I should be sleeping.

It is 2:24 am and I am still awake. Just for the record, yes I am crazy. I had a lot of holiday baking and treat-making to do, and it seems that the only quiet time I have to myself is during the wee hours of the morning. So as I sit and wait for the blessed sound of the oven timer, I blog.
Tonight I am feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of raising my daughter, and hopefully the other children who will join my family. There are so many things I want her to learn, so many experiences I want her to have, and I fear that 18 years will pass in the literal blink of an eye. How will I ever teach her everything she needs to know in order to face the big bad world with confidence and ease? How will I help her glean knowledge from my own experiences? I want so badly to do right by her. I hope that when she becomes a mother (many, many years down the road), she will be able to appreciate the efforts I made on her behalf and realize I had the best of intentions. I hope she can look back on her childhood with the fondest of memories, and the reassurance that her mother loves her. And hopefully I will be able to look back on her childhood with the reassurance that I taught her everything she needs to know and prepared her in the best possible way. That is my hope tonight, as I sit in my quiet, empty kitchen, waiting for the sound of the oven timer.

Chocolate Waffles, anyone?

I am such a ditz! I can't even believe it, because I am a fairly intelligent individual...yet, ditzy. Odd. My best friend Mel came to visit over her Thanksgiving break and stayed the night. The next morning I got up and made waffles for everybody. Yum! I continued to get ready for the day, and while I was doing my hair I wondered why it smelled so much like waffles still. I brushed it off and continued what I was doing. When I finally went back into the kitchen, I noticed the waffle iron was still plugged in. I opened it and found the last waffle I had put in, cooked to a CRISP! I tried convincing Jason it was a chocolate waffle and that he should eat it, but he just wouldn't fall for it. So I decided to take a picture so that I could commemorate my feather-headedness.

Aaaaaa! Karyn and Emee were attacking me! I just love the look on Emee's face in this one...

Oh my...

Emslee has become quite the little pro at eating solids. Within the last couple of days, she has started this new little trick that involves blowing raspberries as soon as I have put a spoonful of food in her mouth. This, of course, results in carrots, or sweet potatoes, etc. all over me, her, and my kitchen. It's so cute when she does it, I just can't even get mad at her. So instead, I busted out the camera. Sooo funny! I caught her right in the middle of one of her little tricks.

8 month birthday...Yes, I'm slow.

I am way behind on my posts, so I am making a super valiant effort to get caught up today. Emslee turned 8 months old on November 21st. Just for the record, I did take these pics on that day...I'm just now getting them posted. :)

Emslee is officially mobile! She crawls EVERYWHERE and is into EVERYTHING. She is the most curious baby I have ever seen. She loves to discover. She says "Mom" and "Dad" and she understands the words bath, diaper, no, and tummy. She loves to giggle and is constantly smiling and showing off her two (soon to be four) front teeth. She loves making people laugh, splashing in water, "getting" daddy, and playing with her aunt Kare-Kare. She also loves making this hilarious clicking sound with her tongue. She does it all the time - it is so adorable! One of her other favorite things to do is say "blah blah blah" while you are talking to her. She already has an attitude! Oh great, we're in for it!

Another surgery...

For those of you that have asked about what happened, here's the whole story:
About a week and a half ago, Jason was having a rough night. He could feel his heart pounding hard and fast and he was really tired and winded. Karyn tried to take his pulse and was unable to get an accurate read. It was obvious something was wrong.
Jason has a cool device called a CareLink that enables him to transmit via a phone line to his cardiologists' office. We hooked him up to his CareLink and transmitted. The next day he got a phone call from one of his doctors, who told him that the generator in his pacemaker was dying. No big deal, right?
We went to see his doctor and were informed that not only was his generator was in fact dying, but also that his atrial flutter had come back. And with a bit of a vengeance. He had one episode that lasted 31 hours. Ugh. We had really been hoping we were past all this.
While we were talking with his doctor, we brought up the possibility of replacing Jason's leads when they replaced his pacemaker. His leads were recalled in October 2007 due to a significant risk of fracture, which could lead to erratic, inappropriate shocks, heart attack, or even death. (Lovely, huh?) His doctor informed us there were also risks associated with removing the leads. Apparently that could also possibly lead to death. He told us it was Jason's choice whether the leads were left in place or extracted. Talk about stuck between a rock and a hard place...
Jason and I did a LOT of research about his leads. Since they were first manufactured in 2004, there have been 13 deaths related to the malfunction and fracture of these specific leads. There were hundreds of horror stories from people all over the US who had these leads. However, there were also horror stories from people who had had the leads extracted. Doing so could cause a major blood vessel to rupture, or even damage to the heart muscle itself.
After much deliberation and a beautiful blessing from my dad, Jason chose to have the leads extracted. He and I both felt confident in his surgeon's abilities to remove the leads without causing unnecessary damage.
So on Thursday I took Jason to IMC and he was wheeled away to have his "little" procedure.
After a mere two hours he was in recovery. Everything had gone well! I was so relieved to hear there had been no complications. Turns out that the leads he had in there were on the brink of fracture, and they were misreading by a huge margin. I guess we made the right decision after all!
On Friday Jason came home (and not a moment too soon.) He is recovering well, although he is in a lot of pain. We are so grateful for the prayers and faith of so many. It couldn't have gone better!
Now we just need to cross our fingers that the atrial flutter will magically disappear on its own. Hey, a girl can hope right?

