The Call's

The Big News!

2010-04-18T18:12:00.002-07:00

We're pregnant! Baby #2 is due November 4, 2010. We have wanted a second another child for quite some time and are so excited to be pregnant! Here are a couple pictures of what I hope to be a girl, and Nathan hopes to be a boy :)

6 weeks

7 weeks

Weekend Update

2010-03-21T17:00:00.004-07:00

This weekend (just like every weekend) we went to the Tucson Zoo. Though our zoo isn't the biggest, it's the perfect size for a two year old and Emilie LOVES it. This weekend we decided to try feeding the giraffes (or girass according to Em) and Emster had a blast! This little girl is not afraid of anything, even a giant black creepy giraffe tongue!

Waiting to pay "the Man" for her giraffe biscuits.

This squirrel was really comfortable up close to people.

Check out the creepy giraffe tongue!

We moved all the furniture out of the living room and brought out our beast of a mattress and had a slumber party. We watched "The Princess and The Frog" and ate chocolate chippies. I love how little things make Emilie so happy!

The Wearing Of The Green

2010-03-17T19:26:00.002-07:00

2010-03-15T15:39:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I have been cornered into blogging. These videos were too large to email so I must post them here. I guess I may as well start blogging again! So here are some recent videos of my little actress. She is really made for the stage, but we would like for her to have as few issues as possible when she grows up so we don't plan on her being a child actor. This will just have to serve as her little stage for now!

Here is Emilie singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to her tiny dinosaurs. She sings very quietly and VERY deeply and is very shy about singing in general. She also happens to be in a laundry basket for some reason!

I saw this hee-hee (horse) at a consignment sale and the price was too good to pass up. My sister has the same one in Ohio, so Emilie was really happy to see her hee-hee again. Let's see if you can catch what a hee-hee eats. She also does her little emotions dramatization while riding the horse. She really should be on TV!

Okay, so I really will start blogging more. I have now realized how much this serves as a journal and am sad to have no record of the daily musings of Emilie the past 6 months. So, I am going to aim high and try to update once a week. Maybe Sundays. For posterity's sake!

The Big 2

2009-11-24T19:32:00.004-07:00

Believe it or not, Emilie turned two last week! Here are some pictures from her big day.

With her "Up Cakes"

She loves the "pooh" her Daddy sent her

Shoes!

Her Rella dress

Her very own Rella Up Cake!

Rella is also a spoon...

Just ignore the time lapse.

2009-11-09T19:59:00.008-07:00

After many unsuccesful attempts at a full blown update of the past few months, I've decided it is too dang overwhelming (or boring) to do and I have decided to give the Clif Notes version of an update. Nathan has been in Afghanistan since July, he is alive and homesick and should be home around February 1st. Emilie have been in Ohio since July. We are alive, not really homesick, but we do really miss Nathan! Emilie finally had tubes put in a little over a month ago and so far we have had no new ear infections (she has had about 15 in the last year so this is a HUGE improvement!) Emilie is the girliest of all girly girls. She loves Cinderella ("Rella"), Sleeping Beauty ("The Drean" as in The Dream, for Once Upon a Dream,) fancy dresses ("dancin"), tutus ("dancin"), dress up shoes ("dancin shoe shoes"), tiaras ("heir" as in hair), jewelry ("fritties" as in pretties), anything with glitter ("oohhh"), and anything to do with dancing. She is at such a fun and cute age and I am so sad that Nathan is missing so much right now. Luckily he gets to call pretty much every day so he is pretty well informed, so really I can't complain. Well, not too much anyway :) So that's the past few months in a nutshell. We aren't very exciting people. Now that I don't have the big update looming over my head I should be much better at posting on here. Thanks for hanging in there!

Emilie plays this game where she goes "night-nights" on the stairs. If only she enjoyed going to sleep in reality too!

Ballerina PJ's, Sesame Street toolbelt, doll stroller, puppy dog and a fiber one bar. Don't ask me where she comes up with these combinations.
Washing her toe-toes. Always having fun, always making a mess too!
A knight and his princess. Ben actually decided that Emilie should be a pink princess with sparklies for Halloween. (This is before the real Halloween, I would never put orange bows with a pink dress!) Reading on the stairs. Emilie sits all her dolls on the stairs and tells them over and over to sit. Then she tells me "sit Mommy, sit!" It's a very cute game.
The proper way to wear a crown. Riding the "hee-hee" (horse)
These are her favorite PJ's. They are her "Goo (girl) Rella" PJ's. She picked them out at Babies R Us and would wear them all day everyday if I let her. Personally, I think the crown and shoes add just the right touch!
Trick or treat at the zoo. I'll post pictures from the real Halloween when I get them from my sister. I actually forgot to bring my camera somewhere!

You know Emilie is sick when...

2009-09-06T15:57:00.004-07:00

...she falls asleep watching Blue's Clues! Emilie has never randomly fallen asleep anywhere before, so she must be pretty sick. Please give me a few more days and I swear I will post a real update :)

Will Update Soon.

2009-08-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

Scouts honor!

Ooohhh!

2009-06-29T19:13:00.004-07:00

Emilie is in love with Sleeping Beauty at the moment. We downloaded the soundtrack and were dancing to it and this is what she does at the beginning of "I Know You."

Good Thing They're Washable!

2009-05-28T12:39:00.002-07:00

A Germaphobe's Worst Nightmare!

2009-05-26T20:48:00.004-07:00

I know I am totally failing at staying off the computer, but I am stressed and feel like blogging so that is what I am doing! If you know me well you probably know I am a bit of a clean freak/germaphobe and am a bit paranoid about contagious illnesses. I think some higher power is either trying to ensure that I have a stress ulcer or cure me of my phobias. You see, in preparation for Nathan to deploy he has to get a bunch of random immunizations. I'm not such a big fan of regular immunizations to start, and I'm always skeptical when it comes to the military injecting Nathan with who knows what (I know I sound crazy but I have a few conspiracy theories. I don't trust the Air Force.) So when Nathan told me he was going to get his pre-deployment shots today I wasn't thrilled, but whatever he has to get them and really it's not that big of a deal. Then he brought home this crazy pamphlet about the smallpox vaccine he was just given and says something along the lines of "I have to spray the shower with bleach." Ummm... what? Apparently the smallpox vaccine contains a live virus (not actual smallpox but something like it) and the injection sight is VERY contagious for about 30 days. Also, all bodily fluids can be contaminated as well, which Nathan just so happens to have a cold right now. So basically Emilie and I are supposed to avoid contact with Nathan for the next month and he has been instructed to do the following crazy things:

1. Keep the injection site covered with a bandage at all times to minimize risk of spreading.

2. Dispose of bandages by placing them in a Ziploc bag and spray bandage with bleach

solution and discard bag where no children or pets can reach.

3. Keep all dirty laundry separate and in a sealed garbage bag. Wash in hot water and with

bleach if possible.

4. When showering cover injection site with waterproof bandage.

5. After showering, spray entire shower and tub surfaces with bleach solution. Don't cover

injection site with a bandage for at least two hours after showering (what about #1?)

6. Wash hands with soap or use hand sanitizer after touching injection site.

7. Do not swim until injection site has scabbed over and scab has completely fallen off.

8. Discard scab in plastic bag and dispose where children and pets cannot reach. (Those last

two really makes me want to throw up!!!)

9. Do not allow anyone else to handle contaminated bandages, laundry or bedding until scab is

completely gone.

Basically Nathan has the plague and everything he comes in contact with is going to spread it. Okay, not exactly, but I do kinda feel that way right now. It is rare that cross-contamination occurs, but we are a bit freaked out right now. The best part is that Nathan could have just asked to be immunized in Afghanistan, but alas, he did not. I just hope we survive the next month without any smallpox outbreaks or nervous breakdowns. I'm sure I will relax in a few days, but rest assured, my house will be extra sanitary for a while!

Hiatus

2009-05-24T20:23:00.003-07:00

I am attempting to stay off the computer for one week just to see what happens when I don't waste so much time on here. I don't think anyone will notice, but I thought I would give everyone a heads up :) Here's a few pics and a video until next week! Also I am copying a few friends and added a sidebar to post little stories about our life at the Call house. Yes, they will probably all be about Emilie. Sorry!

Cooking with daddy.

Always helping Mommy.

Wearing one of my undershirts. She loves to pull my clothes out of the dresser and have us put them on her.

