Emily Jane Turns 11 Months

Emily Jane has four teeth. Today she's calling everything and everyone "Bob." EJ turned 11 months old on Friday. She pulls up and like to play standing up. She has begun cruising along furniture and a few times has been standing by herself on accident. She enjoys talking on the phone and trying to catch falling water.

Last week EJ had the croup, which was very scary. Her dad has been sick with a chest cold and will be seeking professional medical advice on Monday. EJ's mom's begun fighting it off as well.

We'll be heading Wednesday to Charleston and taking an early Christmas in Arkansas. EJ is looking forward to quality time with her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Princess Leia

A few days ago, In a galaxy far, far away, it is a period of Halloween civil disobedience. Rebel dachshunds have digging a hidden hole strike terror in the trunk or treat fall festival participants.

During the ensuing chaos, dachshunds were able to escape with the secret plans of a chocolatier and the recipe for punchbowl cake.

Pursued by day care workers, Princess Leia races home on all fours to save her dachshunds and restore freedom to the nursery.

more photos

Photo's Bonanza

Practice for the Parade

Every Parent has an especially proud memory of a moment in the early life of their child, when he or she expresses a glimpse of the who they may one day become. Usually a talent, discovered early in life for things like math or music, mechanical prowess or linguistic might. Emily Jane's first apparent communication with the outside world appears to be in preparation for riding in parade floats.

Other Things She's Done This Month:

Making motorboat noises with her mouth

Pulling up to her knees

Speed crawling attempts to escape the nursery

Speed crawling attempts to follow Penny and George

Feeding herself fruit cocktail

Whispering to herself.

Her first art project (painting and placing the eyes)

Making two bottom teeth

Fully outgrowing all her 6 month clothes

Realizing she can reach outside the bars of the crib

Surgery Update...

Friends and Family, Emily Jane's surgery appears by all accounts to have been a success. She is 9 days post-op and her eyes are doing well. The procedure literally took 5 minutes. EJ was gone from us for about 18.5 minutes. She woke up hungry and was her regular self by lunch time.

Meanwhile Cindy and I have both had bad colds and Cindy had to miss two days of work last week. You might imagine, Cindy, on crutches, with a severe cold tending to a baby who is now getting a big kick out of trying to "get away" by crawling really fast and giggling.

Emily Jane's most recent words are "Olie, olie, olie" pronounced, "ole-lee" and making motor boat noises with her mouth. I'll try to upload a video later (when I'm finished re-downloading a driver.)

Look for another update soon.

It's Technically A Surgical Procedure, But It Only Takes Five Minutes

"It's technically a surgical procedure, but It only takes five minutes"

Tomorrow morning, Friday, September 26th @ 8:00 a.m. Emily Jane will have her nasolacrimal duct unblocked.

Since about 2 weeks, EJ has had constant eye infections. We've been massaging her tear ducts twice or more a day in hopes they would unblock themselves. However, since she has not gone more than a week or so without an eye infection, the only recourse is "surgical probing." It's likely that the duct isn't completely formed. Our tear ducts run from the corner of our eyes into our nose. This is why our nose "runs" when we cry.

Wednesday, Emily Jane went to the ophthalmologist for an examination. The good news is that she has perfect vision and her eyes have not been damaged. The bad news was that she'd need this procedure. Normally it can take several weeks to get an appointment for the procedure, but there had been a cancellation for this Friday so we got in for tomorrow.

Her parents are naturally nervous. EJ will be under anesthesia for 15 minutes, the procedure only takes 5. She can go home immediately afterward. Cindy has taken all day Friday off. The doctor performing the surgery (Dr. Weeks maybe?) does them every Friday morning with a latte in one hand.

Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated. It is a common and "routine" procedure. But there isn't anything routine about it for us.

Emily Jane Learns to Crawl

Much has happened with Emily Jane in the last several weeks. EJ is 8.5 months old. She sprouted two teeth which serve as a constant reminder to us not to put our hands in her mouth. Ouch. She is also eating regular food pretty regularly. She started crawling this very Labor Day Weekend. The world changes again.

The Great Trip Westward

There is a fairly new term used to make people feel better about not going somewhere for vacation. This term is "staycation." It deserves to stay in quotes because it is otherwise known as "crapcation" or "couchcation" or "ressesication."

While it would have been prudent to save the money, saving the money would have hurt the economy even more than it already is. The three of us flew to Los Angeles, then drove to Ventura (Ryan's birthplace and home of his pop). We went to Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Barbara wine country(go Sideways), Santa Monica (go Nathan and Debbie), drove to Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas.