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!

Emslee's first Halloween was so much fun! She got her adorable costume from my sweet Aunt Candy, and I know I may be a little biased but I think she's the cutest giraffe I've ever seen!
We took her trick or treating to my parents' house and Jason's parents' house. We also took her up to the nursing home in Preston to visit my surrogate grandma, Alice. She was so excited that we came to visit! She kept commenting on what a cute baby Emee is. What can I say? Even at 93, our little Alice still tells it like it is. :)
Emslee got a tootsie pop from her pseudo trick-or-treating, and my mom was dying to let her suck on it. I, of course, was not nearly as enthusiastic. We let her suck on it with the wrapper on (I know, I'm a mean mom), and then once it was dripping with slober I threw it away. I'm sure she'll have plenty of candy in years to come to make up for it! What a fun day!

Playin in the leaves

I absolutely adore the fall. It is my favorite time of year. I love the vibrant colors, the chilly air, and the leaves crunching underfoot. Today we took Emslee to the park and let her play. It was so fun! I put her in a pile of leaves, which of course she proceeded to eat. She was fascinated by them. Maybe she'll turn into an Autumn-lover just like her mom!

7 months!

I know I say this each and every time I post about her, but I still can't believe how fast she's grown up! She amazes me more every day. She loves to laugh, especially when she's tired. She has a special place in her heart for her daddy, and she loves when he dances in the kitchen with her to his Dave Matthews cd. When she sees a toy she wants, she will roll and scoot with all her might til she can reach it. She says "mama" but only when she wants my attention or when she's upset. (Trust me, you can't coax it out of her - I've tried.)
Her favorite things at 7 months: my cell phone, her blankie, her link toys, blowing raspberries, bathtime, getting tickled, and trying to pull herself to a sitting position while lying down.
Her least favorite things: her car seat, solid foods, and church. (Who can blame the poor girl? That's a long time to sit and be bored, especially during what should be naptime.)
We love you Emslee! I can't wait to see what the next 7 months will bring!

Emee Jo's Fro

Each evening as part of the bedtime process, we give Emslee a bath. The other night I gave her a bath and sat down and nursed her for awhile. Afterwards, her hair was HUGE. It was hilarious! Jason and I couldn't stop laughing at her, which in turn made her laugh too. What a cute little girl!

Millions of Peaches

This past week I spent a few days in Preston, canning peaches with my mom. We were really ambitious when we bought the peaches - we got FOUR bushels. (What can I say? We negotiated a good price on them.) Everything was going fine, we had down a great system and were working away nicely. Until....
My parent's garbage dispos-all literally THREW UP all over the place. Ugh. What a mess! We got it cleaned up, but my mom and I couldn't figure out how to get the plumbing put back together. We enlisted the help of Jason, who put things back together for us. We got back to work, but an hour later water started seeping out of the cabinet under the sink. Double UGH! We finally relented and called a plumber. After only fifteen minutes in the kitchen, everything was fixed! Yay!
After 82 quarts, we finished our peach adventure and may I say, they are beautiful. I had so much fun with my mom! We get to be pretty darn hilarious when we're cooped up in a kitchen for hours on end. (Just ask Jason.)
Yay for Fall and for peaches and for Moms!

Little Ladies...

This past weekend we went to Idaho to get things squared away with our house up there and also to celebrate Spud Days with Nick and his family. Spud days is an annual celebration in Shelley. There's a parade, a fair, all sorts of booths, and a tug of war over a giant pit of mashed potatoes. Good times!
While we were there, Emee and Darby were laying on the floor playing. They were so cute together! At one point they were even holding hands. Awww.... I'm so excited for these little ladies - I hope that as they grow up they can be the best of friends!

When life gives you lemons....

EAT 'EM!!

We took Josh out to dinner last Friday night to thank him for all the help he gave us with our silly townhouse and our appliances. We went to eat at Garcia's in Idaho Falls. We were joking about what Emee would do if she tasted a lemon. I know I'm a mean mom, but I let her suck on one. At first she actually really liked it. Then it was like all of a sudden she realized how sour it was. The faces she made were so comical!

WOW - 6 months already!

Happy half birthday Emee Jo!

Emslee turned 6 months old yesterday. She is so grown up! She loves to sit at the table with the adults, she has an opinion about everything (even if it's not even slightly coherent), she enjoys going for walks outside and will chew on anything she can get her little hands on. She cut her first tooth a week ago. Thankfully, she hasn't quite learned how to bite with it yet. She laughs a lot, and is always very alert and curious about the world around her. She will just stare intently at people. She has brought us so much joy! Happy half birthday sweetheart!