I think Emilie is going to be a ballerina someday. She loves watching ballroom dancing and ballet and even tries to mimic what they do. She is very coordinated, and cute! I might just love her, but I really think she is talented.

She didn't learn this from me.

2009-05-21T09:11:00.001-07:00

Changes?

2009-05-04T12:22:00.009-07:00

Yes, I do neglect my blog. But only so I don't neglect my child, and I am sure she is grateful for that! Usually we don't have much going on, but for once we actually have some changes happening. Nathan is deploying to Afghanistan in July and will spend 6-7 months there. I don't want him to go, but am proud of him for serving our country and I'm confident he will be safe overseas. Emilie and I are going to spend that time in Ohio, Texas and Alaska (as long as our budget can swing it!) Our plans are a bit up in the air right now because we aren't sure exactly when Nathan leaves and when we have to move out of our house (they are tearing our house down sometime in July.) On a more positive note, Emilie is cuter than ever. She is at a very fun age and I love getting to see her personality blossom. She is so silly and girlie. She loves to dance and twirl around the house, play dress up, play with her babies, color, read books, jump on beds, help me with anything I am doing, run outside, climb the toilet and splash in the sink, give kisses and giggles all the time. I am so lucky to be the Mom of such an amazing, sweet, delightful little girl. A quick update on the past few months: Nathan was promoted to Senior Airman in April and finished his CDC's (career development courses) and will receive his 5 level in June. I am very proud of him, he scored 90+ on both installments of his tests and was publicly recognized by his squadron's Commander for doing so well. Receiving his 5 level allows him to work with different jets and opens up a lot of bases for us to be stationed at (but sorry, not Wright-Patterson yet!) Emilie and I flew out to Missouri in May for the passing of my Grandpa Evans. We had a nice visit with my family and were glad to be able to support my Grandma too. We left Missouri and spent a few weeks in Ohio because we can't seem to stay away more than 3 months. Yes, I am lame for summing up two months in three sentences, but looking back I can't remember what all has occurred! So, other than all that, not much else is going on in Arizona! Here are some pictures from the last few months :)

We took Em for her first swim of the summer and unfortunately she did NOT like the pool water. I think the water was too cold for her and hopefully as things warm up (maybe 120 degrees?) she will grow some love for swimming. She did have fun running around yelling at the pool though.

No really Mom. I'm not tired!

Helping Mommy clean the table...

She loves to eat her snack at her little table. Like everything else, I think it's cute.

Eating popcorn and watching Judge Judy.

Destroying Daddy's wallet

With Aunt Jenny and Benjamin in Ohio (we spent a couple weeks there in May)

Gotta love the pretty night gown and sword combo

Michael was playing with her and fixed her hair and put her "pretties" on her. Benjamin and Emilie, or Benilie as I call them, sharing their love of pacifiers and blankies.

Coloring with Ben

Chasing the woof woof at Gamma and Papa Tim's house.

Emilie is a bit obsessed with animals and Nathan's parents cat Addie (the most patient cat in the world) had to endure my sweet baby's affection.

Yep, that is the cat under her!

The Hee-hee at my grandparents farm in Missouri. She was determined to pet it all on her own.

On the plane to Missouri. The portable DVD player was a lifesaver this trip!

Our toilet paper costs have risen significantly lately...

She is such a little mimic. Nathan calls this child slave labor, but I swear she just wants to do everything I do!

Splashing in the forbidden sink

The other day she grabbed a new diaper, walked over to the diaper genie and shoved it down. Many things are going to be lost due to this discovery. This is why I am not into self feeding. That is a pacifier she dipped into yogurt.

Slacking Much?

2009-02-28T21:37:00.008-07:00

I know I haven't been posting much lately, but I've just been busy or something. I don't really know what I have been doing, but I can say I have been keeping my house very clean and Nathan has been working a ton lately so I will just use that as my excuse. I still don't have a lot of time so I will just post a few quick things of Emilie.

Emilie LOVES to dance. Kaitlin loved this song when she was Emilie's age so I thought I would put it on for her.

She is such a priss!

Nathan was vacuuming the other morning when Emilie decided her lion should ride on the vacuum. Then she had to have a turn too. Now anytime we vacuum at least one of her toys has to take a ride!

I fit all of her hair into on little pony tail! I don't really like it though because you can't see any of her curls.

Just being Emilie

The other night Nathan and I swung Em in a blanket (like she was in a hammock.) She LOVED it and anytime we tried to end the swinging session she would get the blanket, spread it out on the floor, lay in the center of it and yell until we swung her again. Once we officially quit swinging her she put her baby doll on the blanket and sat there and pouted. It was quite a cute little protest.

Here are some random around the house pictures. Enjoy!

Such A Girl!

2009-01-29T11:13:00.003-07:00

Here is a video of Emilie playing with her baby dolls. It's incredible how much she has learned just by watching me with other babies. Just for the record, I don't throw babies on the ground and then run them over with their stroller. That she must have learned from her Dad.

After I stopped recording she ran to the door thinking we were going bye-bye. She is really smart, but I may be a bit biased :)

My Pretty Girlie

2009-01-24T15:53:00.003-07:00

Opinions Please!

2009-01-16T13:32:00.005-07:00

I am trying to choose a picture to enter Emilie in Regis and Kelly's Beautiful Baby Search and can't seem to find one that I like. So here are a few I am considering, any input anyone has would be lovely! I never realized how hard it is to get a picture of Emilie looking somewhat at the camera and somewhat smiling at the same time until now! Anyhow, everyone should enter, they give a $125,000 college scholarship to the winner!

---UPDATE---

I went ahead and chose a completely different picture after my sister informed me they were all terrible choices. Here is what Nathan and I submitted!

Warning:

2008-12-30T20:21:00.008-07:00

This is a super-long-overcompensating-for-lost-time-one-million-pictures post!

Yeah, I know. I haven't blogged in forever, but I have good reasons for being absent. Besides, pretty much everyone else has been slacking in the blogging department so I think everyone will just overlook each others negligence (and update their blogs as well!) !

Emilie and I flew to Ohio to spend Thanksgiving and visit for a few weeks. We decided to go last minute because my Grandmother was going to be there and I never get to see her (she lives in Utah and who would want to visit anyone in Utah? Just kidding!)

My bouncy baby on the plane, sooo ready to get off and run around!

Making pie with Michael, the best helper ever (unless another niece or nephew happens to be reading this, then the best helper would be you of course.).

Emilie with Aunt Jenny at "The Lights Before Christmas" at the Toledo Zoo. Em was all bundled up like the kid on A Christmas Story. I really don't think she could move because she just sat like this the whole night. She stayed warm though!

I love the bond that Emilie has with her cousins. She adores them, and they love her so much too. I can't wait for her to meet her other cousins in Alaska this summer!

I love this picture because that is not Emilie's pacifier (or bump-bump as they are known to Michael Ben and now Emilie.) nor is that Benjamin's. They had this thing about trading and it was really funny. And gross.

Emilie was glad to be home, mainly because she loves her Daddy sooooo much (me too!)

I love this dress!
We got home 12 days before Christmas and had to get EVERYTHING ready for Christmas including all the shopping and all the give-away baking, which I don't think I will ever do by myself again. Too stressful!!!

Also we had all the decorating to do including the tree. This was the first year we had our very own tree with only our decorations (Nathan's Mom has like 7 trees so we just borrowed one because we were too cheap.) The funny thing is we only paid $20 for the tree (excluding lights) and most of the decorations have been gifts so it didn't cost much at all. This was our sixth Christmas together (fifth married Christmas) and we just now bought a tree. Anyway, I love to give and get ornaments for Christmas and love our hodge-podge tree because I remember who gave each ornament and I love the memories they bring. To me, that is what made our tree beautiful.

Emilie pulled down the tree once, but I was able to save all the sentimental ornaments. We put unbreakable stuff on the bottom for Em, so if the tree looks a bit divided that's because it is.

Emilie must have been really good this year. Santa brought her so many fun toys!

Ooohhh! She was so excited!

Helping Dad

She loves her trike. We almost can't get her off it

Oh the doll stroller. Em has developed a love hate relationship with this darn thing. She loves the doll stroller she got, however she thinks it is for her to sit in. It is really funny because she is obviously too big for it but insists we push her around. If you put her dolls in it she gets mad and throws them out and cries until you put her in it and push her. She also tries to climb in herself and ends up tipping it over and getting hurt. We are probably just going save everyone the frustration and put it away for a bit.

