Happy New Year

Yes it has been too long between posts. We've had Thanksgiving in Charleston, Christmas in Arkansas, Christmas in Decatur, Christmas in Charleston, New Years in Atlanta... We've also weathered several respiratory infections and what we think was a bout of ye ol' h1n1 - if the symptoms fit...

Emily Jane has had an explosion of new things - throwing tantrums, slapping away food, making more teeth, and waking up hungry in the middle of the night! Cindy says she's grown over the past two weeks.

EJ has also gone through over 2000 diapers and is talking our heads off. We don't know what she's saying. But whatever it is, it is important to her.

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.