Walker!

Emma has now entered the world of the walkers! She began a few days ago when she took a step toward Daddy. Now she takes multiple steps several times a day. Big girl! I can't believe it. I told someone at Emma's birthday that I felt like we were on the ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka climb up a roller coaster hill and that the swoop down toward walking and talking and getting big was coming. Wooooosh! Here we go!

And since I haven't posted about Libby recently, let me tell you about the smartest, cutest, most wonderful 2-year-old on the planet. Libby talks most of the time in full sentences now (favorite phrases include: "Mama, what are you doing?" and "What's that in your mouth?"; Grandma and Grandpa's favorite sentence yesterday was when Emma grabbed Libby's foot with her grubby hands: "Emma's making a mess of a Libby!"). We've been doing a lot of gluing activities lately, and she is great at using a foam brush to put the glue on. She can spell Libby "L-I-B-B-Y" (or sometimes "L-B-B-Y"). That's also, by the way, how to spell "Emma" and "tree" and "Santa" ("M-O-O-N," that spells Christmas tree).

Happy Birthday, Peepers!

Martin and I have had dear, sweet, impish Emma in our lives for a whole year. A whole year of pursed-lip smiles with big, bright eyes snapping above. A whole year of wet kisses and slobbery salutations from the Queen of the Raspberries. A whole year of enjoying one chill little mama as she sits backs and enjoys the ride of life around her. As you can maybe tell, we're pretty besotted with the tyke.

She's getting to be quite the big girl, too. She says "Ma-ma" and "Da-da" and "bye-bye" and "uh-oh." She also likes to pull out a "muuhhh!" ("more") when asking for more food. She talks constantly with her hands, although I'm sad to report that we don't have a good video of it yet. She emphatically slices her left hand up and down next to her head. Very passionate. I think perhaps she's talking politics when she does it.

She's not walking yet, though. Quite the chicken on that front. Keep checking back, because I'm certain it could happen anytime. (Or it could not happen for months more as she continues to chicken out. Could easily go either way.)

Daddy pinches Emma.

Just give me some Kleenex to pull out of the box and a car to push, and I'm a happy girl.

Emma spent her birthday discovering the joys of crawling around the Cozy Coupe. In, out, in, out. Up, down, up, down. Push, pull, push, pull. (Susan -- Doesn't Eliza's outfit look adorable on her?)

Emma was in charge of putting the star on the tree this year.


Emma digs in to her birthday cupcake.


Poor Emma is always blinded by that cursed orange light our camera sends out before pictures. I can't for the life of me figure out how to turn it off. Help, anyone? (In the meantime, notice how Emma is so smart that not only is she reading at age 1 but she can read upside-down. We're pretty proud.)

Happy Birthday, Emma (and now Daddy, too)!

Sorry the delay in posting this fall/winter. When we haven't been sick, we've been out of town. When we haven't been sick or out of town, we've not been sleeping (and I mean NOT sleeping). As you can imagine, it's been a really fun time around here for a few months.

But we have had some actual real fun, too. And here's photographic proof. (Emma's birthday pictures will have to wait; Martin uploaded the photos on his laptop apparently, so I can't access them.)

Celebrating Barack's victory. Life is good!

Libby's helping me post today and specifically asked that I include this "pickshaw" of the "boo-boo."

Out enjoying "a snowy day" (as Curious George's book calls it so we now call it, too). Emma's first snow play. She was a trooper! Ten more inches expected today. I hope she's ready for more fun!

She looks like she's having lots of fun....