The aftermath mess!

Her Christmas dress. Sadly this is the best picture we have so far, but are having professional photos taken soon and will hopefully get a smile.

I am really proud of my ham. I don't like pork so I never cook with it and was nervous to bake a ham for company. I made up my own glaze and it turned out really good, thankfully!

Nathan really will sleep anywhere...

We got to spend the day after Christmas in the ER! Emilie pulled the lampshade off our table lamp and it fell over and she got burned by the bulb. She had a few spots of second degree burns so we had to take her to get treated . We waited three hours to be seen, but the cream they gave for the burns is so incredible (Silvadene) it was totally worth it. This was two days post incident and it already looked so much better. We saw her pediatrician today and he said she won't have any scars so long as we keep using her cream and lots of sunblock for a few months. Luckily she hasn't seemed bothered at all by it except when it first happened. I am so thankful she isn't in pain and it was just a minor accident!

She is so prissy sometimes and loves to prance around with purses. I think mine is a bit too big and heavy though.

I left her playing in her room the other day and this is where I found her when I came back. She thinks it is so funny to crawl under her crib.

Love this baby! (And these bows, thanks Tracy!)

Dear Santa,

2008-12-22T08:35:00.003-07:00

This is NOT what I want for Christmas.

Love,

Emilie

Poor, Poor Little Emilie :(

2008-11-18T22:55:00.006-07:00

I knew today was going to be rough for Emilie because she had her one year well check and had to get immunizations. What I didn't know was just how rough rough would be. It started this morning. I put Em in the shower with me since she woke up before I could get ready for the day. She was having fun until she knocked down the plastic soap dish holder (it connects to a built in thing in the wall, kinda hotel like if that makes sense) and then sat on it and bruised and cut her little bum (not bad, but she was really sad.) Then we went for her well check and she was so sad the entire time. Normally she doesn't mind doctor's visits (except the getting dressed and undressed part) but today she just cried the whole time the doctor was in the room. Then came the shots. I hate when she has to get shots. She is always so happy and playful right before and then they poke her little chubby legs and she looks at me as if to say "What did you just do?" as she cries the saddest cry ever. I know they don't remember it and a few minutes later she was playing and fine, but I feel bad about it anyway. THEN we had to go to the lab to get her blood drawn for her lead levels and anemia (just routine one year lab work.) I was already feeling terrible for her after the shots and was about to skip the lab, but listened to the "good mom" on my shoulder and went ahead like I was supposed to. So, onto the lab where I find out it isn't just a heel prick, but a vein puncture in her arm. As much as I wanted to just walk away at that point I kept hushing the bad/overprotective part of me and said OK. Then, the girl drawing Em's blood couldn't find a good vein and went to get someone else who was supposedly great at poking babies. At this point I am worried and start having flashbacks of my very sick, dehydrated and jaundiced four day old baby being poked over and over and had bruises all over from it. I sit there and try to have confidence in this kid knowing he had little experience with babies (it was on base, where they usually do blood work for perfectly healthy grown men.) So he pokes my babe and digs around and around in her tiny arm for probably a full minute while she is screaming and crying big tears and he never finds the vein. He said to bring her back tomorrow to try again, with no confidence at all. I cried as we walked to the car because I felt so guilty that I even let them try when I knew they didn't really know what they were doing and weren't going to be able to get the sample. I will NEVER take her to the lab on base again. So, we go home and I call the pediatrician's office and tell them what happened and that I want to take her somewhere else. Now they tell me to just bring her back to the office tomorrow because the pediatric nurses there are great at drawing babies blood. SERIOUSLY!!! Why didn't they just do it there in the office in the first place? Sometimes I really hate military health care and how it make everything harder than it needs to be. Anyhow, Emilie recovered from her morning trauma and had a good rest of the day... until she ate a Christmas light off the tree. Well, that didn't seem to bug her but it gave me a good scare when she threw up a broken piece of a glass bulb. I called the nurse advice line and they said she should be okay, just make sure she doesn't vomit or poo any blood and that I have to dig through her diapers to make sure she passes the rest of it. I am so glad to see this day end. I'm not sure what else the day had in store, but I really don't want to find out cause my poor babe really didn't need any more owies. Okay, I'm done ranting and complaining, and am happy to be going to bed!

Happy Happy Birthday Emilie Dear!

2008-11-16T17:28:00.005-07:00

Today is my little pinkie-pie's very first birthday! It seems like just yesterday I held her for the very first time and at the same time it feels like forever ago too. As much as I miss that tiny newborn, it has been so much fun to watch her grow (and grow!) and learn. What an amazing year! Happy birthday my little love!

She has ALWAYS hated getting dressed and I think she always will. Oh, how I miss that little new baby cry!

For Julianne

2008-11-13T00:18:00.006-07:00

It may seem a bit strange for me to post pregnancy pictures when I am no longer pregnant, but there is a reason. My best friend Julianne is pregnant and has almost the same due date I had last year (because we are twinners in our own way!) Since she lives in Switzerland and I lived in California/Ohio she never got to see me superly huge pregnant. I never emailed pictures at the end because I had preeclampsia and was either hospitalized or on bed rest (when I wasn't at the doctor already, since you pretty much live at their office at the end of pregnancy anyway!) So here's a few pics to hope help her feel less ginormous, or at least not alone. I may look miserable, but I was actually pretty comfortable at the end. Well, that or I was so afraid of childbirth I convinced myself I was okay to stay pregnant forever! Hang in there Schoolie and sleep while you can :)

Right before Em received her "eviction" notice. I had to be induced thanks to preeclampsia :(

About a week before Emilie was born (37 weeks?)

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!

2008-11-08T19:31:00.005-07:00

Cardiologist Visit

2008-11-05T16:29:00.005-07:00

When Emilie was one month old, we discovered that her heart had a few mild abnormalities. She saw a pediatric cardiologist in Ohio when she was two months old and he said that everything would hopefully resolve itself by her first birthday. Today we finally had her one year visit with her cardiologist here in Tucson and, drum roll please... after 10 long months of waiting, I am so happy to say her heart is perfectly normal! I was pretty sure that everything was okay but it is incredibly comforting to know she is just fine. I am so glad to just have a normal baby! No more reflux, no torticollis, no PFO, no VSD, no RVH, no LVH (the last four are heart terms). Just a normal, very healthy beautiful child! I'm so happy I don't even care that the house is a wreck and I haven't started dinner yet or even who won the presidential election. Today is just a great day :)

Em's Last First Holiday

2008-11-01T13:41:00.005-07:00

Aaahh! I get so irritated when blogger won't let me move my pictures around! Anyway, I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and scored lots of candy! Emilie had a great time trick-or-treating, contrary to how she looks in the pictures. She got her second ear infection and was so miserable at the start of the night I thought we were just going to go to bed. Luckily she perked up thanks to some motrin and sudafed (which helps take pressure off of the ear drum for all the lucky parents of ear infection prone kids) and ended up having so much fun. It was really nice to trick-or-treat on the base, they had sooo many people out on patrol plus the guards at the gate. Also, I love to pass out candy and we had a TON of trick-or-treaters. Ah, I am so glad to be done sewing, but sad that Halloween is over :( That's okay, we have Em's first birthday and the Holidays to look forward to!

Emmie Lou Who in Her Tutu

2008-10-25T14:24:00.003-07:00

Who knew 7 yards of tulle could be so fun! She really liked the tutu AND the sunglasses. So cute! If anyone wants a tutu, I sell them (custom made!) for $25. Great for Christmas, just so you know!

Emilie Emilie Emilie

2008-10-20T16:25:00.006-07:00

I have seriously tried to come up with something other than Emilie to blog about, but I really can't think of anything in my life that 1) is in the least entertaining (aside from Emilie's antics anyhow) and 2) Everything in my life involves Missy Em, therefore I can't avoid talking about my turkey! I guess I am just in love with her cuteness, and I do have to post stuff for our families because we are so far away. Maybe this week I will do something other than play dates, clean, go to the commissary and such so I don't bore everyone to death (however, I find Emilie to be enough entertainment all on her own!)

I have started putting her hair in little piggie tails. It takes about 10 minutes for me to get her hair fixed, and about 1/10th of a second for her to pull it out. I have to watch her closely because she will eat whatever I put in her hair once she gets it out. Oh Em the things you do to drive your mother crazy!

