She sure looks good in hats!

What a cutie!

Except look at all that hair, I don't want to cover it up. It is definitely growing in darker than I thought. She is still her father's daughter :)

The Day Has Come

Pretty much ever since I went back to work after Emmy was born, I have been dreading the day work wants me to be in the office more than 3 days a weeks. Well, that dreaded day has come and I am not happy about it. I don't typically write about my job and what happens at the office but things have been extremely hectic and lots of changes are in the works. For the next while I am going to have a lot more work and consequently, they want me in the office more. I always felt as though I had a good balance because I was with her more than I was not and now that balance is changing. I can't imagine being away from her 4 days a week. I had to go into work on Wednesday so my mom came down and just going in that extra day was exhausting. I won't even begin to talk about how much we'll be paying for daycare. My company will be covering the extra cost for another day but there is no $ amount you can put on the time I get to be home with my little monkey. I don't know exactly when I have to start going in but within the next month or so. Should I be appreciative of the time I did get to spend at home with her? ABSOLUTELY. Is it hard to not be envious of the moms I know who don't have to work outside of the home, or can do it part time? YOU BET. Should I even be comparing situations? No... I never thought or wanted to be a working mom let alone a full time working mom. No, I am not in the mood to look on the bright side but I guess tomorrow is another day. There isn't anything I can do to change the situation so bitching isn't really going to help, but it is okay to do once in a while - right?

Greatest Sound in the World

Happy 11th Month B-Day

I can't believe my baby girl is 11 months old today. In a month I will be the mother of a one year old. Really, I have been a mom for almost a whole year? That is crazy! It feels like yesterday that I was bitching everyday about not being able to get pregnant, spending nine months scared of what all the doctors were saying because of some unreliable tests and then patiently waiting for our little monkey to arrive 12 days late. Everything that seemed like such a big deal then is a distant memory. Never could I have imagined how in love I would be with my little girl and how much more I would love Josh for being such a good dad. Watching her grow up these last few months have been the best. She is now becoming a little person with a big personality. She still loves the same things but in a different way....

Her bath is still her favorite place, but now it is hard to keep her from standing up!



I still can't keep her out of the tupperware but now she is into the drawers and the cupboards.



She still plays in her bumbo chair except now she climbs in it. I am pretty sure she learned that from her cousin Lane :)



Her and big bird still go everyone together but now they are getting into a lot more trouble.



Little Emmy is ready to go. A few steps here, a few there, before we know it she will be off!

New Sleeping Position

Up until last month, Emmy only slept on her back. When I woke up in the morning she was in the same position that she was when I put her to sleep. Now that she has learned to stand up she has started to sleep on her tummy. Well, attempt to anyway. She can't quite figure out how to get to her stomach so she just slouches over. The poor thing looks so uncomfortable. I have learned that trying to fix her position just wakes her up so I leave her alone now. She looks awfully cute in her tight little ball.



She loves her blankie now. Any time I give it to her or she sees it she puts her thumb in her mouth and snuggles, I love it!

Get a Flu Shot!

Today was a rough day around the Lawrence house. Apparently, a violent stomach flu has been going around Emmy's daycare. Wednesday morning I woke up to her being sick all over her crib. Fortunately, that was all we dealt with, she seemed to handle it well. I made sure I got her the flu shots in the fall and I am pretty sure that is why she didn't get very sick. Me and Josh on the other hand stupidly did not get the shot ourselves. I was up all night last night throwing up everything I've eaten for the last week and could not get rid of the chills. It hit Josh this morning. Lovely. This is definitely one of those times it would be nice to have some family around. We traded off literally laying on the floor next to Emmy while she played. It was miserable. Fortunately, I am feeling better so I am hoping it is a 24 hour thing and Josh will start feeling better soon too. They weren't lying, the flu this season is miserable!

Homemade Macaroni

I think she likes it...

It is just a phase....right?

Oh Emmy, you have always been such a good sleeper. You have slept through the night since you were 8 weeks old (with the exception of a few nights here and there) so why have you decided to wake up at least TWO times per night, EVERY night for the past 3 weeks? Mommy is EXHAUSTED. Is there a reason why the last time is usually around 5am? That means I get to go to bed for about 30-45 minutes before I have to get up again to get in the shower and ready for work before you wake up again. I feel like I did when you were born but at least then I didn't have to worry about looking presentable for work and being on the top of my game during meetings. Can you explain the nap situation as well? The 1 hour nap one time per day is just not cutting it. If you are ready for one nap a day let's make it a good, long one okay? So, I can actually get a few things done either for work or around the house. Otherwise, I have to stay up late to get it done and since you are waking me up every few hours I need all the rest I can get. I know a new year can be the start of new beginnings but this isn't exactly what I had in mind....

