Saturday October 23, 2004
It's almost Halloween, and Emily is very excited! She's going to be a moo cow (thanks Jimbo!). I got a little excited and went a little crazy at Target with motion sensored gadgets, and my favorite - the fog machine.

Since the last entry, Grandma returned to Taiwan but not before she caught a few great first smiles and giggles.



Still fussy at times, Emily is turning into a little clown. Usually in the morning, she's very chipper. Big smiles and giggles & laughs.



Then, there are the afternoons. The long afternoons . . . The loud afternoons . . . :) I've been calling Emily a lemon (think used cars), which doesn't make Polly very happy. I'm only kidding Emily, if you read this years from now, please know that. But here is a typical late afternoon with our little bundle of joy.



But some things can be explained. Blow this picture up and look closely at her bottom gums. She sprouted two little choppers! Since this was taken, they've really popped up - in such a small mouth, they look like horse teeth! I guess she's what doctors call an early teether - usually teeth appear between 4-7 months or as late as a year, Emily decided to get a head start at 3 months. I guess since she's behind in everything else (weight, noggin size), she decided she had to do something early.

So now, Emily sits around and knaws on anything that is in even the same zip code as her mouth. Her shirt, blankie, her stuffed animal friend and especially her fingers. We caught her one day with all 10 fingers in her mouth - how she did it is a mystery. The only thing she doesn't like in her mouth is a bottle, which is really frightening to mommy.



Another big development this month (yep, this is big stuff for new parents), Emily moved out! We gave her her papers, and she promptly moved across the hall to her own room. Grandpa built her this fancy ramp for her mattress so she still can sleep elevated (for acid reflux). Just in time too cuz her piggies were always sticking out of her car seat by the morning, she's grown 2 inches in the past month!



And not soon after leaving the nest, Emily learned how to flip over onto her stomach - in fact, she loves sleeping like that to the concern of Polly & me. She hasn't figured out how to flip back over, that's next month.



The next goal is for Emily to sleep through the night. Thanks to some sage advice from a pro, Brian Mac, we're experimenting this weekend. Brian says to shut her door at bedtime. Then stuff a towel under her door. Then shut our door. Then stuff a towel under our door. Then wake up 8 hours later . . . We aren't going that far, but we're (i.e., Polly) trying not to respond to her as often - it's driving Polly crazy, she wants to jump out of bed the minute Emily makes a peep.

And pops had a huge accomplishment this month. Finally after weeks and weeks of trying to capture the moment, I caught her pooing on film. That baby's going straight to DVD. Got the whole thing, her eyes almost crossed, her lips pursed and the grunting! Again, years from now, hopefully Emily will think it's funny too instead of hating me forever.

It's getting more chilly here in Mtn. View these days, so she's got a new look - her pj's! She looks so cute!



Emily is turning into a playful little girl. Always exploring her hands (loves to put them together like a shy little girl) and splashing away in her bath, which she still loves.



But she still finds time to get a little snooze in . . .