It actually got cold here in Tucson last week! Okay, so maybe 40 degrees isn't exactly cold, but it was so nice to have a change. We went for a walk and Emilie had to bundle up, I'm so glad she finally got a chance to wear this coat, I love it!
Em is always trying to climb in the washer, so I thought I would satiate her curiosity and put her in it and show her she doesn't really want in there. I don't think my plan worked.

Nathan said that her hair in piggies makes her look like a little girl, not a baby :(

Nathan builds "forts" on the couch and Emilie has a blast in them. In the first picture she looks EXACTLY like me at her age. I wish I had a picture to show you how creepily we look alike.

Why the licking? Always with the licking Emilie!

This is NOT how she looks by the end of church.

Nathan called this Egyptian Slave Labor. I call it helping Mommy out. She just loves to push things around, and is incredibly strong so I let her push the laundry to the washer for me. I don't really give her chores I swear!

We are really starting to walk. I love her little Frankenstein walk.

Around The House

2008-10-06T15:57:00.007-07:00

I know I am totally that person who only talks about their baby, but I really don't have much else going on. I could bore you with my laundry and cleaning and cooking filled days, but I figure Emilie is much more entertaining so here's a few pictures of what Emilie is up to these days!

This is one of her new games. She pushes whatever she is playing with under the bed or changing table and lays on her tummy to try and get it out. She usually ends up just pushing whatever is there further back so Nathan or I help her out, over and over again.

Just a view of our curly haired girl! Emilie loves to help me load the dishwasher (by help I mean throwing all the silverware onto the floor.) The other day she was "helping" me when all of a sudden I noticed she had climbed onto the door and was pulling her bottles out and throwing them too. You can never turn your back on this baby! She liked watching the bottles roll around.

She likes to put her little Pooh bear in her mouth like it's a pacifier, Kaitlin used to do the same thing with a rubber duck. She is such a goof, she crawls around and makes a funny growling noise with it sticking out of her mouth for hours. Whatever makes her happy! Just playing in her room.
I keep finding her with her bum up in the air at night. I roll her over to what I would find a more comfortable position, only to find her back like this a few minutes later. I guess she likes it! Em has started doing the motions to itsy-bitsy spider. Here she is doing "washed the spider out." I think this is the spider crawling up the water spout, or down came the rain, I'm not sure. She is really cute though! She was "helping" me fold the laundry
She learned how to push the glow-worm!

Here is Mommy's Little Helper in action

She is starting to take some steps. She gets really excited and starts to wave her hands, which usually makes her lose balance. She doesn't mind though, she is such a happy girl.

You Should Worry When They're Quiet

2008-10-03T10:05:00.001-07:00

The Neglectful Blogger

2008-09-24T23:17:00.011-07:00

Aahh! Blogger won't let me move my pictures around so if things look weird that is why! Typically I put pictures after any writing, but today things are gonna have to be different. So here are pictures, that's all anyone cares about anyhow.

She had a blast tearing up a napkin while I cleaned the kitchen counters. She has now moved on from just tearing paper to tearing paper and then eating it, gross!
All dressed for church, but good luck keeping shoes on her!
Spaghetti is a fun toy! Her Halloween PJ's. She doesn't have an ear infection, she just likes to tug on her ears. I have taken her in to get her ears checked WAY too many times due to this, ugh!
So pretty!

Waking up at my sisters, she got stuck.
Could this be her calling?
She loves to climb stairs, and is really good at it too!

Boo! I love her bunny teeth :)

Her hair is getting so curly

I believe that should be my new name! I'm sorry I have been a terrible blogger and blog-friend too. I haven't commented on any friends blogs for a while and I feel bad, but just have been so busy! After spending the last 2 months in Ohio, we are now back in Arizona trying not to melt. I miss everyone back home a lot, but in a way it is good to be home! Nathan is now working nights (11pm - 7am), which is a nice change from before (2:30pm -3am ????) Emilie has had a terrible cold for the last 2 weeks that she can't seem to get over, but I think (hope) we are nearing the end of it. She is growing up way too fast. She likes to walk while pushing anything she can find (her walking toy, her high chair, the computer chair, a dining room chair, a box, everything that moves!) I still haven't found a food she doesn't like yet, she is an incredible little eater! She doesn't eat big portions, but she will eat a little of anything you give her, even weird stuff like horseradish. She is talking so much now too! She says Mom, Dad, no no no (while she shakes her head back and forth, it's really cute) yes yes (or yeah, and she nods her head up and down too) and she says "all done" when she is finished eating and will push anything near her away and say "No!" She is such an amazing and happy little girl and I am so lucky to be her Mom :)

She loves to play peek-a-boo. Sometimes she does this in the middle of the night while I change her diaper. It is so cute and so hard not to laugh.

Why does she have to love the toilet?

Emilie is a little ham. She was pushing the exersaucer and fell once and liked the attention she got so she kept doing it over and over. You can even hear her cough for attention when no one is watching her. We really don't need cable with her around, she is very entertaining!

It's About Time!

2008-08-16T18:49:00.004-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog TERRIBLY lately, and for that I apologize! I only have a few minutes, but here are some pics and a video (it's kinda lame, I need to upload a bunch of stuff.) Summer is keeping us busy busy busy! My Mom bought a new house so we have been packing in our spare time. Anyhow, I promise to really update soon! In the meantime, Emilie now has six teeth, is pulling up on EVERYTHING and is completely attracted to danger. Oh, and gets cuter everyday!

Sick Sick Sick!

2008-08-06T16:33:00.003-07:00

Emilie is a little sick right now, so I don't have much time to post but It's been a long time since I've posted any thing so here's a quick update! Emilie and I are in Ohio, and Nathan will be coming in 2 weeks or so to join the fun. Em has a mystery bug and hasn't been sleeping, eating or drinking much so I have my hands full (how do people manage with more than one kid?) Other than poor Emilie, we are doing great. I need to upload new pictures, and as soon as I get a chance I will, but for now here's one of my favorite pics of Em!

Nearly-Near-Death Experience

2008-07-17T22:23:00.010-07:00

So, this morning I had just taken a shower and was walking into my bedroom to get dressed, when all of a sudden something flew through the window at like 200 miles per hour. Luckily Nathan and Emilie were in the other room and somehow what glass I was pelted with didn't cut me (I wasn't really wearing any clothing.) After the shock wore off I realized that the lawn maintenance people were mowing the grass less area behind the houses and a rock must have been shot out and gone through the window. Why they were mowing there? No idea, but I'm pretty sure it was a bad idea and unnecessary. The rock flew across the yard about 50 feet, through the window, through the closed blinds, across the room (about 20 feet) hit the wall and chipped it, and landed in the trashcan. Oh, and sent glass shattering all over the bedroom, hallway and into Emilie's room across the house, about 40 feet away. I'm sure it doesn't seem very dramatic, but I really could have been injured and was very lucky to escape unscathed. I really tried to keep that in mind as I cleaned up tiny shards of glass for the next two hours! Okay, so it really wasn't even close to a near death experience, but It was the most exciting thing to happen around here in a while. Check out the damage.

Not very big, but oh so deadly!

See the grass less patches, that's what they were mowing.

That's all glass

The scariest part is we sleep with Emilie in our room at night, so we keep the pack and play right under that window. I can't express how grateful I am that she wasn't in her little bed! On a happier note, Emilie has learned how to pull herself up on things. I'm not sure this is a good thing, but it is fun to watch.I love that chubby bum!

She didn't pull herself up here, but she loves to stand up on things and pat.

Please note that Nathan was there to catch her in case she fell.

I found a safe place to let her stand! I love the pack and play, and so does Em.

After every picture she would make this face for a minute or two. So goofy.

Em has some incredible strength. My friend Darcy says she likes to do Pilate's. Here are some of her favorite poses;

You start out in the crawling position;
Then move to downward facing dog (which is really a yoga move, so she actually does yogalate's); I find this exceptionally dangerous because she loves to do this on the hard tile floor and in the bathtub.

Then endlessly hold your head and legs off the ground (she has been doing this for a few months and it makes it impossible to measure her at the doctors office. We say she does her sit-ups)
Finish by holding your body off the ground as much as possible while laying on your side. Apparently this workout gives you very chubby thighs, and the most adorable little body ever!

We were playing in her sock basket and made boots with a bunch of layers of socks. I do know that she really isn't a doll, but she is fun to play with.

You can't see her new tooth, but it really is there!

