Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  May you enjoy these next few days with your families remembering and praising the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This Christmas is extra special for our family since we have added sweet Emersyn to our home!!  I have a totally different perspective and have enjoyed making new traditions for our family.  Here are some of Emmie's first Christmas pictures!!

These were taken by Monica Parkkonen Photography when Emersyn was only 15 days old!!

Then, when she was 5 weeks old, we visited Santa and Mrs. Claus at Chick-fil-A!

 Emersyn with my parents

 Us with Jeanna and her baby Abigail

 This is how Emersyn feels about crowds haha!!  This is her "classic" face when there are too many people around or when she is trying to figure out a new place.  First time in Chick-fil-A :)

 We stopped by my parents house after Chick-fil-A.  By the Jones family tree.

Then Daniel and I decided to have our own photo shoot with Emersyn a few weeks before Christmas in our home : )  Her many different facial expressions are hilarious to us!!  She already has a lot of personality!

 What are you doing to me mommy and daddy??

 Content!

 This little piggie went to market, this little piggie stayed home...

 She has loved staring at the lights during this Christmas season!

 Are you really putting this huge hat on me mom and dad?

 Oh, I've never held a candy cane before!!

 Let's see if I can get this sweetness in my mouth : )

 I'm still working on my hand/eye coordination...

 

 Sweetness!!

 Did they put the candy cane down in my stocking??  I cannot find it!!

 

 Okay seriously, if you don't stop taking pictures of me I'm going to scream!!

Looking at Christmas through a child's eyes is so much more special!!  Sweet Emersyn, your mama and daddy love you so much and cannot wait to make more memories with you this Christmas.  We pray that you always remember that Jesus is what Christmas is all about!!  Your dad and I really understand the sacrifice even greater now that we have a precious child of our own.

1 month old

How in the world is my baby girl already 1 month old?  (tears falling)  I cannot believe it has already been a month, but then again, it is hard to remember life without our Emersyn.  Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can say, and we are treasuring every moment of time with you because we know that babies don't keep!!  So, if any of you come to my house and it is not as clean as it used to be, or my hair is a mess and my make up is left over from the day before, just know that I have been spending time loving on my sweet baby!

How Old: One Month
Weight: 7lb 9oz (between the 5th and 10th percentile)
Length: 22 in (around the 60th  to 70th percentile)
Sleep: She usually takes a long 3 hour nap in the morning and a few shorter naps in the afternoon/evening.  Bedtime is typically between 7:30 - 8:30 and she wakes up for a feeding 4-5 hours later and goes to sleep again until around 7-8 in the morning.  Some mornings she has been know to be a "teenager" though and not want to go to bed until 11pm and sleep until 10am.  She sleeps in her pack and play right now in our bedroom.  She will sometimes sleep in her Rock n' Play if she did not burp well so she can be a little more elevated.
Food: Milk : )  She eats at Mommy's first thing when she wakes up and usually within an hour and a half after that.  Then she goes 2-4 hours between feedings the rest of the day.  Right before bed she does the same as the morning where she feeds and then wants to feed within an hour and a half again.  During the night she goes 4-5 hours between feedings.
Emersyn's Firsts: This month Emersyn had a lot of firsts to remember!!
- Bath at home: given by your MamaDoris and GiGi Oct. 31
- Day she lost umbilical cord: your Mimi was changing your diaper and saw it was missing   Nov. 2
- Home to visit other than her own: Mama Doris and PaPa's on Nov. 16
- Restaurant: The Brick for her cousin Matt's birthday on Nov. 21
- Store: Babies R Us on Nov. 21
- Birthday party: for Matt and Britt at your Gran Gran and Papa's house Nov. 23
- Projectile spit up: all over daddy and the kitchen floor on Nov. 24
- Spend the night party: at MiMi and Pappy's house (of course we stayed too) Nov. 26
- Time to go to church: for the Thanksgiving sunrise service Nov. 27
Emersyn Loves: Looking at lights, being cuddled, eating, riding in the car, riding in her stroller, being walked up and down the bonus room steps (when nothing else will soothe, we walk up and down the steps and she is quiet immediately), being walked through the house (this is usually 'Daddy time'), being outside, being in the water for her bath time, and laying on her changing table to stretch out and kick all she wants
Emersyn Dislikes: The boogie sucker, being cold after her bath, having to wait any time she is hungry, having her hands tucked in her swaddle blanket.. she always manages to get one arm free during the night somehow!!
Mommy's Favorite Thing: When you curl your legs in under your stomach and lay on my chest.  You look like a little ball!  I also love all the many faces you make and watching how you move your hands.  It melts my heart when you first fall into a deep sleep and start smiling like you are having sweet dreams, and I love when you lay your hand on me or when you grab my finger.
Daddy's Favorite Thing: Daddy says, "I love how she stares at me when I'm holding her and we have our 'stare offs.'  She looks at me different than she looks at anyone else.  I love all her new found facial expressions.  I love her dimples.  And I even love changing her diapers."
What I've Learned This Month:
**You cannot spoil a baby at this age!  They NEED you.  Hold them, rock them, sing to them, read to them, talk to them, feed them, let them know that you are there to take care of them.  They need to feel loved and secure and be able to develop that trust with you that you are going to be there for their needs.
**The baby stores have way more in them than what you really need.
**If you are breastfeeding, feed on demand.  If your baby is hungry, feed it!
**If you have any issues with breastfeeding, seek advice from a lactation consultant.  I learned so much from mine at Regional!  Don't be afraid to ask, and it's free : )
**Mommy needs a break every now and then.  When you are tense or stressed, your baby can tell.  Make sure you take a few moments for yourself throughout the week, even if it means asking someone to help you.  I promise, it will make you a better mama!!

Our Favorite Products This Month: 

- Swaddle Blankets: these really do help Emersyn stay asleep because she is a very jumpy baby!

 
- Rock n' Play: so easy to move from room to room and this is what we used for her to sleep in when we spent the night away or when her belly is bothering her, the angle helps

- Boppy Newborn Lounger: again, this is easy to move from room to room for her to lay/sit in and still be able to look around
 

- Medela Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump
 
- Pack n' Play: this is what she sleeps in each night in our bedroom beside our bed
 
- Gas Drops
 
- Car Seat Canopy: LOVE this to pull over her car seat to block the wind outside or when we are in a public place to protect her from germs especially at the doctor's office.  Here is a coupon that only makes you pay shipping!
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freebies-for-new-moms-carseat-canopy-udder-covers-baby-slings-and-nursing-pads/ 


- Travel Sound Machine: it has different sounds to soothe Emersyn while in her carseat
 


- Britax B-Agile Travel System: love everything about it so far and the stroller is SO easy to use