her body is teeming with hybrid vigor

oh, a neighbor accidentally left a paper bag on our porch, i will just throw it away for them.
oh what's this...maybe it's an encouraging note about what great neighbors we are. oh. nope, definitely not that.
i like how officially this sad message on a paper sack was notated.

first slumber party

there are many hilarious things about this little vignette below. before these photos were taken, the two of them were calmly looking at each other, heads turned towards one other. and then my child started FREAKING OUT and that's when the photographer arrived on the scene.

first do you notice how gargantuan em looks compared to the very dainty (and clearly well adjusted) lela? it doesn't help that em has outgrown this sweet little romper and it is squeezing the fat in her arms and legs. mama knows how you feel, baby girl. mama knows.
here we've got some kicking going with lela's smile becoming a little unsure, like she is a tourist in tokyo but is slowly realizing that godzilla is standing behind her.
grimacing is intensified here with some arm flailing action (she oddly straightens and spreads her fingers when she cries), and lela wondering what in the world is wrong with big kicking baby in pink next door, and can we leave so bkbipnd doesn't accidentally kick or punch me, and can we not come back until she can control herself. not sure, yes and yes.

needless to say, the slumber party only lasted for about 5 minutes.

tongue tied

another new habit, tongue chewing..

future rock star

..still thinks cousin is being cute..

hot potato

at almost every meal, em has a very strong response to one random bite of food that i feed her. her whole body jumps, and she makes a horrible face, like i put something both scalding and disgusting in her mouth. it doesn't seem to have any long lasting effects, as she is just as eager for the next bite..

motor mouth

em's new habit is totally disgusting. after a car ride of doing the motorboat, she has a puddle of saliva on her chest and her shirt it totally soaked. this new ability has extended itself into mealtime, when she is happy to exercise this new skill with a mouth full of green bean puree.

shots make babies sad

today esther margaret was sneezing, congested, constipated, possibly teething, grumpy from diaper rash and feeling feverish and weird from immunizations. this is what babies look like at dinner when they've had a day like this, a very sad face covered in peaches, tears, snot and saliva.

post secret

at my baby shower in may, i asked everyone to write e.m. a note on origami paper so that i could fold them into cranes and make her a mobile. my goal was to have this finished by the time she came home, but it's just now done. thanks for all of the blessings and dreams to our little girl, she will enjoy reading them when she gets older...

new year, new hobby

6 months

em is six months old.

she wanted to show you her new trick of lifting her head and legs at the same time. she is practicing for the presidential fitness award.
she also wanted to mark the occasion by showing you her favorite toys, the jingling keys from jdf, and the bendy ball from her emo and sam chun.

her skirt looks a bit mini, but it is regulation knee length. i had to fight for this, jeremy initially said nothing above the ankle. she's a good kid, we're excited to see what the next six months brings!

6 month stats
height: 27 (90th percentile)
weight: 16.8 (75th percentile)
head: 42cm (25th percentile)

teacher's petting zoo

many kids started school/"school" yesterday, including mine. here's evan with his monkey backpack, ready for his first day..i hear his favorite parts of the day were music, p.e. and lunch. so cute!! em did not have a favorite part*, but she ate all of her carrots and spent a lot of time in the exersaucer.
*i did have a least favorite part, personally, which was the three hours prior, when i felt nauseated and kept looking at esther margaret in tears, saying, "you're smiling, but you have no idea what is about to happen...!" jeremy played mozart's marche funebre (funeral march) for the occasion. she did much, MUCH better than i expected, not too many tears and even a short nap! God bless this kid, she is so good to me.

two for one

in addition to monitoring your baby, you can monitor your smoker for optimal cooking temperature.