Random I know, but I just love to look at her newborn baby pictures. She is a little over a week old here. I wouldn't change a thing about my baby, but sometimes I really long to hold that tiny newborn just one more time. Babies really do grow too fast :(

I Gave Birth To A Maniac!

2008-07-10T22:58:00.006-07:00

We miss you Kaitlin!
I haven't been blogging because Emilie has turned into a non-sleeping maniac! She has been teething for about two weeks and apparently it makes her very energetic. She keeps waking up wanting to play and unable to go back to sleep for a few hours all night long. I'm just happy she's not screaming all night! Anyway, Emilie is now the proud owner of three teeth. She now has her top left front tooth, and just like her bottom two, the right one is following right behind. My baby is growing up too fast. Here are some changes in the last month: Em has started to crawl; she went up another diaper size (Which was actually a big step because we had to switch from the Pampers Swaddlers to the Pampers Cruisers. Don't laugh at my sentiment!); Emilie has started to babble; Em is now 21 lbs 12 oz, which means in 4oz we have to switch from an infant only car seat to a convertible car seat (again, don't laugh!); we welcomed another tooth; Em can sit straight up from lying on her back; she can pull herself up to standing; she has started eating chunky foods; she can drink from a straw; and she outgrew nearly all of her PJ's. So there. These may not seem like earth-shattering changes to you, but to me these are huge milestones. Oh yes, Emilie has also grown cuter and cuter! What's that? You don't think she could be any cuter. Here's proof--

Em has started babbling. She started out saying "A bop bop bop" and now says "Mom Mom" and "Da Da Da" and "La La La." I think she has the sweetest little voice ever! She is a bit sad in this video due to the fact that she is tired, due to the fact that she won't sleep.

Here is the turkey playing in the middle of the night, or 10 pm, whatever. She likes to stick out her tongue and say "La la la" and try to crawl. It is fun to watch.

The other night in the tub Em started bending herself in half to eat the bubbles. It was so funny. She kept getting a little Santa Claus beard. I love her quirkiness!Here is Em watching the fireworks on 4th of July. They have a fireworks show on the base, and we were lucky enough to have a great view right out our air-conditioned dining room window. Emilie was supposed to be asleep, but she decided to celebrate her independence and stay up!

Mmmm, Nilla wafers!A prime example of why I am Emilie's primary care giver. Poor girl.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5 am!

I don't know why, but she constantly gets stuck under the couch!

She has found a new way to play with her jungle gym.

Surprise! Not a picture of Emilie. This is precious, Keith and Holly's cat, all spread out on the computer chair. She kinda looks like a flying squirrel!

Okay, so when Em starts sleeping more, I will start blogging more. Scout's Honor.

Kaitlin's Turn!

2008-07-02T22:20:00.006-07:00

My niece Kaitlin REALLY wants to try her hand at blogging, so I'm giving her a turn! She leaves for Ohio tomorrow, and I am really sad, I am going to miss her soooo much. It's been great having you baby girl, come back soon! Alright, I'm turning it over to you!

I was soooo excited to come see Kassie and Emilie (and a little nervous about the plane.) On the plane, I was seated in the front seat on the right, aisle seat by a boy, 11 years of age, and was seated, not really getting up, for 4 hours, 13 minutes. We flew back 10 exhausting minutes because of weather, we were SUPPOSED to land in 4 hours, 3 minutes. Anyway, here is a picture from the plane.

I was extremely happy to get off the plane, but sad to leave my new friend. I wanted to get off the plane first, since the start of the landing, the turning and everything, was creepy. When the plane touched the ground it was going so fast that if I didn't have a seat belt on, I would've went flying higher than the plane, but I had to wait with my friend and go last. There was no room to stand, either. I seriously wanted to barge off the plane. My legs hurt so bad, but I didn't complain. I was exhausted. Here, it was only 4:30 but at home it was 7:30. I finally got used to the time here. Emilie has been so sweet to me. I can make her smile and laugh easily. She is so sweet.

We all know you are adorable Em. You express it well.

Kassie didn't know I had pictures of baby, BABY Em! :)

Everyone once had a favorite toy, here is one of Em`s

Emilie has a new trick!!! :)

I caught Em`s TWO teeth. I was making her smile in the car. Glad I brought my camera!!!

Em was eating her sun. So cute!

We have a couple of "critters" living by us. This rabbit got so close. Again, I am glad I had my camera :)

Two hawks moved near us. I swear it wasn't
raining ,it was the sprinkler (yes, we are the rare ones with grass.)

And We've Been...

2008-06-26T21:31:00.008-07:00

...busy, but with fun things! My niece Kaitlin flew down from Ohio to visit for a couple weeks and we have been having a blast! I'm so glad she braved the trip all by herself. She is so sweet and it has been so fun having her here, thanks lady bug! Here's our happenings lately:

Emilie and I went to Phoenix to pick up Kay-Key from the airport. We made signs to welcome her and Em did a pretty good job of holding hers.

Well, she might have eaten a bit of hers, but she still held on to it!

The brave girl stepping off the plane.

We've been hitting the pool a lot. There's not much else to do when it's 115 degrees everyday!

Keith and Holly, friends we made in California, came and stayed with us a few days on their way to Texas and then to Germany. We played some Rock Band and just hung out. The house was a bit full (six people, two cats and a dog in a two bedroom house, yikes!) but was so much fun to have everyone there! We miss you already guys and can't wait to do it again.

Emilie has found her passion, the drums! She found the Rock Band drumsticks in the morning and was so cute with them. Just don't take them away if you want to keep her happy!

Okay, this is such a goofy picture I had to post it. She was mid jump and making her squishy nose face and full gum (and tooth) smiling. The combination is pretty funny looking, but you can see her first little tooth.

I know I'm going to hear from Emilie's WaWa and Gamma for posting a sad picture, but you can see both of her little teeth. She was only sad because I was trying to hold her lip down to get a picture, sorry Em :(

Em has officially decided she no longer needs to be swaddled. I think it is so funny because now she sleeps with her arms straight out as in some sort of rebellion. I swear I only swaddled her as long as she wanted me to!

Em loves to splash in the water!

Here is my little turkey jump, jump, jumping as we call it. You can catch her random coughs for attention (seriously, like she is doesn't get enough!) in this video.

Em has become interested in crawling. I would really be okay with her slowing down this whole growing up thing she keeps doing.

I Got Tagged!

2008-06-25T23:14:00.002-07:00

Four Jobs I've had

-BBQ Restaurant Manager

-Catering Manager at Jason's Deli

-Bank Teller

-Server (as in a waitress)

My favorite? Waiting tables by far!

Four Movies I've Seen More Than Once

-Pillow Talk (get your mind out of the gutter, it's with Doris Day)

-Elf

-Zoolander

-Mean Girls

Four Places I've Lived

-North Pole, Alaska

-Corpus Christi, Texas

-Perrysburg, Ohio

-Monterey, California

Favorite? O-H-I-O

Four TV Shows I watch

-The News

-Baby Einstien

-Reba

-How Clean is Your House? (When I have cable!)

Four Places (regions) I'd like to Visit

-Japan

-England

-Ireland

-Hawaii (I don't get out much, okay!)

Four People who Email Me Regularly

-My Mom

-Grandma Call

-Aunt Christy

-Kaitlin

Four Places I've Been

These are lame so don't laugh!

-Kansas City, Missouri

-Newark, New Jersey

-Denver, Colorado

-Canada (like, all over it)

Four Favorite Foods

-Taco Bell pepsi

-McDonald's ice cream

-Anything Cheesy

-Yogurt

Four Things I'm Looking Foward to This Year

-Watching Emilie Grow

-Christmas

-NOT MOVING!!!

-Getting eight hours of uninterupted sleep at some point (please, Em!)

