4 Months!

Emmet is four months old already! He is growing so fast and learning new things every day. He had his 4-month checkup yesterday, and weighed in at 16 lbs 2 oz, and measured 26 1/2 inches long. He is growing very well and the doctor said everything is normal. Of course, we think he's extraordinary...

August has been a busy month. My mom visited, which I blogged about before. Then we had Worship in the City, which included volunteering at Response Church. Since then we've decided to volunteer there weekly, since their Sunday service is in the evening. I'm helping with the childcare, and Jason is running the video projector.

We had a short visit from my friends Bruce and Cherith Rydbeck, who are missionaries in Ecuador with HCJB. They are such delightful people, and it was great that they got to meet Jason and Emmet. We also got to learn more about Bruce's work helping the Ecuadorians get clean water in their villages.

Then my dad came to visit. He really enjoyed visiting with Emmet. We even kept Emmet home from daycare for a day so Dad could play with him. They both had a lot of fun. (And Jason and I got to go on a date!)

Very quickly it turned into September. That meant it was our fourth anniversary! It has been four very good years since we got married, and we still like each other. =)

My sister, Eleanor, came to visit the following weekend. Jason and I took the opportunity to have another date - this time to celebrate our anniversary. We went to Rock Bottom, downtown, and enjoyed good food and good conversation.

Eleanor visited over Labor Day weekend, so we got to do some good shopping at the sales, and she got an extra day to spend with Emmet.

And brings us up to date!

Silly Tiger Kitty

Oscar has been feeling a little left out lately, so we try to make sure we pet him and hug and squeeze him so that he knows we still love him. And I figured he deserved his own post...

It happens from time to time, that we leave plastic bags around. And, being a cat, Oscar likes to play with them. If they're stiff enough, he'll crawl inside. Last month, this happened:

Grandma Visit

This weekend Emmet's Grandma (my mom) came for a visit. We took the opportunity to take an updated family picture:

Emmet had fun hanging out with Mom, and Mom had fun babysitting for Emmet Saturday night.

She read to him a book that she and Dad recorded, a gift from Cousin Susan, called "All the Ways I Love You".

Emmet enjoyed looking at the pictures, and trying to figure out where the voices were coming from.

Car Fun

So, this past week has been all about my car. We had a little trouble on the way back from Kentucky, and the fun just kept coming.

While we were driving around the hills of Kentucky on Friday, the engine started getting hot. We switched from A/C to heat, and the engine cooled back down, so that was the end of it. We thought...

On Saturday, shortly after getting on the highway, the engine started overheating again. We pulled over quickly and tried to get it cooled down. Luckily, there was coolant in the trunk and plenty of water in the car for the trip, so we were able to get the engine cooled by running the fan while the engine was off. But, by the time we got the engine cooled down, the battery was dead.

So, we called AAA. Once we told them that we had a 2 1/2 month-old in the car with us, they put us out as Priority. But it was very hot in the car. So, we got out and went up this little hill and sat under a tree. I had Jason put out some mats for Emmet to lie on, since the ground and growth was a little poky. So we started settling in, and I thought, hmm, is that poison ivy? But if it was poison ivy, I figured it was everywhere, and we were better off in the shade in poison ivy than in the sun in poison ivy. (None of us got poison ivy, thankfully. I'm going to have to brush up on my poisonous plants one of these days, though.)

So after we got Emmet cooled down a little bit, the tow truck arrived and very quickly got the car up on the lift. And then Jason managed to tell him we probably only needed a jump. =) And it worked. The engine stayed cool enough that we piled back in and got back on the road. Thank goodness for AAA!

The rest of the trip home was uneventful, so we thought that was the end of it. We were wrong...

When we got back in the car to go home from church on Sunday, the brake light was on. We were almost out of brake fluid! Jason managed to get us home safely by using the emergency brake to slow us down, regular brake to come to a stop, and then quickly shifting into Park. Luckily, most of our drive is on the highway, where you rarely need to brake on a Sunday afternoon. We did stop at Advance and got some more brake fluid to make it the rest of the way, and to get the car safely to the car shop.

So Monday we got the verdict - my brake lines were rusted through! I guess that can be expected on a 15 year old car, but it's not very fun. Jason is certainly able to replace brake lines (he's done it before!) but it's so hot out, and we didn't really want my car to be out of commission very long, so we had them go ahead and replace them.

We also had them look at my tires. We weren't sure if the car needed an alignment, or just new tires. Turned out it needed new tires. So Friday we got two new tires. Now my car doesn't pull violently to the right. And it doesn't shake anymore! I don't feel like my car is going to fall apart when I hit 65 mph! It's great!

