Emma: 11 months old

Month 11 was so jammed packed I don’t even know where to begin! This month has been so much fun. We celebrated a one year birthday party with all of Emma’s “Day One” friends. Emma is walking every chance she get (with the help of her push wagon.) She now crawls very quickly and loves to play chase. Fourth of July was a ton of fun. And we even managed to have our first family photo shoot this past month. Overall Emma has been such a joy to be around. We realize every day how lucky we are.

Emma has a wonderful group of friends. Some are about a month or two older and we helped them celebrate their big one year birthday. It was a blast. Thanks to Janet and Brian we were able to have all the kids together for some true birthday fun. Emma loved Nora’s water table. She splashed everyone in arms length. It was perfect for the hot summer day. Janet even made individual cupcakes and fun goodie bags for each baby. It’s always entertaining watching the babies together.

A couple months ago we found Emma a Radio Flyer walker wagon at a rummage sale. By far the best $15 ever spent! When we first got the wagon it sat in our living room collecting dust. The only time it was really used was by our friend Charlotte. Now it’s both a blessing and a curse. When it’s time to put the wagon away tears are sure to follow. Emma loves the wagon. We take it everywhere. She even rode/pushed the wagon in the Fourth of July parade this year. Three of our friends have purchased the wagon recently. We can’t wait for wagon races this weekend in the park!

This was a great 4th of July for all of us. After the parade we spent time at the park with friends then headed over to Jim, Susannah, and Finn’s. They have a swimming pool that is the perfect temperature for the babies! Doug and Emma went swimming. Emma has been in swim classes this summer and is now a pro at going “under water.” It’s nice that she isn’t afraid of the water.

Emma has gone from a slow crawl to “catch me if you can” in a matter of days. We spend our day chasing each other around the ottoman in the living room and she gets me every time. She can play this game for hours. She also loves to be chased and play hide and seek. She will squeal with delight when you do finally catch her. There have been several times now when the whole family has been involved, including the dog. Our house is now a zoo! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We finally broke down and bought Emma a tunnel to crawl through. It’s just small enough that neither of us can get in it. Emma is a very smart girl. She’ll crawl in the tunnel and sit in the middle not wanting to choose between the two clowns on either end calling her name over and over again. Eventually one of us has to relent so she can start over again. The tunnel has been a great hit. It’s so much fun hearing her squeal with delight as she charges from one side to the other.

We have been wanting to get our family pictures done for some time. We knew several other families who had theirs done and they were amazing. We took their advice and did it. We are sure glad we did. The photos turned out amazing. We can’t wait to get them so you can see!

I think it amazes both of us how quickly the time goes by. I am sad that our little baby is growing so quickly but am excited to see all the changes and discoveries she makes each day. I get to experience the world all over again through her beautiful eyes. We are so blessed.

Happy 11-month Birthday, Emma. You are amazing.