Four People I tag

-Holly (when you get settled)

-Julianne

-Jennifer Dennis

-Kristen McCain

BM's at IAH

2008-06-13T20:28:00.007-07:00

For those of you who haven't been able to conjure a mental image of what a poopsplosion looks like on your own, here is a bit of help. Your welcome! So, this was the trendsetting giant poop Em made when we arrived at the Tucson Airport before we started our summer travels. It seems as if airports get things, umm... moving for Emilie. When we flew from Texas to Ohio she had a blow-out in the Houston Airport (see previous blog entry for all the fun details!) The trip from Ohio back to Tucson seemed to have the same BM inducing effect. I guess I should start at the beginning of the day. Our 8 am flight out of Detroit was cancelled because there was a problem with the cabin pressure. I thought that was understandable, oxygen is something I find necessary for survival, so we didn't leave until noon. We landed in Houston with 20 minutes to catch our connecting flight to Tucson. I was ready to dart off the plane and run to our gate when I noticed green stuff all over my shirt. Apparently Emilie had Houdini poopsplosioned and it was all over both of us! I wrapped her up in a blanket in an attempt to hide the mess (yes, being covered in baby poo in public is embarrassing to me) and hightailed it to the bathroom. I had already resolved that we were missing our flight, but really didn't care. Once more Emilie was bathed in the bathroom sinks, but I have the act down to a science now (I even packed a towel this time!) I had plenty of clothes for both of us since I have learned that babies like to share bodily fluids with their parents, so I cleaned myself up and started for our gate to figure out what to do next. Pretty much every flight out of Houston was delayed, so we actually made our flight with time to grab some lunch/dinner. Again, I am soooo grateful to Em for not pooping everywhere mid-flight. What a great baby :) So, our 8 hours of traveling ended up being 16 hours, but we made it home safe and sound. I miss everyone, but it really is good to be home. Nathan is the best husband ever, he had the house SPOTLESS for us (cleaning is my forte, definitely not his) which made coming home much less stressful. Too bad for him though, he has blown his cover. Now I know he actually does know how to clean to my standards and might get forced into helping out sometimes. For the record, Nathan will do anything I ask him to, I just never ask for help with cleaning, he is totally not a deadbeat! Oh, poor Emilie is teething terribly again. Her second tooth (bottom left) is almost through. I keep trying to get a picture of her toothy smile but haven't been able to yet. It's so cute, she looks like a country bumpkin with just one little tooth! As soon as I get one, I will post it, but in the meantime here's a billion other pics!

Little Benjamin :)

Water+Dish soap= hours of fun Cousins! Emilie, Macy and Hanna (Jade and Laura's girls) Michael and Benjamin.

Benjamin and "blankie blankie." He is so adorable, he wads the whole thing up and carries it around!

This is one of my best friends, Casie. No joke, she was actually in labor in this picture (early labor.) Emilie was convincing the baby to come out and I guess it worked because two days later...

...Tucker Lee made his debut! I am so glad he listened when I told him he had to come before we left for Arizona! He is so precious, congratulations Casie and Chad!

Me and Little Man Tucker. Yep, I cut all my hair off!

She still loves her first changing table!
Emilie now gives kisses if you ask for them, so sweet!
Em and Aunt Jenny

Michael went to the bathroom and came out like this. Too funny not to post, even if he will hate me for it later.

Okay, Emilie isn't really standing on her own, she is propped against the chair but it looks like she is standing. I love her little converse high-tops. Her first time to sit in a highchair at a restaurant. She loves sitting up!

Sweet Michael, he loves Emilie so much.
Watching the bath water with her WaWa
Her first toothbrush and toothpaste. She loves to brush her tooth.

Sleeping on the airplane on the way home.
Her first time to sit in the grocery cart. It was so nice not to carry her in the Moby Wrap

for a change! Sadly, this is the best picture I could get, she doesn't even have shoes on. Oh well, she is still the cutest little thing ever!

This was so cute. Benjamin was playing with Em (or the toys she was playing with, whatever) and would dance to the music of this little book. He is such a baby sometimes. I love it when he freaks out and squawks like a monkey.

Emilie was so cute on the flight to Tucson. Luckily no one was in the seat next to us so she got to sit and play. She does her newest "trick" in the video. She takes whatever she is playing with and holds it over her head, only her arms don't reach because she's a baby and babies have big noggins! So cute!

Do You Smell That?

2008-06-03T19:20:00.003-07:00

What is this face? Em has been doing this thing where she scrunches up her little nose and breathes funny, like something smells bad. She does it when she's happy, upset, tired, excited, really anytime with no rhyme or reason I can tell. I don't know why she does it, but it is so funny. She kept doing it during her bath tonight, so after she was dressed I got it on video. She wasn't shy tonight and did a little act with her tongue too. Oh, how I love my goofy girl!

In Ohio!

2008-05-28T13:05:00.002-07:00

We have made it to Ohio! Actually, we've been here for over a week, I just haven't posted anything because we have been busy busy girls! We had a blast in Texas. Emilie did well at the beach, but she loved the swimming pool. It was so great to see everyone, I just wish Tonya, Michael and Tyler (my brother Brian's wife and boys) had been there too. Next time for sure guys! Em has been such a sweetheart. She was teething the whole time we were in TX but she was really tolerant considering she was completely out of her routine. The trip to Ohio was a bit umm... entertaining. Since she was teething she had diarrhea, which isn't good for travel to say the least. Right as our plane out of Houston was boarding, I smelled buttery popcorn (which some baby poo smells like that!) I hurried to the bathroom to check the damage, and well, I ended up bathing her in the sink in the airport. Well sinks, the water was automatic and would get really hot after a few seconds, so I had to bounce around from sink to sink. I got some pretty weird looks, but some sympathetic ones too. Luckily I was armed with gallon sized Ziploc bags, disposable pre-soaped washcloths and plenty of clothes for both of us (thanks for the tips Mom!) but it still wasn't fun. Funny maybe, but not fun! I am just so glad she did it in the airport and not the airplane! Thank you soooo much Emilie. The ironic thing is the next day she was really constipated, and has been ever since, I guess that's just my luck! Anyhow, the rest of the trip was thankfully uneventful, and we have just been hanging out at my Moms and Nathan's parents. Ohio is so pretty and GREEN right now. I miss grass and green things, Arizona is red and not so grassy. It's nice to be "home" for a little while, but I really miss Nathan. For those who are worried about Mr. Call, he is doing fine. He and his XBOX are holding each other together quite well. Oh, I almost forgot! Emilie got her first tooth on Sunday! I am a little sad because her gummy smile is gone, but I have fallen in love with her little toothy grin. I keep trying to get a picture, but it's so tiny you can barely see it. It's the bottom front on the right, and the left one is following soon! She keeps rubbing her tongue on it and it's really cute. Okay, enough rambling, here's pictures!

This is a video of Emilie doing her "silent talking." My nephew Benjamin did the same thing. I love it!

Here's Em sleeping on the plane on the way to Texas. We were lucky and no one was in the seat next to us!

This cutie pie is my Niece Abbie (My little brother Josh's daughter.) She was supposed to be taking a nap, but she decided it would be more fun to pull all her clothes into the bed. She is so adorable!
Here's Abbie Cakes giving Emilie "mooches"

Emilie and Uncle Mark

Emilie and my Meemaw, her Great Grandmother

My nephew Michael (my sister Jenny's son) sleeping with his "light-saver"

Emilie and her Great Grandma Evans

At the beach!

Super Em and her Gamma. That's not really a cape, it's just her bib.

Roaring like a little monster.

Snuggling with Kaitlin and her bear before bed

Watching "Blues Clues" for the first time. She had to sit up and eat because she couldn't take her eyes off it!

Sitting pretty

I made these letters for Emilie's cousin Emmalyn (Nathan's little brother Ryan's daughter) for her first birthday. I made pink and green letters for Emilies wall, but didn't do polka-dots. I think these turned out super-cute, maybe even cuter than Emilie's. I hope Big Em likes them (well really Tracy, her Mom!) Happy first birthday cutie pie!

We Lived.