Emslee's hysterics

Whenever Emslee gets really tired, everything becomes absolutely hilarious to her. She will laugh at anything, but the person who can get her going more than anyone else is her daddy. This is what I caught of him getting her to laugh hysterically last night. (Sorry about the poor quality - my cell phone was the only video-capturing device nearby.)

Ugh...

Jason and I were asked to speak in church today. Nerve-wracking! I am HORRIBLE at speaking in church. I get all emotional and start sniffling and crying. It's awesome. We were asked to speak on the talk by Elder Scott on Temple worship. Jason was SOOO nervous. He's never been asked to speak in church before. Sad thing is, not only was his talk longer than mine, it was also way better. I was so impressed with his talk, and how he brought the spirit in and was able to get his point across. Afterwards the bishop even said that since Jason was so good, they'd be asking him to speak again. I guess I win in the end - at least I'm off the hook for awhile!

Grammie Jo

Emslee's favorite thing at my parents' house is their front porch swing. (She and her Grandpa have that in common.) Every time we go there, one of us always ends up swinging her for a good little space of time. The last time we were home, I caught Emee swinging away with her Grammie Jo. They both looked so content, I had to snap a few pictures. I guess being snuggled by her Grammie put my cute little sweetheart to sleep. Ah, so cute!

Raging Waters

This past weekend my family came down from Preston to have one last "play day" before life gets too hectic with school and everything. We had Sunday dinner together seated at our new dining room set. Yay! I love it - it's beautiful! Then we played Yahtzee, which I won :) and watched a movie. It was a great day!
Monday morning we got up and went to Raging Waters. My dad spent most of the first couple hours chillin on his lawn chair in the shade. We finally convinced him to go on some of the slides. On his first ride down he managed to lose his tube and flip himself over, in the process smacking his face on the side of the slide. At first it just looked like his eye was going to be a little swollen, but by the time we got home he had quite the shiner! His eye looked pretty beat up. I wonder if he will ever let us talk him into anything again???



Here are Josh and Todd taking turns trying to make it across the water on the ropes. Josh made it the whole way without falling in - must be that military training. Todd gave it a good faith effort, and managed to make it about half the way across. We had so much fun! Oh, and only minimal sunburns. Thank heavens for 100 spf sunscreen!

School...

As a new semester begins, I am mourning the loss of my hubby and my sister. They are NEVER home! I feel like Emee and I are orphans. *sigh*.... At least it's a worthy cause. I'm so proud of them both, working full time and going to school full time is definitely not a small undertaking! Here's to another semester of higher education! Wish us luck and sanity!

Emslee is 5 months old today!

Wow, how time flies! Emslee is already five months old. I swear, seventeen is around the corner! She'll be there before we know it. It has been so fun to watch her grow, and to see her discover new things every day. She's learned so much already. She laughs A LOT, smiles at anyone who will pay any attention to her, she rolls over and scoots around on the floor. The other day I left her on a blanket in the middle of the floor of her room for a couple minutes and when I peeked back in, she was halfway out the doorway! Looks like we'll be investing in some baby gates here very soon.
Plus, within the last couple days she has started sitting up! She's still a little unsteady but she will sit there (hunched over a bit) for a few minutes. She's amazing!
Her newest thing lately has been her new "language." Rather than the cute coo's and ba-ba's she started out saying, she now speaks by squealing...loudly. I'm sure our neighbors could attest that she has become quite the talker. She loves to wake her daddy up at 3 am and have a conversation with him. She will push her face into his and start squealing until he wakes up and talks back to her. I just love the way her face lights up when he talks to her. It's adorable!

This is our sweet little baby - showing off and sitting up!

Rodeo Weekend

This past weekend we went to Preston for The Famous Preston Night Rodeo. Okay, so we didn't actually go to the rodeo. We didn't think Emslee would handle sitting through it very well. Going home during rodeo weekend has become a tradition of sorts, so we packed up and trekked up there.
We had such a fun time! We went to the parade, swam in my parent's big ol' pool, had lunch with my friends from high school, shopped the sidewalk sales, and celebrated Jason's birthday. It was so great! I got to see my besties from high school and their ADORABLE little boys. What beautiful kids! Not to mention all the other people from high school I ran in to. It was fun reminiscing. The parade was fun, but it certainly made me sad to see how small the high school band has become. It used to be HUGE when I was in school. Ah well, all good things must come to an end I guess.

While we were shopping the sidewalk sales, I found this cute little sun hat for 3 dollars. I just couldn't resist! Emee just kept smiling at Todd while we waited for the parade to start. What a beautiful little girl, if I do say so myself!

A few More of my Favorites

Photo Shoot

Courtney Hagberg took these photos for us. She is absolutely amazing! Thank heavens for people who have more talent than I. These pics turned out so ADORABLE!

4 months old today!

I can't believe it - our little angel is 4 months old today. My how time flies! She is so grown up already. She loves to giggle out loud, roll over, play with her daddy, and pull mom's hair. She is constantly chewing on her hands, and is determined to one day fit both fists in her mouth. (Even though her current attempts always induce gagging.) She has a little personality that is all her own. She smiles constantly, and even pulls faces at Karyn. Each day I am amazed at how much she has learned. We love you little Emslee!