Some Cool Stuff

I noticed lately that Emme is doing some strangely familiar things that I do. I wonder if there is a connection!

Carefully studying the product labels

Rechecking to make sure the product is just right

Talking on the telephone

Hmmmmm...... I wonder if she can read minds too. This is what I should be doing! Stomach crunches because it leads to........

SIX PACK ABS

My First Barrette and First Tooth

Emme's hair is getting long so I decided to buy some barrettes. Since her hair is so fine they just slip out but I rigged this one to stay. How cute! Also later on in the day Emme was visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Q and we were checking her mouth since she was making funny noises with her tongue and sure enough I found a tooth lurking in there just cutting the gums. I think the tooth next door won't be far behind since there is a big bump and it feels funny. How ironic on a day when I am having one of my teeth practically removed she gets one............

Recent Trials

My dad took Tom to the Regionals and he got his first Master Gamblers Q! It was a really tough Q and my dad said that out of the 80 or so dogs that ran only 6 got a Q and one of them was Tom. I do have to say he has really done so well in Gamblers. While he doesn't always get a Q because of a refusal or dropped bar he has gotten the last FOUR gambles. Some of them were really tough. Also my dad got him his last Advanced Standard leg so now he is in ALL Master classes. Of the last two trials we have both been running him and he has done well. My dad and I have had our share of mistakes that have led to NQ but all in all we have been really working hard with Tom. He picked up his first Master Standard and Master Pairs Q's and he got another Team Q with a draw team this past weekend- AND of course his A.A.D. (Advanced Agility Dog Title) We got three Q's in all events too to prepare us for Master's Classes. Our next trial isn't until August and maybe then Jerry will be trialing too. We will see how his training is going by then.

Doggie Art

Happy Father's Day

This year on Father's Day Emme and I were away at an agility trial in the morning and then we came home early to spend the afternoon with Daddy and Grandpa Q. We had delicious steaks and got to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Q. Emme hadn't seen them in some time because Grandpa Q had been in the hospital for a few weeks. Now that he is home and I am off for the summer we will be visiting lots! Emme made her daddy lots of cool stuff in school- a shirt that says "Best Dad Hands Down," a picture in a frame of her feet in sand and an adorable card.

Finally FREE at last...........

School is out and we don't go back until September 8!!!!! Emme and I are going to sleep late and have lots of fun. We will be trying swimming soon with Marianne and Natalie and Aunt Jeanine got a pool pass too. We also have a zoo pass and a state parks pass so we will be outdoors a lot also. And of course we will be visiting lots of family and friends. Can't wait to get summer started!

Pictured above are Emme's cuppycakes I made for her last day of school!

Cousin's Day 2009

This year Paul's parents and aunt and uncle hosted Cousin's Day in Connecticut. Since my father in law just got out of the hospital, he and my mother in law were not able to attend. They were missed by everyone. Emme got to meet lots of new people and had fun being passed around.

Here she is with cousins Katie and Brynn.

Visiting Emme

Emme gets lots of visitors each weekend. Two weeks ago Paul's pool team officially met Emme. Here she is with Rich and Ellen.








Paul Jr also has been visiting the last two weekends so he has gotten to spend time with Emme. He couldn't believe how big she got in only a few weeks.





Aunt Jeanine, Uncle Kevin and Brody make weekly visits to see Emme too. This time I had to make Jeanine a diaper cake for her friend. Making diaper cakes is very difficult with Emme since she doesn't want me to give my attention to anything but her!

Faces of Emme

Emme had started to grab at things a few weeks ago but had a little trouble with hand eye coordination. She is now able to grab at a toy, hang onto it and shake it and if you are unlucky she might even hit you with it. Tom is awaiting the day she can throw a ball back to him. For now he continues to drop his ball on her lap. Soon Tom!

Designer Duds

Here is Ms. Emme modeling a Rocking Rooster shirt designed by James McPherson, my friend Connie's son! He has been designing and working for BonBebe for a few years and now has his own line. I am excited Emme got to wear this shirt before it is even in stores. I think she looks cute in her big girl shirt.