2008-05-15T12:28:00.003-07:00

We made it to Texas! It was a rough day, but we survived. I will just sum up our "experience" quickly. The day we left I woke up vomiting (NO, I'M NOT PREGNANT!!!), Emilie had her biggest poopsplosion to date as soon as we got to the airport, our first flight was delayed so we missed our connection, and the airplane had no changing table (apparently Em had a never ending supply of poo that day!) Aside from the few inconveniences, things actually went pretty well. I quit throwing up before we left for the airport which helped tremendously. We lived, and are having a great time in Texas. We are about to head to the beach houses and won't have the internet, but I will post pics when I get to Ohio. Okay, maybe I should say IF we get to Ohio. Just kidding. One kinda rough day was so worth seeing my family. Emilie is doing just fine, she is such a sweet girl. Nathan is working a ton so hopefully he isn't missing us too much. Well, I better get ready for the beach, I'm sure you are pitying us right now :)

Baggage

2008-05-12T16:06:00.006-07:00

Aaaahh! Right now I am packing for our trips to Texas and Ohio and things aren't going well. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't overweight so I went to the Continental Airlines website to double check, and I am really angry. As of May 1st only one checked bag per customer is allowed. Panic!!!! Then I read you can check up to two exception items such as a car seat, stroller, skis or a wheelchair and felt better until... I am checking in online and putting in my one bag and two exception items and it starts charging me a fee. I call Continental to see why and the woman tells me only one exception item is allowed. I told her to get the website fixed. I refuse to pay $25 each leg ($75 since we have 3 trips) extra. I think I will just hold them to what the website says and play dumb. I know that the airline industry is having problems, but I don't think that upping rates and creating stupid fees for bags is the solution. I would bet that the CEO of Continental Airlines has not taken a pay cut since 9-11. I'm pretty sure his salary has even seen a few increases since then. I think this is ludicrous. I used to love Continental, but they are really making some mistakes (don't get me started on their frequent flyer program!) Okay, I am done venting. Well, at least until I get to the airport :)

Lots O' Pictures!

2008-05-02T23:37:00.011-07:00

Are you talking to me?

Are you stuck in there?

I don't know what we have been up to, but I have struggled with blogging lately. Come to think of it, I think I am struggling with everything! I have a list of things I have to do before we leave for Texas next week, but nothing is checked off! Normally I run errands once Nathan leaves for work and use Emilie's morning and afternoon naps to get everything done around the house, but things are all mixed up because of the measles right now. Don't worry, we don't have the measles, but there is a big outbreak in Tucson right now so I refuse to take Em out in public. I know it sounds paranoid, but I don't think it's worth the risk of her getting sick, especially right before vacation! I am so excited to see everyone, and for everyone to see Emilie. Poor Nathan. He will be all alone with his XBOX 360 for a month. Besides the lack of clean clothes and dinner, he might not notice we are gone. Just kidding, I know he will miss us, and we will miss him too. Not much else is happening in the Call home right now. Emilie just loves to roll around on the floor and lick all her toys. It is so fun to watch her learn and grow. I am so glad I get to stay home with her, it is by far the best job I could ever have. Okay, so here are some pictures of our new chair. It looks much better in person, or maybe it's just so cozy we don't notice the ugliness.

I love taking pictures of her standing up.

Here is a video of Em lightly rolling around. I use the term lightly because normally she isn't so contained and ends up in weird places.

,

Hi, my name is Emilie and I randomly get my hand stuck in toys and roll under furniture!

Both dolls and glow worms have such suckable faces!

This is Em's latest "trick." She makes her fishy face by sucking in her bottom lip. It is so cute!

Emilie quit taking her pacifier. I know most parents would love that, but not us. She REALLY has a high need for sucking, and feeding doesn't provide nearly enough on it's own. After a week of misery, I decided to buy every pacifier we hadn't already tried (she did this before at two months) before giving up hope. We finally found one she loves, for now. She is such a turkey. I have officially tried every pacifier I could find. As you can see I have a few extras, so if anyone needs a pacifier just let me know! (Note- I didn't force her to take a pacifier, I simply offered her choices to see if maybe she didn't like the feel of her old ones and it worked, I am not mean!)

This is how Em rides in the stroller. No matter how many times I move her to what I would think is a more cozy position, she ends up like this. She loves going for walks while sucking on the stroller with her arm hanging over the edge. She is so funny. We walk on the street because the sidewalk is to bumpy and it hurts her mouth. Good thing there is no traffic on base!

I love this baby immeasurably!

Where Have We Been?

2008-04-29T15:29:00.006-07:00

Reading Twilight! My sister's wish has come true, another twilighter has been born! If you haven't read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer you should because they are incredible. So incredible I can't seem to quit reading them and get anything done lately. Oh well. No one comes in our house anyway. Wait, that's not true. The inspector from the moving company came to see all the stuff that was damaged by the movers today. Our last movers were horrible. Somehow they managed to scratch Emilie's brand new crib all over, break the wiring on the brand new dryer, scratch the new washer and dryer and scratch our glass table top. There were other damages too, those are just the main problems. I was really upset because I made it so easy for them to pack everything, and they did such a crappy job. I also very nicely asked for them to be careful with the crib (it was brand new, Em wasn't even born yet) because it was special to me but that seemed to be the piece with the most damage! I almost feel vindicated knowing that they will have to replace so many items. We have decided not to purchase anymore nice furniture or appliances until we are out of the military, that way we can keep them like new! Em has been kinda fussy lately. I have no idea why. Is she teething? Is her reflux bugging her? Does her tummy hurt? There are always so many options. I seriously think babies should change colors to identfy issues. Like purple could mean a burp, yellow equals hunger, blue is sleepy, red is an earache? It would make my life so much less worrisome, and all babies so much happier. If only! Well, here are some pictures of the little chubberkins, since that's what you came for anyway!

We went for a walk the other night and Emilie sat like this the whole time. I kept moving her because it couldn't have been comfortable, but she would go right back. Finally we just padded the stroller with a blanket to make us feel better about it.

Two am in the Call household!

I think this is the first picture of the three of us ever!
Ready for our vacation!

Okay, I had to post this video because it is too funny. Apparently, this is how a glow worm is supposed to be played with by a five month old!

Just For Fun

2008-04-21T21:51:00.003-07:00

I think mine is the most accurate, but overall (I'm not sure about Em, she's too little) I think this us!

What Kassie Means

What Kassie Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What Emilie Means

What Emilie Means

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What Nathan Means

What Nathan Means

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Sleepy Sleepy!

2008-04-20T21:10:00.007-07:00

Emilie did NOT want to nap at all the other day. She took three 20 minute naps which is WAY less than normal. By the end of the day, things caught up with her, and here is the result.

Poor thing. I took her out of the highchair and was going to clean her up and put her to bed (yes, I was actually going to skip the daily bath, it would have been a miracle!) but she woke up. Miraculously here is Em 10 minutes later...

She loves to blow raspberries and suck on the corner of her highchair. I wish I had half the fun cleaning up her mess as she had making it! I really don't mind, it was really cute. Here are some pics at the end of her little party.

I thought she looked so cute all sleepy and swaddled the other day, I couldn't resist posting yet another picture of her sleeping. Yes, we still swaddle her, she would never sleep otherwise.

We love to hang out and have lazy mornings since Nathan doesn't work until later. She was so cute in her boppy and pj's here (our couch is really ugly, but it's clean, comfortable, and it was free!) Don't worry, we were right there to catch her if she fell.

Toes

2008-04-16T21:27:00.004-07:00

Emilie has found her little toes. She is constantly reaching for them, it's adorable! Here is the little roly-poly reaching for her feet. Again, she isn't dressed. I don't know why she is never dressed in pictures or videos. I swear I put clothes on the poor child!

,

Ignore all the weird noises, if you will, she usually laughs, but of course never in front of the camera. Here are a few pictures of her and her toes on the changing table, the greatest place ever!

Okay, so the last one I added because she looks cute. Then again, she always does. Have you noticed she loves to stick out her tongue? She rolls it and twists it and blows spit bubbles all the time, so goofy!

I just have to show everyone that I made something! I have started crocheting beads onto socks, sheerly out of cheapness. Kaitlin had socks like these when she was a baby that someone made as a gift. I looked online for some for Em, and they were like $7 a pair! For baby socks! Seriously!!! So, I said I would just make them myself, and I did! They turned out okay, I think I went a little overboard with the beads though! If you want to try and make some, let me know and I will email you instructions!

The Perfect Load

2008-04-13T00:09:00.010-07:00

I am a happy girl today! When I opened the dishwasher to unload it absolutely nothing had flipped over and filled up with water during the cycle! Nathan thinks I'm nuts, but makes my blood boil when it happens. I go to great lengths trying to position everything so it stays put, but something always manages to flip, then the water pours on other dishes, which makes them wet and dirty because the water that collects in the dish includes debris from the beginning of the load, then I have to rewash everything. It is a vicious cycle. Maybe I am crazy, but I was so excited that I finally got my perfect load! Well I better post a few pics of Em or else my Mom will disown me. Besides, no one reads the blog, they just look at my pictures. It's okay, I know the truth!

Here's Emilie standing up. Nathan asked if I velcroed her to the bed. Only he would try something like that. I just leaned her against it and she stayed. It was really cute. Her little legs are getting so chubby!