So, that was our week. =) I told my coworkers about it, and one of them said, "wow, I guess you don't take your car on long road trips, do you? I mean, it's so old, you've got to be worried about safety!" I said, "It's our newest vehicle! We take it for every trip!" And that's Car Fun.

2 month checkup & Kentucky trip

It was a very busy week! On Tuesday last week, Emmet went for his 2 month checkup and shots. He weighed in at 13 lbs 12.5 oz, which is much more than I was expecting. He certainly is growing. He also measured 24 3/4 inches long. Length tends to vary based on who's measuring, but he's definitely over 2 feet.

He also got his immunizations. Emmet did really well. He didn't fuss with the first one that was a liquid in his mouth. The first shot in his left leg, it took him a minute to start crying, and by then the second shot was ready for his right leg. Then he really started hollering. So I picked him up and held him and talked to him and he settled down very quickly. I'm so proud of my big boy!
The highlight of our week was the trip to Kentucky for the family reunion.
Emmet got to meet his Great-Grandmother and many great-aunts and uncles, and cousins.
We also took him to "meet" his Great-Grandfather (and middle-name-sake).
Here he is lounging at the hotel.
He did a very good job on the trip. One of the things we really appreciate about Emmet is that we can lay him down in his crib, or on a bed, and he entertains himself. He really doesn't fuss unless there's something wrong. It makes life much easier for us than I know some other parents have it. We're really hoping he continues this trend as he gets older... =)

This week we've been busy, but not with anything in particular. Two nights ago, I put Emmet on his tummy, with his arms bent underneath his chest, and he held his head up for over two minutes! I'm so proud of him!

Last night I was talking with Emmet, and Oscar felt left out. So we got these pictures.

Smile!

Jason got smiles from Emmet last night. Real smiles, not gas-induced ones! =)

He's wearing his new "Crabbie" shirt (thanks, Aunt Eleanor!) but he wasn't very crabby... =) (And doesn't he have the cutest little dimple?!?)

New Friend & County Fair

Last night we went over to the hospital to meet Emmet's new friend, Sophia. We're so glad she's finally here! It really shows how much Emmet's grown when he's next to a newborn. Here's me with Emmet, and April with Sophia.

Today we went to the Hancock County 4-H Fair. I have to preface all this with the fact that where I grew up, we didn't have County Fairs. I don't think we had 4-H anywhere near us. I don't even remember hearing about a State Fair. So when I moved here and we've got all these fairs, it's a new thing for me.

And, as you may recall, I don't like people... =) At least not huge crowds of people. The State Fair is an expensive gathering of huge crowds of people - not my thing. But Jason likes fairs. Nathan and Amber really like fairs, and have told us that the Hancock County Fair is one of the best. So we thought this year we'd give it a try. And it was fun!

Here's Emmet showing us how much he is enjoying the fair. He's wearing a new outfit his Aunt Eleanor gave him.

They had a collection of antique (or at least old) tractors, so we got a picture of Jason and Emmet on one of them. It's Emmet's first tractor! He's not really sure what to make of it.

And, of course, I had to go see the pigs.
One of the main attractions of a fair is the food, so here's a rundown of what we ate =) While we were waiting for it to stop raining and to meet up with Nathan, Amber, Keegan and Kennedy, I had a piece of Pecan Pie, and Jason had a piece of Turtle Cheesecake. After we met up with them, we wanted to eat some dinner, so we got some York Rite Pizza. You have to follow pizza with something sweet, so I got some homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, and Jason got a Chocolate Shake from the dairy bar. I was tempted to let Emmet try the ice cream, but I thought I'd better not - he's still a bit young for that. We tried some free samples at the homemade donut stand, and topped the evening off with a funnel cake on our way out. It was all delicious!

They also had some buildings with booths for people to advertise. I got a free massage from one place. I entered to win a $10,000 giveaway - you never know, right? And I got an insulated grocery bag, which I'm really excited about. I bought one several years ago, but since then I've not seen any more. And now I got one for free! It was from a Re/Max lady that Jason's family knows.

So all in all it was a very good first County Fair experience, for both me and Emmet.

Fourth of July Weekend

This weekend Emmet turned 2 months old! He is getting very big, and alert. Sometimes he "talks" back to us, which is fun. He celebrated by going to the childcare at the YMCA with Daddy while Mommy did some weeding. Then he slept most of the rest of the day. His first full week of daycare was exhausting for him. There are several kids in the room, and there's a lot going on, so he only sleeps for 3 half-hour naps usually. So he was very tired by Friday.