This was one of those kind of road trip vacations you only read about on the T.V. We'll post more videos and pictures soon.

6 Months Have Come and Gone

Emily Jane got lots of shots, both kinds. The shots that hurt and the shots that please. Here are a few for your pleasure.

First Sunday in the Nursery

Another first, the first Sunday Cindy and Ryan have been in church without Emily Jane. Anna, Wes, and Mercer took vigilant care over the toddlers and infants this Sunday, including EJ. Emily Jane only poops once or twice a week. Guess what day she pooped this week? Shabbat Shalom Anna Davis. As you might imagine, these poops are large events. Imagine you are at your local Lucky China Buddha Restaurant, the one with free soft serve ice cream. And when you've picked through your last plate of candy covered fried meat and rice noodle, you go over to the ice cream machine for a chocolate dairy delight. But when you flip the lever back to the off position the chocolate soft serve doesn't stop serving. You start grasping for more tiny bowls and they spill into the floor. You can't get the cones out fast enough. A kid in cutt-offs runs to the rescue and places his jowels under the gushing nozel. This is EJ's bowl movements. Minus the kid in cut-offs.

In your imagination, was the kid's hair uncombed? He was thinking about being a Kung Pow hero, but instead ended up looking like a chocolate crack addict. This will lead to his nickname "Fudgey" which will be the main reason why he gains so much weight in high school and ends up playing the sousaphone his junior and senior year of marching band. But don't worry, he'll meet a nice girl and on thier third date they'll go to Lucky China Buddha Restaraunt where he cleverly retells the story of how he got his nickname. His date will laugh so hard at the telling of his soft serve rescue that a rice noodle will leave its intended southerly course down her esophagus and, instead, take a turn north, ingoring the sign posted on her uvula and head straight through her middle meatus and exit her left nostril. This will gain her the nickname "Noodle-Nose."

Fudgey and Noodle-Nose will go to the same college, a small state school located just north of Pine Mountain and about two hours from home.

At their wedding rehersal, Fudgey's best man will tell the story of the night when Fudgey knew he found the women with whom he'd spend the rest of his life. It will be the story of when they went to Lucky China Buddha Resturant. The wedding party will laugh and laugh, but one lady, the bride's aunt, will only chuckle a little because everytime she see's a soft serve icecream, she'll think back to one sunday when she had to change this baby's diaper.

higher good quality videos on right.

I Don't Want to Go to Sleep

Emily Jane at 5.5 months can roll, push-up, grab her toes, grab just about anything, and has started talking like crazy.  Her newest thing is to eat dinner, get really sleepy, and then pop-up completely awake when we put her in her crib.  Now that she's grown more confident in her singing ability, she's using singing to keep herself awake.  

She's still a little shy around adults, even her parents when it comes to talking.  I ran and got the camera because she was being so loud in her crib.  As I turned the camera on and went into her room, I made a sound and she got quieter.  But this is Emily Jane having been in bed for about 40 minutes.  She doesn't say any words on purpose yet but she say, "la, la, ooooh," "hoo, hoo" and squeel.  

EJ is fitting well into her 6 month clothes and is about to be done with the 3 to 6 month sleepers with footies.  Her mom ordered cloth diapers - the new generation - http://www.bumgenius.com/ 

a friend of ours, Colbey, has used them on all three of her girls.  They work great.  Cindy washes them.  Emily Jane has already gone through 1000 disposable diapers.  We figure we'll need to use each one about 90 times for it to equal the cost of disposables.  But it's worth not filling the landfill.You know what you get when you don't fill a landfill don't you?  Land.  I'm sure the garbage man appreciates it  as well.   EJ goes to daycare part-time this summer.  She'll still use disposables when she's there.

View Emily Jane's complete video library by clicking on the video tab to the right. 

Ej eats for the first time...

Emily Janes goes to her Daddy's Graduation

So yes, it has been some time since we've blogged about EJ.  Spring has sprung quickly like an old screen door.  We got over to Charleston for a few days during Spring Break.  Then Ryan graduated, with parents (grandparents) on hand.  A good time was had by all.  EJ was dedicated May 3, we'll post the video very soon. This week friends and sisters came into town for a graduation and birthday weekend.  Cindy turned 3o something along with Nancy.  Ryan preached at Union Baptist Church in LaGrange (see Barrett's blog to the right).  

Over the past couple weeks EJ has learned how to roll from her back to her belly and do a push up to look around.  She did it on accident first, then three times in a row and now she's a rolly-poley.   Tomorrow she's getting a high chair, because very soon she begins cereal and pureed vegetables.  