Feed Me

This kid has turned into such an eater, I am constantly cooking, chopping, pealing something for her to eat. This afternoon she just glared at me while I are my left over spaghetti for lunch. So I thought what the hell and I gave her some. She loved it! Half of it she ate right off my fork, the other off her tray, she was a mess! Tonight she ate 3/4 of an avocado, a whole piece of wheat toast, sweet potatoes and a cookie (an arrow root cookie thanks to her Auntie Theresa!) for desert. She's been really good about drinking out of the sippie cup as well, guzzling down the water. She is growing up so fast.

San Diego Winter

For those of you who are freezing your butts off in snow, you may not want to read further....

We are having a typical "San Diego Winter" it has been 75 and sunny for the past week. It is the perfect weather, warm during the day and cold at night. I put the heat on in the car on the way to work and the AC on the way home. This time of year I am usually complaining that I want some gloomy weather but now that I have a little monkey who likes to play outside, bring on the sun! We spent a lot of time outside this weekend exploring the new hood. I had to dig out the sunscreen and even shave the legs.

During a walk last week Anne and I stumbled upon this random man-made pond not far from our house. After further exploring there is actually another one around the corner!




Josh doing some yard work, it is so fun to have a yard :)




Emmy catching up on some reading in the sun





The view from the park by our house. It isn't ON the Bay but at least we still have a VIEW of the bay and the ocean. It was beautiful!



Well, I guess it is supposed to get cloudy next week and may even rain! Looks like I may need to temporarily put the sunscreen away.

Beep beep lets go!

Big Night Out

Tonight we actually went out to dinner. We have not gone out to a restaurant in I don't know how long. Primarily because dinner can be a difficult time with Emmy and also because we pretty much cut restaurants out of the budget. Well, tonight we treated ourselves to a big night out at Chili's and let me tell you we had a blast and we were home by 7:00pm. Chili's is inexpensive, kid friendly and down the street. Who would have thought a few years ago the highlight of my week would be dinner out at Chili's at 5:30p.... Emmy was so good it was unbelievable. She ate all the peas and cheerios I brought so we got a side of avocado and to no surprise she devoured it. She is so social these days, thinks everyone is talking to or smiling at her. She stares at everyone, smiles and attempts to play some sort of peekaboo. It is pretty damn cute and she sure does gain a lot of attention. I think another dinner at Chili's is in our future

Maybe the Apple Didn't Fall Too Far from the Tree...

We all know Emmy inherited Josh's good looks but there are moments and expressions she makes when I actually catch a glimmer of me in her. I found the picture below at my parents house. Throw on a brown curly wig and she may look like me after all!

Waving Hi!

Emmy started waving and it is the cutest thing ever. It is more like a wrist flip, it is her Forrest Gump wave :) We went to Home Depot over the weekend and she was waving at all the men working there, they got a kick out of her. She is growing up so fast it is amazing. Just since Christmas I have noticed a huge change. I was told today that she will be moving up to the next group at daycare right after her first b-day. It is sad to think she will no longer be going to the "Blue birds" house at the Baldwin Academy but I know she will really thrive in the "Parakeet" program. They have music time (which she will love!), art time, outdoor play, story book time, etc. It is hard to believe they coordinate all that for 1-2 year olds!

Waving hi!

Daddy Duty

Typically when I ask Josh to watch Emmy while I do something around the house, he puts a sports game on TV and sits on the couch while he watches her play. Usually she ends up at my feet before to long, pulling on my leg. Today I was trying to get organized for the dreaded first day back to work. I had multiple loads of laundry going, was cooking dinner for us while making food for Emmy for the week and trying to clean the bathrooms. I think he heard the desperation in my voice so took her off my hands. When I was done this is how I found them. Her swinging away, him sitting on a chair with a beer pushing her. It sure did keep them occupied :)

Happy New Year!

Can you believe it is already 2010?! It seems like yesterday we were celebrating 2000 which means Josh and I have been together for almost 10 years - crazy.

We had a fun new years eve, we had a few friends and their kids over for dinner. I cooked chicken parmesan for 8 people, definitely a first. I thought it would be a breeze considering I prepared most of it ahead of time but when it came time to serve everyone I have to admit I was a little flustered. How do those guys on top chef do it for like 150 people?! The biggest challenge was our little monkey who has decided her crib is now a playground. She starts twisting and turning mid air and is up an her feet within seconds. So, as I was trying to get dinner ready, I was also FIGHTING with her to go to sleep. Finally I gave in and brought her out of the room and she proceeded to wine and pull my leg as I was putting the food on the plates. I fought with Emmy until almost 10p when she finally fell asleep. She is usually such a good sleeper this better be a phase! Dinner turned out pretty good and we all had a good time. We celebrated east coast new years since none of us can make it until midnight. Although, Josh and I did. It was a struggle but we watched the ball drop and were in bed by 12:02.

Table is set, ready to eat!




















Emmy and her little buddy Meadow. She was such a good girl sharing all her toys.




Finn, always looking like such a stud.



Happy New Year!