Smiles like these are the greatest part about being a Mom, they are just for you. (But I don't mind sharing!)

I took this myself because Nathan is always at work. Everyone wants pictures of Me and Nathan for some reason! It's a pretty bad picture, but it's all I have for now. Just focus on Em, please!

Our Form of Child Abuse

2008-04-10T22:08:00.007-07:00

Well, I have been trying to introduce peas to Emilie's palate, but I don't think they are going to be friends. I've read that it takes about ten tries of a new food before a baby begins to tolerate the taste, this is our fourth attempt and things are not improving. She loves to eat baby oatmeal, applesauce, sweet potatoes, and bananas. All sweet things, I know. Perhaps I will try again when she is older, I just feel too bad making her gag! Glue time (or cereal time, but it really makes great glue) is quickly becoming one of Em's favorite activites. Plus, we have introduced water from a cup to make things much messier, which adds to the fun! She is so cute with the cup. She starts breathing heavy and kinda laps at the water with her tongue. I don't think she swallows any of it, it all goes down her chest. She'll get it eventually, so in the meantime I am just enjoying watching her try. Nathan is working 3-11 (more like 2-1) right now which has been a little rough for us. He doesn't get a lunch/dinner break so at night it's just me and Em :( We miss our family time at night and can't wait to have it again. He should start a better schedule in a few months. At least that's what he's been told! In the meantime we are looking forward to out trip to Texas in May, followed by an Ohio visit! We can't wait to see everyone. Here is poor Emilie and the peas.

I ended up feeding her baby oatmeal mixed with apple juice. She made a big mess with the water, but had a blast. Here is Em after her dinner. If you look closely you can tell her onesie is totally soaked.

Good thing glue time is always followed with bathtime! Besides, what better dessert is there than some towel and fingers?

She is so much fun. Can you tell I enjoy her?

Why we Love Baby Einstein

2008-04-09T22:26:00.005-07:00

Emilie usually hates the car, but not today! She LOVES Baby Einstein toys (Nathan calls the videos babycrack), so we bought this in hopes of making car rides a little more fun for her. Sure enough, no crying! We aren't trying to drive across the country or anything yet, but a trip to Target would be nice! Here are some pictures from around the house!

Hanging out with Mom, eating her sunshine.

Playing XBOX 360 with Dad. For some reason she is never dressed when we take pictures!

I take too many pictures of her sleeping, I know.

Mother Theresa and Emilie, undressed of course. Don't Ask.

She woke up super happy from her nap, probably because she "escaped" from her swaddle.

These were my favorite PJ's of my nephews. I can't believe they fit her already!

Yes, another Baby Einstein Toy. She loves them!

She looks like she's going right to sleep, right?

I think we have a future gamer on our hands. I guess she had to get something from Nathan!

And So The Trouble Begins!

2008-04-08T21:25:00.002-07:00

Emilie rolled over today! I can't express my excitement enough. I have really worried about her developing torso strength due to the lack of tummy time she can handle. I guess I will have to find something new to worry about! I even was able to get it on video. See for yourself!

If It Ain't Broke... Break It?

2008-04-07T23:40:00.006-07:00

I know I am stubborn. When I was first born the hospital nurses brought me to my Mom and said she was in trouble, this baby knows what she wants. They tried to bottle feed me formula and sugar water, they tried pacifiers and fingers. But I wanted to nurse. Sometimes I will try and get my way even if everything tells me it's wrong. I'm often stubborn to a fault and this weekend was one of those times. I am (still) talking about Em's formula! Okay, so we tried the stinky stuff, and thought things were better. I even took Em in the car and she didn't scream the entire time, which really is a big improvement. But after a few days of the stench, I started to convince myself that maybe it really wasn't the formula change, we were just having a few good days. Also, I focused on the fact that Em really hadn't pooed for a few days, so, I put Emilie back on regular formula. You know, just to see what would happen. Well, finally she pooped. EVERYWHERE! I swear it bleached her onesie (it did, I know it did) which I took as a sign that the Alimentum is bad and all chemically and stuff. Even though two seperate pediatricians have said to keep her on it my "signs" were telling me she is fine with regular formula. The first day on reg. stuff she spit up. A LOT. So I told myself okay, nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, the only thing that will stop the spit-up is time, no medicine or formula can make her tummy mature. Well, Nathan pointed out she was fussier than she was before I switched back. Eh, it was the weekend and he really isn't around during the week so does he really know? Besides, some days are worse than others. Then the second day, things got worse. Emilie was spitting up constantly, like 3 hours after she had eaten. That is normal sometimes, but not this amount. As a last ditch effort before we sentenced ourselves to life with Alimentum, we tried soy, again. The only other time Emilie had soy was in the middle of the night a few months ago. In the morning, she had thrown up everything she had eaten during her sleep (thank goodness she sleeps on her side!) We thought she had a big burp or a tummy bug, but put her back on regular formula just in case it was the soy. Well, I now know it was no burp or bug. Emilie is HIGHLY intolerant to soy formula. We fed her once, and two hours later she retched and heaved until there was no soy left! My poor baby. I feel terrible about it, but I really meant well. So, I have officially learned my lesson. We will be keeping her on the Alimentum from here on out, unless our pediatrician says otherwise. I am okay, because I have found that the ready-to-feed liquid is much less stinky and much thicker (it might stay down better) along with being much easier to prepare. It's more expensive than powder, but I think we can get it covered by WIC or our insurance. Anyhow, the moral of the story is, if it ain't broke...

The Woes of Formula

2008-04-04T19:24:00.015-07:00

We are trying Emilie on a hypoallergenic formula to see if it helps with her reflux. I'm not fond of regular formula in the first place, but this stuff is making me appreciate it more and more. Before our "trial" of this new stuff (Similac Alimentum) I thought regular formula was smelly and expensive. Ha! Alimentum is seriously twice the price and the smell, oh the smell. Alimentum is a hydrosolate, meaning the proteins are already broken down so babies with a milk protein allergy can digest it. I don't know how they "pre-digest" the stuff, from the way it smells, it must involve burning tar. Unfortunately we can't just use soy, which is smelly too, but compared to hydrosolate it's a bouquet of flowers. Babies who are intolerant to cows milk protein are intolerant to soy protein as well, which basically means we have run out of options. Emilie doesn't seem to mind the taste which is great, and really all that matters is that she is healthy and happy, which she is. We went to the doctor yesterday (just a reflux follow-up) and she is now 16 lbs 12 oz. She has gained almost 1 1/2 lbs in three weeks! She seriously needs to quit growing up so fast! I love her to pieces. She can now push her chest up when she is on her tummy, which we have worried about her developing arm muscles since we really can't give her tummy time due to reflux and her torticollis (or crooked head as we call it) affects things too. She is right on schedule though! She is very playful, she just laughs and giggles all the time. Sometimes I look at her and it just hurts thinking about how much I love her. If only I could bottle each day and revisit it. Like today, she was blowing spit bubbles in her highchair while I put the groceries away. She had a blast! Here is a video, but she had tired out a bit (she had been doing it for half an hour already.)

Too cute! Well, I better get back to laundry, she spit up the nasty formula! But first, here are some pictures!

Emilie sometimes starts to wake up too early into her nap, so we usually just pat her and she goes back to sleep. This time she woke up over and over, so Nathan put her animals on her to simulate his hand on her. It worked!

Here is Little Em trying very hard to push up. It is hard work to lift those chubby cheeks you know! She really looks like my brother Michael in this picture.
She is losing all her hair! :"(

Slideshow!

2008-04-02T23:43:00.001-07:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

So Lame!

2008-04-01T23:25:00.007-07:00

Okay, so I have been in the process of starting our blog for over two months now. Pathetic, I know. In my defense, we did move and have a (almost) five month old baby. So, we are now in Tucson, Arizona for the next two year, we think. Our little Emilie is growing up so much right now. She just started eating rice cereal, against my wishes, which proves that she is no longer a new baby. It breaks my heart everytime she outgrows an outfit or no longer does something she did before, but it is so amazing to watch her grow and learn. My little brother said the most profound thing about your children growing up. He said "You miss everything they did, but love everything they do." Perfectly put. I think I am just upset about having to start Em on solids, and move her into a bigger size diaper right now. Anyhow, I hope to improve our little website soon! In the meantime I will just post pics of Emilie, so nobody notices how lame our page is!

Here is Emilie eating her "lollipop." She loves this balloon!