Methods Measuring

There are many ways to measure.  Time, distance, weight, mass (which is not the same as weight), volume, brightness (lumens), speed (which is a function of  distance and time) are all measures.  There are also equivalencies.  A 1/3 cup is equal to 5 tablespoons plus one teaspoon.   Sixty-five miles per hour is 104.6 kilometers per hour.  

Is there anything equal to being 4 months old? (tear).  

Probably not (sniff).  E.J. is four months old today.  She has also completed her first week of day care.  Emily Jane did much better than her parents; though her parents are learning.  Four month shots happen on Friday (ouch).  E.J. is talking a lot now, about what, we have no idea.  I'm working on a new video, but our Internet at home is down.  But stay tuned.  

On Friday, along with the shots, we'll learn some new measurements...weight, height (or is it length at this age?).  I only wish they could run a Brix refractometry.  Because if they could, Emily Jane would be off the chart (sniff and tear).  

Milestones

Emily Jane is gaining weight and her head is growing. This is not official, like what might be declared by a doctor, but by her father, who thinks her head is getting big and she's getting heavier to haul around. E.J. is making new noises and has begun reaching for things she wants. Here's a video. I know, I know, she's cute, i'm a dork and it looks more like i'm throwing the monkey on her. Oh well.

Back to Work for Mom

Tomorrow Cindy goes back to work. It also rained today. When you mixed these two things together do you know what you get? Lots of Snuggling. She has begun to get a little cranky in the evenings as she gets tired. She's also noticing everything around her. Two days ago she was noticed the dogs wrestling and started laughing at them. Of course, when we got the video camera, she stopped. Ryan will be with E.J. over the next week. We'll see if he's man enough.

Three Months and a Bath

Emily Jane is three months old, already. She is very good at holding her head up and likes to smile and hoot like an owl, something we haven't been able to catch in on video yet. She loves her bath and splashes and splashes. She's gone through 700 diapers, sorry trash guy and mother earth. E.J. gets a giggle out of seeing tongues. So we stick out tongues out and she smiles, laughs, and then sticks her tongue out. Video coming soon.

Snow Day

So it's been two weeks since we've posted anything. Busy two weeks. All are doing well. Emily Jane weighs 11.4 lbs with her clothes on. Last week during the snow we got her out in a cute purple snow bear outfit her friend Sophia let her borrow. It's crazy to think it was this cold and snowy just a week ago!

shots and jesus

Emily Jane had two firsts this weekend. Starting Friday, E.J. had her first shots. Ouch! Three shots covering several diseases. She was a real trooper, frowning on the first, crying on the second and third. She recovered well and slept most of the rest of the afternoon. She weighs 10 lbs 5 oz. and moved from the 31st percentile to the 37th.
Here's a photo that came before the shots, E.J. and Dr. S. Emily is a good patient, nose, eyes, ears, hips and everything else checked out just fine.
The second of her two firsts was her first trip to church. We sat in the back and E.J. slept most of the time. Toward the end she needed a snack, thank goodness it was Communion Sunday. Emily Jane has begun sleeping 7 hours at night. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she can keep it up.

Bumbo and Valentine's Day

Here's E.J.'s first sit down in the Bumbo. She likes it. Emily has grown out of her new born clothes and is hanging out in 0-3 months. E.J. has begun making lots of new friends. She calls them the book club babies...Grace and Rebbecca Howard and Chase Malamezian. E.J. took her first trip to Publix and got her dad a framed picture for Valentines Day. Emily received cards and a pink puppy from the fam. Can you beleive we're already half-way through February?

giggle giggle

Emily Jane has begun to giggle. not every time, and not every day. but once in a while, she looks at her mother, smiles, and makes a little jiggley noise and then goes about her business looking in random directions. According to the books, in a few weeks she'll start smiling regularly on purpose and laughing frequently.
Smiling and laughing are important developmental milestones. It is devastating when infants don't, or can't, learn this skill. Yes, smiling and laughing are skills that are an acquired practice. A practice sometimes easily forgotten by adults.
Here's something that makes E.J.'s parent's smile - the weekly Stone Mountain hike is back.

getting around to it

Emily is doing well and getting over a cold. In the past week or so she's had several firsts. Her first hike to Stone Mountain, her first laugh when she saw her mommy. She is now holding her head up on her own and she slept for nearly 6 hours a few nights ago. Here's a video i took late one night. I'll try to load more up this week. She was wondering why we were in the same room, she was awake, and I wasn't feeding her.

