Cleaning Day

Have I ever said how hard it is to keep my kitchen floor clean. Well it is impossible! Why I ever chose white tile I do not know. With the rain lately, the dogs and their muddy paws are usually confined to the kitchen until they are dry and clean. (they do it themselves!) Well today Jeanine and Kevin came to visit and Jeanine and I cleaned like crazy. It is so much easier with Emme occupied! I also moved all Emme's bottles and bath stuff into one of the cabinets in the kitchen. That took forever. Then we went out to dinner while Paul was out at a pool tournament.

Emme after seeing a clean kitchen floor! Just kidding.

Welcome Home Grandma & Grandpa Q!

My in laws returned from Florida on Friday and we went to visit on Saturday. Emme had a good time visiting with her Grandma & Grandpa Q. She hadn't seen them since she was 6 days old. She was giving unlimited smiles to Grandpa and she finally gave Grandma a few too!

Hooray for Spring!

Jerry, Emme and Tom after a long walk

We had to get out in the beautiful weather we had today- 60+ degrees. We headed out and walked a lap around the local state park. Not sure how far it actually is but it was a lot especially with two Border Collies and a stroller. Tom and Jerry are very, very well behaved or I would never try this stunt alone. We have been out a number of times and yes paws do sometimes get run over but that is because they don't focus on what they are doing. Tom only lost his self control two or three times when we first started and he saw other dogs. He started bobbing and weaving back and forth hence the paws were runneth over. He walks on the left of the stroller and Jerry to the right eliminating any need for either of them to pull ahead of the other and race. I put Emme in the stroller part without the car seat and she seemed to enjoy the view for about 2 seconds and the fresh air put her to sleep. We saw our friend Priscilla and doggies Kloie and Flynn and hopefully next week we can make it back to walk with them. I have to beat Jeanine in the weight loss competition we have going!

Emme's First Cold

Our little couch potato

On Tuesday Emme and I both started sneezing. I thought it was just my allergies and she sneezes often so I didn't think it was anything. Then at night I heard Emme coughing- not too bad though. Wednesday we spent all day at home with snotty noses. Emme continued to cough and sneeze. Thursday was better- no snotty noses, a little coughing. She was kind of fussy during the day and then decided at bedtime she wasn't tired. She kicked and screamed until 1am when she finally nursed to sleep. I tried to nurse her earlier but she puked all over me. Her temp was higher than usual but not high enough to warrant meds or a call to the doctor. Hopefully today with all the windows open all the cold germies will die. We can't wait to get out and enjoy a nice day outside with Tom and Jerry at the park. In the picture below I sent Tom to wake Emme up. It didn't work!

Litttle Faces

9 Weeks

Monday marked nine weeks and Emme is doing great. She likes to coo and gurgle and likes to "talk" especially when she is mad. She holds her head really well and comes up to a stand when I pull her up. She figured out that if she kicks her feet in her rocker, the toys swing on the bar on top. She also started to follow her red crab toy that spurts water back and forth in the tub. She watches Jerry very intently (Tom moves too fast still) and opens and closes her hand on his fur. She likes to blow bubbles- lots of bubble drool and suck on her clothes! She is very, very nosy and likes to look at EVERYTHING! I put her in her high chair this week for the first time and she can't get enough of it. She is also sleeping 6-8 hours at night which I love the most! Here are some pictures of her in her high chair.

Shout Out to Uncle Kev!

Hey Uncle Kev- Thanks for the cute outfit and yes my mommy is very jealous. Oscar is her favorite.