Emme's BFF

This weekend Emme got to spend some time with her BFF Natalie. Paul, Paul Jr, Emme and I had a great barbecue at Marianne and Dom's and we also visited the local farm this weekend. We had so much fun and so did the girls. We did bath time together and then let them dance around on the bed before we put them to sleep. They were adorable doing Ring Around the Rosie. (Emme was assisted by me) Today we met at the farm and showed them some of the animals and purchased some yummy things at their Farmer's Market. I love full sour pickles and Pickleiscous was there and I bought myself a half gallon of pickles. I also bought some homemade blueberry jelly. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Tickle Tickle Tickle

Emme and Paul Jr.

Emme that is not very ladylike!

Natalie loves giving Emme kisses.

Another kiss for my friend.

Daddy, Emme and a horse at the farm.

Natalie says, "Let me fix your hat. " Emme says, "Noooooo"

Texture Time

Emme has seemed sort of interested watching people eat. At school most of the other kids are eating cereal and fruits that are her age and when she sits in the table with them she watches them eating. Our pediatrician said Emme doesn't need nutrients from food yet since she is breastfed but she could benefit from learning different textures from foods. This will help her learn to chew, speak and stregthen the muscles of her mouth. So this week I went to the Farm Stand (Cortlandt Farm Market) for some fresh carrots. Paul made a nice puree for Emme and we froze it to try sometime soon.

However last night Marianne and I took the girls to the mall, sat them side by side in high chairs and Emme was completely fascinated by all the things Natalie was putting in her mouth. I decided to try to give her a little this morning after she nursed. I was surprised that she did so well. She didn't really spit it out. The stuff on her face ended up there since she didn't know that she needed to open her mouthand I was trying to squeeze the spoon through her lips. She ate about 7 spoonfulls. I mixed the puree with some breastmilk to make it really soupy. I inspected her mouth afterward to make sure it wasn't all stored in her cheeks but it was gone. I think her favorite part of the whole thing was putting her hands in the food on the spoon.

hmmm this is weird

Daddy and Emme

I made a mess

I don't know if I like these carrots.

Carrots in my belly!


OOOH I can play with this!

New Milestones

Emme is just shy of 5 months old and can do so many things. She is growing so fast but we are enjoying every minute of it. Just this morning I was getting ready to feed Emme and I gave her the sign for milk and said milk. She looked at me, smiled really big and started to root to eat. She had never really ever rooted before so I knew she truly understood me. Today she also sat on my lap while I got a pedicure and sat up for a really long time playing with her toys. She would rock back and forth a little but was able to get her balance each time. Also she has been grabbing at her toys and playing with all the things on her exersaucer.

I learned how to give my lower lip when I am upset


Sitting tall in my crib

Check me out grabbing at my toys in the tub

I've got my turtle

Emme's Art

Like I said awhile back but I have been too lazy to post.... Emme's teachers do lots of great activities with the babies in her class including finger painting PLUS. The babies paint with their arms, legs, hands, feet, limbs etc. to create lots of neat designs. Here are a few from the past couple of weeks.

Weekly Theme- Potatoes
Weekly Theme- Disney

Weekly Theme Insects/ Bugs

Meet Brody

My sister Jeanine and her boyfriend Kevin just got a new yellow lab puppy Brody. I am sure he is going to have lots of fun with Smartie, Abbie, Tom and Jerry. Hmmm I have TWO Border Collies, my parents have TWO Golden Retrievers and my sister has ONE Lab. I think she needs to continue the pattern!

What Can Emme DO?

At 19 weeks old Emme can.....
-roll to her belly and back
-pet Tom & Jerry (open and close hand on fur and move hand back and forth)
- give you her "lower lip" and puppy dog face
-hold my fingers and arch herself to a stand on a count of three
-recognize and follow Tom and Jerry with her eyes
-wiggle out of her car seat and stroller
-kick her legs in the tub to make a big wet mess on the counter
-stand up with support
- rotate her body in her crib each night so her feet are where her head should be
-laugh when tickled
-recognize the sign for milk
-play with the toys in her exersaucer and entertain herself
-fall asleep in her crib all by herself

and many other things I can't seem to remember right this second!

Check back later this week for photos from Emme's first professional photo shoot with the dogs, her visit with Grandma & Grandpa Q, Uncle Bob's birthday and an update on Tom's recent trials.