Kissing

We think we may have one of those daughters who kisses. Actually, this is a new face she started making about a week ago.

License to Procreate

Emily Jane is doing well. Evenings have been a bit rough with some gas and crying, but she usually smoothes out by 11:00. Yesterday, E.J. and her mom went on their first adventure…a reading and book signing with Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea at Agnes Scott. Emily Jane slept in a sling and most people didn’t even know Cindy had a baby with her. Mortenson is a humanitarian who works to establish schools in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly for girls. In some places it is illegal for girls to go to school.

Speaking of illegal.

Should we have to have a license to procreate? Don’t panic, I’m not going all red-china population control on you or anything. But having and raising a child is much more difficult than other things I have to have a license for. Driving, hunting, or fishing. And of all the millions of things that need permits, no permit is needed to add a person to the world. It requires nothing of anyone but fertile loins to bring children into this world. Of course, this is all just coming out of my fear of not being a good parent or doing something out of sheer ignorance like butt medicine in E.J.’s mouth.

But I do have a recommendation, as radical as it may be, to the food and drug administration. I propose every infant boy receive a surgically placed valve in his little seminal vesicles and this valve is switched to “off.” You know we have the technology. The inventors of the vasectomy reversal, nano tech robots and the makers of the iphone could have a prototype in a week. When all little boys become men, say at 25 or so, they can go have their little valves turned to “on” at their doctor’s office. There wouldn’t be any test of intelligence (against Cindy’s opinion), or common sense, or financial fitness exam, or anything else that might seem Gatica like. Men, simply by reaching the age of 25, could get a license of procreate. And E.J.’s dad would sleep much better.

about time

sorry for the delay...today emily jane is 8 lbs and 11oz. good news. e.j. has been a bit fussy in the evenings...though the last two nights she's been a little sweetheart. she did well today at the doctor, all systems go. she lifts her head and looks around when she's on her belly. she also started to coordinate her facial expressions with her feelings. one night this past week she slept for a 5 hour stretch.
her father has an uncorrected rough draft of his doctor of ministry final project...which is even more good news. since it is due next week at the latest, so not much time left.
speaking of time. in the recent LOST episode it was asserted that there is nothing anyone can do to change the past, which seems obvious enough, but not to someone who has apparently just traveled back in time. it does appear possible to change the future, again obvious stuff. but those changes only occur in the future of the time traveled person's original time continuum. so if you left 2008 and went back to 2000 you still couldn't have kept BUSH from being elected president, but you could act to cause OBAMA to be elected back in your original time. this type of reasoning causes one to reconsider past regrets and be hopeful in the future.

Tree Frogs, Bear Cubs and Gremlins

Life is pretty good for a three week old. Emily Jane is more gassy than her father and she adores her mother. Generic mylecon drops are good friends. Today her friend Kiva came over to visit. Kiva is way older, like three months. She does big baby things like hold her head up, focus her eyes and smile on purpose. E.J. is starting to pull things toward her and push things away. She likes making new friends. She is not a very loud baby, however, she is a very noisy one. Next week, two important things happen. First, Emily Jane has her one month check-up...the weigh in and some shots...ouch. The second thing is the presidential inauguration.
In Emily Jane’s world it will always be normal to have a black president. Many other things will be normal for her. Being friends with people from other countries will always be normal for her. Conserving gas, electricity, and recyclables will always be normal. Food will always have been expensive, valuable, and shared. War will be an ongoing reality but hopefully never glorified and talk of peace will fill her ears and hopefully her heart. Saving will be more popular than credit. And she always will be able to imagine doing what a courageous black man did the day she turned one month old.
Check out her latest vid (turn your volume way up).

Power to the People

Last week was a big week for Emily Jane. She met two grandfathers, another grandmother and got her first bath. She was on the phone with her agent and soaking in her luxurious private hot tub when she got great news...the Wright deal finally came through.
Grandmother Clevenger got her a Cleopatra Doll from the Tut exhibit. Today she made her first trip to BabysRUs, which totally overwhelmed her and made her poop. Pooping is good. She also cashed in a few gift cards and with some coupons got a pack-n-play and a rain forest swing. Emily's appetite has really revved up. She's a greedy little girl. She's also very fortunate to be loved by some many people.

When Emily Jane's Hungry

Here are some fun pics of Emily Jane proving she's not just having gas. She is very hungry. We're always trying to figure out what Emily wants. Aunt Nancy said she was sleepy. Cindy said she was gassy. Snuggle, Snuggle, latch.