Busy Wednesday

We had a great and busy Wednesday. We go to a Breastfeeding Support Group twice a month at the hospital where I delivered and I am really going to miss it when I have to go back to work. The lactation consultant who runs it is fabulous and we have made so many friends. It is so nice to talk about pretty much anything and have a nurse and plenty of other moms who can answer all my questions and concerns. We then had a great visit with Aunt Doss. She looks great and is feeling good too and Emme behaved herself pretty well. She really liked looking all around- she is so nosy. Hopefully next time we will see Uncle Sev too.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Well today was not Emme's lucky day. She had to go to the doctor for her 2 month well checkup visit and get her first shot. She was so happy when we arrived because there is a gigantic fish tank with all these colorful fish to look at in the waiting room. She even let the doctor poke and prod her without getting fussy because she was so busy checking the place out. Each room at the office is painted in a bright color. Then there are pictures on the walls that are pretty interesting. Today we were in the brick red room with pictures of safari animals. I think Emme can actually see things more clearly now at a distance because she was intrigued by everything . Emme is growing well and the doctor said she was such a mover (rolling back and forth on the table to look at things) and couldn't believe how interested she was in everything. THEN it all ended when she got the shot. She went from happy to hell in less than 2.3 seconds. Needless to say there were no smiles after that. She CRIED all the way home- sad, whimpering cries. She has been comfort nursing all afternoon and finally just fell asleep. We are going to go get some infant Tylenol and take a nice walk later with Tom and Jerry when she wakes up. Thanks to Grammy J for the St. Patty's Day onesie and all the other stuff Emme got yesterday on our little shopping trip.

Before the shot

After the shot

If looks could kill........

Fun Sunday

Today Emme got to spend the morning and afternoon with Paul while I ran off to get a pedicure and a much needed haircut. It was so nice to get out but it felt so weird to stop for coffee at 7-eleven and not have to haul the car seat out of the car into the store out of the store into the car. It is such a workout with that car seat. In the afternoon we stopped at Uncle Christopher's Early St. Patty's Day party. We couldn't stay too long since Paul had to get home early for pool. Emme didn't have anything green to wear (that fits yet) except pajamas! so we opted for a party dress.

Emme & Uncle Christopher

We have also started to get Emme into a routine so she will be up early for when I go back to work without compromising the 6-8 block of sleep she is now accustomed to. We are very lucky she likes to sleep at night. I know (as my mother constantly reminds me) that I was an awful sleeper when I was little. I slept all day and partied all night. Again we are very, very lucky right now.

American Cancer Society Dogswalk 2009

2006

Marianne, Boots, Michelle & Smartie (Mike took the pic)

2007

Mike, Smartie, Elaine, Abbie, Sabrina, Annie, Jerry, Michelle, Tom, Marianne, Boots

(Paul took the pic)

2008

Tom, Jerry, Abbie, Smartie

The American Cancer Society Dogswalk is Sunday, May 3rd at Bear Mountain. Paul, Tom, Jerry, Emme and I will be walking in memory of our beloved dog Ranger. We will be walking with friends from PS 182 to raise money for finding a cure for cancer in humans and animals. If you would like to make a donation or would like to join our team please click on the link on the right. Thank you!

Hanging with Tom and Jerry

Emme holding her head up next to Jerry

Emme had tummy time today and Tom and Jerry came in to hang out with her. They think anytime she is on the floor or within their reach they should bathe her with kisses. I took this opportunity to get some pics of them.

Tom losing his self control to clean Emme's milk moustache

7 Weeks Old

hello......anyone home?

Emme turned 7 weeks old on Monday and we took the opportunity to visit my job and my friends on International Working Women's Day. (The holiday is really on the 8th, but since it was a Sunday it was celebrated Monday.) We had a fun time and then we headed home. We got home to find an awful buzzing sound coming from the furnace/laundry room. It turned out to be the motor for the downstairs heat which was not working. So after a call to the oil company and an argument with them, Paul was able to get the guy out here. He shows up as it was time for Emme to eat and she was not having it. He was arrogant and ended up leaving without doing anything except handing us a bill for driving here because our second zone is not covered by our heat company. How stupid. At least now I know what the problem is and it isn't an emergency. Paul can fix it hopefully this weekend. That night Emme decided she was going to bed at 3am instead of her normal bedtime. She still slept for 8 hours but not the 8 hours I was hoping for.

