One Year Old

September has been such a whirlwind for us and I am so backed up on blogging. Lots of things to keep us busy, but each one has been really enjoyable. Among the list (and really, at the top of the list) was celebrating Emery's 1st Birthday!

People often (like, every day) tell you to "cherish each moment...it goes by so fast." But boy are they right! This year has been the fastest year of our lives. I seriously still remember ordering grilled cheese FOR EVERY MEAL while we were at the hospital with her like it was just last week. (Grilled cheese sounds really good right now. Thank you, memory.) Now she's running around the house on her own two feet, giving me fits when we have to put shoes on, developing her own personality with a cute little laugh on the side, eating everything in sight, brushing her 4 teeth with us at night, and imitating every. single. thing. that we do - which has put lots of things in perspective, if I do say so myself!

I can't believe we've been given this gift. She gives me a new purpose and love for life - refining what is true and most important, even in the every day. She is the sweetest, cutest, funniest, most joyful little girl. I could go on for days on what I love about her. Matt and I are so grateful for the role we've been given in being her parents. She really has made this life so much sweeter.

Here are a few (hundred) photos from her birthday celebration. I started planning this little shindig when she was about 5 months old. Very pleased with how it all turned out - and so thankful for all the people who celebrated with us. We have the best friends and family out there.

Everyone pitched in to set it all up. We had a half hour to do so...and there was a lot on the list!

My girlfriends helped out with providing almost all of the food. And Matt's mom took care of the cupcakes!

I really wanted to hand make as much for the party as I could. So instead of fresh flowers, I sewed about 20 fabric flowers. 

We added some photos of all 3 of us - some even from when Matt and I were a year old!

I also reeeally wanted to make party favors, but because she was only turning a year, I didn't think I had much to work with. BUT...thanks to thrift stores and the plethora of ideas Pinterest, Matt & my dad whipped up some sweet tea cup candles!

The one thing I was most proud of? I made her birthday dress all by myself. Almost gave up about 6 times, but I'm glad I hung in there.

Onto the cake...I was pretty proud of her. Though she is very neat (like her dad) she managed to get a little messy.

she was so excited to have her meemaw & peepaw there. she has the best grandparents!

And lastly, the gifts. This girl made out great on her big day!

We love you, Emery girl! 

Can't believe you are SO BIG!

***Photos by Kristin Uhrinek***

Very First Beach Trip

I can't believe Emery is almost a year old and is just now experiencing the ocean for the first time. We took a little trip to Matt's aunts condo and enjoyed a relaxing couple of days - capturing some great moments. Get ready for mega photo overload..

she wasn't too sure about that sand at first..

and still remained unsure after a quick spill..

but we cleaned her off and she learned to love it.

She got to open a couple of her birthday gifts a little early..

and she loved her new doll.

while the beach was great, the pool is what she loves best.

and last, before we headed home..she experienced her first mickey mouse pancake.

a full belly & lots of sun makes for a nice trip back home..

LOVE this life.

Late twenties.

I love birthdays. I really do. My husband can vouch for this. I literally start asking him what he wants for his birthday when we're still 8 months out. I plan for birthdays. I started thinking about ideas for Emery when she was 5 months old. And I've always enjoyed celebrating my own birthday, too...until this year. I don't know what it is about 26, but I feel ooolllldddd. A few days ago I woke up, got out of bed, and immediately felt sore in e v e r y joint. My very first thought as I wobbled to the bathroom? "Oh, this is just great. Brittle bones. Here comes the arthritis." 

But not matter how much I dread settling into my late 20's...or how much I fear saying "thirty" something (shiver), my family has a great way of making it better. It started out the night before. Husband took me on a date. Dinner & a movie...with a little window shopping in between. He knows me well.

***his beer, thank you.

We saw "The Help." Free movie (that would have cost us $21!!!!) thanks to a coupon hook-up from a nice friend. I really enjoyed it. Matt says he did, too. He's really really nice and probably wouldn't tell me if he didn't - because it was my birthday - but I believe him :) 

That same evening, at the strike of midnight, my mother was the first to wish me a Happy Birthday. In bed by 7pm every night if she had it her way, I was so surprised to get a message from her. Totally completed my night. Thanks, ma :)

Onto birthday morning! This is what I woke up to!

THE sweetest words filled that card. Took me a minute to compose myself after that one. .:thankful:.

(We don't have wood planks lying around our house. We're in the midst of a project. I promise I'm not ghetto)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMA!!

The rest of the day consisted of shopping for Emery's 1st birthday (boy does she love Toys R Us), a little family time, and dinner with the best in-laws a girl could ask for. After all the things I've been blessed with, maybe me & arthritis can hang. 

;)

11 Months.

This is hard to wrap my mind around. Just last night, Matt and I reminisced about the first couple of days in the hospital. The wallpaper on his phone still shows one of Emery's very first pictures. I've asked if he'd like to update it, but I think he secretly likes to pretend she's still that small. And now, I'm in the middle of planning her 1st birthday. People tell you how fast it goes. I probably hear it once a day. But boy, are they so right.

This little girl is such a joy. She will sit and have conversations with me, though we're not quite sure what she's saying. And she still hasn't said any distinct words yet. Da-da is universal for everything. She is very animated, very vocal, and very direct in how she feels. She's moved away from wanting to snuggle as much as she used to. She's getting too old for it, you know. But she still makes time for Murray.

We've finally mastered the sippy cup. She enjoys drinking water out of it between bites of peanut butter sandwiches. (who wouldn't?) While she's still taking her formula (drinking four 8 oz bottles a day!) it's nice to have that sippy to snack on (and is a great distraction in the car.)

Emery has had a very difficult time adjusting to shoes. Which basically means...Emery does not wear shoes. But as of the beginning of August, she has started to walk! As of the past 3 days, she's wanting to walk more than crawl - unless she had to move from one side of the house to the other. Then she realizes crawling saves much more time. Her little wobbly legs might be my favorite thing in the world. Shoes will be a necessity very soon.

She has new tricks, too. Lately, she's been making dozens of sounds and noises with her mouth. Some of them Matt even has a hard time mimicking. Her coolest new trick (in my opinion) is the ability to flip her tongue over. She walks around the house like this..

Thankful for another month of new things with this little girl. She makes this life so much sweeter, and I am beyond blessed to be her momma.

**Off topic, I've made a new blog. Lots of things stirring in my head...but want to start adding more about our family, life around us, and projects I'm working on in between**  :)