We didn't really do much to celebrate the 4th this year. We did yard maintenance - Jason got to use his new weed trimmer, and I finally finished weeding the garden (just in time to start over again with the regrowth). Jason installed our new Programmable Thermostat (which is wonderful). And I got to use my new 'Ove'-Gloves! In early June I burned two fingers while taking some homemade pizza out of the oven, through an oven mitt. So we decided to get me a pair of 'Ove'-Gloves to prevent that from happening again. You never really know what to expect with "As Seen On TV" items, but they work pretty well.

Goodies

Two weeks ago I got a call; I won a $1000 giveaway from Do-It-Best! I had entered the drawing, and they drew my name!

I was so surprised. I never win anything.

We spent a week and a half picking out what we wanted and changing our minds, and submitted our request on Thursday.

Last night we picked up our goodies =)

Here's Jason putting together our new wheelbarrow.Here's a picture of Emmet that I had to aim with the camera behind my head...
After Emmet got tired of being in the BabyBjorn, we put him in the stroller, which he liked much better.
Jason's really excited about his new weed trimmer.
And Emmet won't be able to use his goodie for a while yet...
We got lots more - I'll put up pictures as we get things assembled and put to use.

Sleeping!

Emmet slept through the night for the first time last night! Of course, Jason and I were awake for quite a bit in the middle of the night waiting for him to start crying. And he was so still, it was hard to tell if he was breathing. Jason finally poked him a few times to see if he would flinch, and he did. Whew, that's good.

In other news, I'm back to work now. Jason drops Emmet off at daycare in the morning, and I pick him up on the way home. We're starting to get into a routine, which is good for all of us.

Part of our routine is going to the YMCA twice a week. I go to water aerobics, while Jason works out in the "Wellness Center" on various exercise machines. Emmet gets to stay in the child care while we work out.

Smile!

Emmet seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. He came home from daycare yesterday and looked so big!

He is smiling a lot now, but I think they're all gas smiles still. Anyway, we caught this one today.

Since the last time...

So, of course I've been getting a lot of grief from my friends about not updating my blog frequently enough - since, you know, I was giving them a lot of grief about not updating every day... so we'll see if I can do better from here on out.

Emmet is awake today. I have him sitting in my lap facing the screen so that I can use both hands to type.

Our original plan, as you may know, was to avoid daycare as long as possible. However, Jason's business has been doing very well, and taking care of Emmet is a lot more time-consuming than we thought it would be. So we made the decision to put Emmet in daycare so that I can keep working for the health insurance. We visited a few daycare centers and found one that we really liked, which also happened to be the least expensive, and the closest to our house. Very convenient, eh? I've been getting a bit overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done around the house, so we decided to put him in daycare part-time before I go back to work. So last week and this week he's there Tuesday and Thursday. This gives me some much needed time to get things done without having to hold a baby. Emmet really likes to be held, so he fusses a lot less if someone can hold him. Anyway, everyone is very nice at the daycare, and Emmet doesn't seem to mind it, so we feel very good about this decision.

What else has been going on... Emmet got to meet his Great-Aunt Carolyn, her husband Bob, and his son Jason and daughter-in-law AnneMarie.












My sister, Eleanor, finally got to take her turn visiting and helping me out.Our friends Kristina and Todd came over, and Kristina brought her dog Webster. Do you know how hard it is to get a dog and a baby to pose together?!?
Emmet had his first bath!
Emmet was helping me read a book, but Oscar decided he wanted in on the action...










And, this weekend, Emmet got to meet two of his great-grandparents.
And that's what's happened in the last month!

Visitors

Emmet has had lots of visitors since he made his appearance.

My mom was the first to get to see him. She came into town the day before the c-section, and stayed in the Inn at the hospital.
In the evening, Jason's family came by - his parents, brother Nathan and sister-in-law Amber, and their two kids.
Tuesday morning Kristy was able to pop in with her son, Josh, and that evening Steve and April came over. We're all having kids at approximately the same time, and it's fun to share our experiences.
On Wednesday, Jenn and Adam got to meet Emmet.
On Friday, Ken, Kristy and Josh stopped by so Ken could meet Emmet, and to bring us dinner!
We also got a visit and dinner from Larry and Lois from our Sunday School class.
Our friend Kristina stopped by, but I forgot to get a picture of her with Emmet.

When Emmet turned two weeks old, my dad got to meet him for the first time. (My family is coming in shifts to help me out.)