I don't want to get out!

Tuesday Emme survived her first subway ride. We went to Brooklyn to apply for my Master's plus 30. Basically I get a nice pay raise for having 30 credits past my Master's Degree but since you can't trust the BOE if it gets mailed I had to go in person. We visited Grammy J afterward because I left Tom and Jerry with Smartie and Abbie all day. Later that night Abbie was celebrating her birthday at doggie class so we made Abbie Cadabby treat boxes for the dogs at class. We got cookies for the humans. Emme had a good time at class visiting Poppa Mike and !!!!!! OMG Lauren finally was brave enough to hold Emme. She even got to walk her first course! I figured all this excitement would be enough to make her tired but she ended up not wanting to sleep again until the wee hours of the morning. She got her eight hours but it was exhausting getting her to sleep finally.

Talk to the hand cause I'm not tired

Today we are hanging out at home for most of the day and Paul gets Emme all to himself tonight since Jerry and I have class. Jerry hasn't done much agility since October because 1. I was very pregnant and 2. He needed to "mature" a bit. Hopefully this time off has helped him and he will be able to put sequencing and speed together and hopefully Emme will not drive her Daddy crazy.

Jerry is so silly

Visit to Work

Today Emme and I visited my job and saw all the teachers. Unfortunately I was not permitted to visit with my students but we had a good time anyway. Emme was so good all day but now she is up past her bedtime with sleep no where in sight. I will be waking her up though early to nip this late night partying. That is if we ever get to sleep!

A Sunday Stroll

Today Paul and I packed up Emme, Tom & Jerry and took a nice walk on the bike path near our house. Emme fell asleep almost immediately but woke up just before we got back to the car. Then on the way home we visited my neighbor who has three girls (age 9, 6, and 4) who are completely smitten with Emme. They had so much fun holding her, feeding her, burping her and even helping to change her. They wanted to keep her! She is pretty exhausted and cranky now but hopefully all the nice fresh air and bath time will get her to sleep early tonight.

Quack Quack Quack

This kid sure loves the bathtub. Every night is a bath night! Even when it isn't bath time I console her screaming fits with running water. Even when the humidifier is on it keeps her sleeping longer then when it is off. She is just like Smartie. Let Smartie off a leash and she will swim in a puddle. We are going to have to keep a close eye on the two of them.

Trial Schedule

Here is tentative trial schedule for this season.

April 5th Y Agilty S. Glastenbury, CT USDAA

April 11-12 HVGRC Goshen, NY AKC (my dad is running Tom Sunday)

May 7-10 PCOTC FDR Park AKC (my dad is running Tom Th & F)

May 23-25 Y Agility Saratoga Springs, NY USDAA

May 30-31 Contact Wingdale, NY USDAA

**June12-14 Keystone Bethlehem, PA USDAA (my dad may take Tom)

June 19-21 Y Agility E. Durham, NY USDAA (my dad is running Tom on Fri)

June 26-28 Leader of the Pack Chenango Forks, NY USDAA (my dad is running Tom on Fri)

**Aug 1-2 LEAP Westfield, MA USDAA (undecided)

Aug 28-30 Y Agility E. Durham, NY USDAA (my dad is running Tom Fri)

Sept ???? Contact NY USDAA

Oct ????? LI Agility Yaphank, NY USDAA

Nov???? Y Agility USDAA

Six Weeks Old

Emme turned six weeks on Monday and I can hardly believe it. She is growing up quickly. Some new accomplishments are smiling, laughing and pulling my hair! She has such cute expressions. Hope you like these.

Very serious

So silly

I am so stinking cute

Talking with her hands

I'm starting to get fussy

Oh temper, temper.............

Such a Sleepyhead

One minute I was watching American Idol and the next I was taking a siesta....

Taking a snooze in my car seat....like my cute miniskirt!