Mini Triangle Scarf

Would you like a peek at my gorgeous little girl? Be still my heart, Lucy Jane is a vision. I crocheted her a smaller version of a triangle scarf (I have a larger version, for now - please don't anyone ask me for it or you know I will be compelled to give it to you), and she liked that she could swap it between a scarf, a shawl, and something she refers to as a menash that she wears on her head to be a princess. I have no idea where the word came from... but she's been a princess from day one, right?

NOT posing.

Posing

Waiting for the punchline on a knock-knock joke.

Baby giggles

I thought the new of Emmy would wear off after a while for Milo and Lucy and they would just ease into life with her like it was no big deal.

I was wrong, people. So very wrong.

Every morning, when I've finished feeding Emmy and turn on the light in her room, I hear the pounding of little feet running to her room. The door hits the wall as they shove it open, and they come scrambling in, pulling on each other and squabbling about who's going to hold her first. And if they don't come right away, Emmy sits on my lap, craning her neck at the door and wondering where her fan club is. It sounds a little chaotic (and believe me, it is), but it's one of my favorite things in life. Watching my little people love each other so very much.

But it doesn't stop there. Milo and Lucy are always thinking about Emmy, playing with Emmy, pestering Emmy (to which she responds mostly good-naturedly, and occasionally with an indignant scream), and living to make Emmy laugh. There is never a dull (or quiet) moment around here, and although I admit I am exhausted at the end of every day, I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I am more aware than ever that these moments are so fleeting. Already seven months have flown by before I could blink, so I have to treasure every day because I can't get them back.

There is joy to be found in every moment.

Emmy's new trick

I don't know if I can fully explain to you how in love with this child I am unless you have children of your own. I remember wondering if I would have enough love in my heart to love another child the way I did Milo when I was pregnant with Lucy. Then she was born and I realized that my heart must have grown, because I adored them both so fully. Then came Emmy and my heart practically exploded, because not only am I over the moon about her, but I think I love my other children even more as well. Strange things, these mommy hearts. But I am so thankful.

 And even though Emmy is my third, I am so incredibly delighted with every new skill she learns. Nothing is old news just because the others did it. Plus, look at those cheeks. How can you resist?

Milo's First Lost Tooth (stop growing, little man!)

Milo has had a loose tooth for over a month. He would wiggle it half-heartedly every now and then, and I didn't really get involved. Nate encouraged him, but for some reason, the loose tooth made me queasy.

And then it got really wiggly, and he would move it all the way forward so it was pointing at me, and again, I would start to want to black out. It's ridiculous, I know, but there is something about a loose tooth that I almost can't handle. Is this why we had to get multiple of my teeth pulled by the dentist instead of me losing them myself? There's no telling.

Then a week or so ago, Nate went into the bathroom with Milo and gave the tooth a good push backward. It bled a little, and Milo was a total champ. I thought this would be another "splinter at the beach" situation (if you don't know this story, I can't even tell you, but it was one of the most frustrating HOURS of my life). Anyway, they stopped messing with the tooth, and at bedtime, Nate asked Milo to let him take one more look at the tooth.

Milo laid across his lap, and then I heard him say, "Daddy, what's that in your hand?"

Nate held it up triumphantly - it was Milo's tooth! It had come out so easily Milo didn't even know it.

So here he is. My grown-up looking little man. And what a thoughtful little tooth. It waited until the day that Milo got a haircut so he'd look extra-dapper for his picture. How sweet.

Monthly Catch-Up

Hi, friends! It's that time again. Monthly catch-up. I realized I haven't told you any funny stories lately, though, so I had to add a few.

My little people and I were driving the other day, and Milo remarked that our car air freshener looked good enough to eat (I'm not going to lie - it looks like a lovely piece to sink your teeth into. Kind of semi-squishy with a bumpy texture. It's a teething dream come true, minus the fact that it's a car freshener...). I told him you couldn't eat it, and he, in true analytical fashion, said, "Well, Mommy, you could eat it."

We've had lots of conversations like this around the house lately, and I wasn't in the mood for it. "Milo, just because you could technically eat something doesn't mean it would be good for you. This would be poisonous if you ate it."

Lucy got in on the action. "Mommy, what does poisonous mean?"

I tried to explain delicately. "Well, it just wouldn't be good for you. It would make you sick. Like a power line (the first thing we drove by). You technically could eat that, but it wouldn't be good for you."

Milo added, "Or GAS." (with giggles)

"Right, Milo. You wouldn't eat a toot. But thanks for that."

"Mommy, EW, that's not what I meant. I meant gasOLINE." (My son. Ever the adult in our family.)

"Oh, yes. Of course."

But then Milo couldn't resist. "You could eat poo-poo, but you wouldn't!"

Lucy egged him on. "GROSS!!!"

So he added, "Or pee-pee. You wouldn't eat pee-pee."

Lucy didn't miss a beat and said, "Well, that's more of a DRINK, Milo."

It's Lucy logic at its finest. 

We also went to the fire station for a tour a week ago, and on the way there, Milo couldn't stop talking about how he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up. And, of course, if he wanted to, he needed Lucy to get in on the action. 

"Lucy, don't you want to be a firewoman when you grow up?" (Which is preposterous. Everyone knows Lucy wants to be a princess ballerina when she grows up.)

I said, "Milo, it's okay if she doesn't. I mean, I don't want to be a firewoman." (trying to make Lucy feel better if she didn't want to answer yes)

"Mommy, you're already grown up. It's too late for you."

Thanks, Milo. Good to know the days of hopes and dreams are up once you become a grown-up.

And now, drumroll please....

This girl is 7 months old!!! How did this happen? And while she was scooching around a bit right before she turned 6 months, I feel like she took off crawling and climbing and pulling up just a few days after I wrote my last blog. She is everywhere, and she's pretty fast, too! She doesn't seem too fazed by the word no (oh my, the truth is that it makes her laugh), and she is so good-natured and sweet all the time. She's so smiley, although as soon as I get my camera out, she turns as serious as can be.

Also, I edited a few sweet pictures from our "photo shoot," but the truth of this experience is that I had a million pictures of her playing with toys, looking over her shoulder at the kids, and crawling off the blanket and grabbing handfuls of pine needles. She is BUSY, and she makes my heart melt. Those HUGE dark eyes. Those squishy cheeks. Sweet Emmette makes our house so joyful.

ALMOST a smile.