witness it. So, I piled up a few of her favorite forbidden toys, my laptop, the remote AND my cell phone. If that didn't get her going, I don't know what would. As expected, worked like a charm :) She sure does make it hard on herself by trying to crawl by using her feet instead of her knees!

8 months old

Where have the last 8 months gone! I can't believe our baby girl is already 8 months old. She continues to be such a good natured, happy, beautiful little girl. Watching her grow and her personality develop has been the greatest gift in the world. Nothing is better than watching her flap her arms when she is excited, listen to her chat all day long, see her smile first thing in the morning and hear her "hoot" every time we step into the bathroom!

All decked out in her jeans and new shoes!

Hanging with Daddy

Mid arm flap

We're Moving!!!

We've been casually looking for a house to rent for a while but since we have champagne taste on a beer budget, we hadn't seen anything that would work until this week. We found a great house in Clairemont, a neighborhood just on the other side of the 5 freeway. Even though it is only 6 miles away from where we live now, it was a big decision for us to move away from the beach. Josh and I have lived in PB for over 10 years! For those of you who don't know this area, east of the 5 is considered a whole different world! :) It will be tough to not live within feet of the bay but I think the extra space will be worth it. The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms, fireplace, central heat, dishwasher, 2-car garage, backyard and 2 big family rooms! So, pretty much everything we don't have now. We signed the lease today and are very excited. Emmy is going to have so much room to play. There are 2 parks and 2 elementary schools within walking distance and we are still close to her daycare. We get the keys December 1 so are taking volunteers for move in day!

Our new home

Too much fun

Emmy had so much fun playing today one of the best days yet. I worked from home today and when she is awake I usually plop down on the floor near hear and work on my lap top. She has so much fun amusing herself, it makes things a whole lot easier on me. She just plays with her toys and talks to her self for hours!

Today she started to play peek-a-boo with herself in a mirrored toy. I am so glad I was able to catch it on video, it was priceless.

She also maneuvered her way over to her basket of toys and proceeded to take every one out and play with each one of them before grabbing the next.

Slippers

Emmy is so spoiled, she received another box this week from my mom with a bunch of new clothes and some slippers she knitted. My mom is an awesome knitter. She can bust out a blanket or hat and booties in no time. She made her 2 pair of really cute ones with pom-poms (which she keeps trying to pull off!). Looking at them reminded me of my childhood and all the slippers my Nannie knit me. I remember anytime we went to her house she had so many different sizes and colors to choose from. We always had green and red ones at Christmas. It made me happy to think Emmy is going to grow up with a Nannie who will always have knitted slippers ready for her too. I wish my Nannie were around to meet our little miss Emery Jean, I know she would just love her as we all do!

Splish Splash I love the bath!

Cruising

Finn was such a gentleman and let Emmy ride on one of his new scooters. His favorite one at that. She loved being pushed around on it. I think she may be putting a scooter on her Christmas list to Santa :)

Speaking of cruising, she is getting great at moving from her tummy to sitting and vice versa. She can push herself backwards and has gone on her knees just a few times. Give it a few more weeks and I think she'll be crawling. Me, I'd be happy if she stayed little and sitting forever but I know she has to grow. Josh on the other hand has taken it upon himself to try and teach her to crawl!

Missing Monkey Mondays

Mondays are usually busy days at work which is good it makes the day go by faster. There are times throughout the day when I get a waves of weird feelings and it takes me a minute to figure out what it is, I am missing my Monkey. It is beyond the typical feeling of missing something, it is a physical feeling over a mental one. I guess that is why it is not obvious to me at first. I could be thinking about something totally different and then it hits me - I miss her so much. Maybe because I also go from nursing her all weekend to pumping, so it literally is a physical feeling. I picture dropping her off in the morning and think about what she is doing at this moment. Did she eat her butternut squash again? What toys is she playing with? Is she snuggled up taking a nap? It doesn't matter, I just can't wait to be home to see her and give her a big hug!

All posts must have a picture, right? I know no one cares about what I write they just want pics so here you go! Hanging with her buddies on the couch.

Want to join my band?

Visit

Julie had some time off from school so flew out to Southern California for a visit. Her and my mom came down for a few days to hang out and look after Emmy. It was great to see Jules ans hear how great she is doing in Chicago. Emmy had a blast too. Every time my mom looked at her she would crack up, it was the funniest thing ever!

Apparently they had quite the photo shoot while I was at work one day. Out of the 25 pictures I found on my camera, this was the cutest one :)

Taking a nap with Nannie

Fall is in the air

Well, what we call "fall" here is San Diego, which means the weather is cooler, it is getting darker earlier, football is on and all the tourists are gone! It was actually a cool weekend and a cold night, poor Emmy woke up and her toes were like little popsicles. Looks like we may need to turn the heater on! At least until the next heat wave :)

I am so excited for the holidays already. It is my favorite time of year but I am even more excited to share it all with Emery this year. Everything is better with her around - shopping, eating meals, taking walks, even folding laundry! I am not usually a Halloween person but this year is totally different. We have 2 costumes for her and are planning a little party with some of our friends and their kids! Christmas will be the best. Nothing is better than thinking of that perfect gift for someone you love, wrapping it up all pretty and watching their faces as they open it. The smell of baking in the house and getting all snuggled up when it is cold out. Spending time with family and hopefully beating my brother in poker this year. I can't wait! I know she is too young to understand but it will still be fun to celebrate with her and do all the fun holiday activities. I bought my first Christmas presents over the weekend! Yes, I know I need to be on top of it this year so I am starting early. I told Josh we are going to be the first ones in line when Santa comes to town :)

I had to put away Emery's summer clothes (partially because they are too small) and pull out the winter ones! She looks so cute all dressed up in her long sleeved onesies, hoodies and pants. She wore her first pair of jeans yesterday. She only wore them for a photo opp, they looked way to uncomfortable to wear to the park. So, I put her comfy velour pants back on. Like mother like daughter!

Big girl hanging with Daddy

Wearing her Gap jeans. They have a big contest going on for the next kids face of Gap, maybe she'll win with this picture :)

Personality

Emery is developing quite the personality! She is so chatty and very social, always smiling and giggling. She talks constantly and smiles and talks to everyone we see at the store, park, etc. I guess she is the same way at daycare. Her teachers say she doesn't stop talking and she is loud! Apparently, she isn't very shy with the other kids. As one of the teachers put it "she can definitely hold her own". I think she is going to be a very confident, independent, yet loving and friendly little girl. I guess time will tell. In the meantime, she is the joy of our lives and makes everything we do that much more fun!

Mesmerized by Elmo

Her knew favorite toys are my measuring spoons. She thought it was the funniest thing ever when I put in on her nose :-)

She LOVES hanging out in her highchair

Brushing her teeth for the first time! She is getting a tooth on the top, a third tooth already!