Happy Halloween!

good morning!

Did someone see a ghost?

hmmm.  It's morning and I haven't had my breakfast yet..

Fun's over lady, I want my breakfast

Sweet little pumpkin!  Thanks grandma Riggs!  

Baby Wolverine Strikes Again!

This week I've been a little MIA from blogging.  I'm trying to finish my dissertation and so Dan and I have been splitting the work day.  He goes to work around 5-6am and works until noon or so, when we do a switch-a-roo and then I go to work for the rest of the day.  How great is Dan for getting up so early!?!  

While I'm at work Dan has to warm up bottles for Emma.  They haven't quite gotten their rhythm yet (meaning get the milk warm before MissE wakes up famished!).  Emma isn't very patient when it comes to her food.  She woke up and attacked Dan like a hungry animal.  He grabbed the camera so he could film "wolverines in the wild" for the nature channel:)  Notice his little yelp at the end....he should just be glad it was his arm she attacked!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Well its lazy for some of us, mainly Emma and Daisy. Dan and I have been trying to finish homework (Dan) and dissertation (me). Must now end my blogging. I have much to do and there is a limit to my one-hand typing :)

Snoozing after my first day at church!

Mom trying to write AND keep MissE happy

When good dogs go bad

Despite my recent feelings that Daisy is the worst guard dog EVER, she may just be the most diabolical stuffed animal serial killer out there.  

When bad dogs happen to good toys

Diabolical eye removal before toy "de-stuffing"

Product Review: Baby Einstein Sea Dream Lullaby Soother **** (4 out of 5 stars)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this thing! Emma is pretty convinced that OUR bed is the best place for sleeping, but I have been able to get her to sleep in her crib in her room (that is a big deal around here) a few times with the help of this soother. I have to put her down when she is really tired and the little fishies keep her from getting mad just long enough for her to fall asleep. We also hope it keeps her attention long enough to stay off the "flat" side of her head. We think helmets are great for men on motorcycles but not on babies in bouncers. Our friends Debbie and Bob gave this to us and we think it is great. With that said, we hope it will work when we get brave enough to put her in there overnight....when she is 10 :)

What's a daddy to do?

Last night I left Emma and Dan home alone so that I could go to the lab and work on my thesis (down to the wire). I've been trying to write from home but it just isn't going to work. Emma didn't burp very well during the day and this is the state I found her in when I got home. I don't think Dan knew what to do so he took a video of her and presented it to me when I got home. Poor Emma and poor Dan! After some cuddles we were good as new! (Emma was better too!)

We have the BEST friends/family

Tonight I was thinking about how special our family and all of our friends are and how lucky we are.  I really need to say THANK YOU (thank you cards are one of the many things still on that long long list of "to dos")!  From phone calls, cards, emails, gifts (many from a far), your moral support and prayers may have gone without reply, but we truly appreciate it all!  Just this week Emma received a crocheted bib and burp cloth from the Beasleys, very cute outfits from Kristi, her first Halloween card from nanny pam, and her first Halloween bib from the Hills.  Those are just a few of many many gifts.  It really means the world to us that so many people love our little girl so much!  So from the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU! 

Girls Vaccine Day

RSV and the flu don't scare us anymore!  Emma got her first RSV shot today and boy was it a doozie!  It was the biggest shot I've ever seen.  It looked like they injected a gallon of liquid into poor MissE's little leg.  It was like adding insult to injury since she just got two shots last week.  She cried big crocodile tears and screamed at the top of her lungs.  I picked her up and she gave me this look like "mommy how could you let her do that to me..again?"  Then we hopped in the car and I went  to get a flu shot. 

We have to move Emma's bed to the other side of our bed tonight.  She likes to sleep looking in our direction so her little noggin is getting flat on one side.  The medical term is Plagiocephaly.  You can click on the big word to learn more.  Hopefully, we can correct it by just having her sleep on the other side.  If not, then she will have to either look like a freakazoid or wear a cranial band to correct it.  Not to worry, this is pretty common since the 90s when doctors started recommending putting babies to sleep on their back to prevent SIDS.

Also worth sharing is this blog the life of Suz.  It is the story of a couple that were blessed with Quads!  Whenever I feel like life is getting hectic with baby.  I just click on her blog and stare in awe at how she handles 4!

A sneeze, a smile, a dog OH MY!

Our latest obsession here at the Riggs house is getting those sweet gummy smiles from our Emma.  This is a video of my heroic attempt to get a smile from her.  Oddly, she gives Dan all the good smiles even though I'm funnier :)  

And this is what happens when I turn my back for one second (or at least the dog thinks I'm not looking)

When baby's not happy, NO ONE is happy

Today Emma was well over due for a bath.  She really LOVES the bath but really HATES getting out especially since it has gotten colder.  Her daddy took a picture of her protests this morning.  Doesn't this pic just break your heart and strike fear in it at the same time?  I suggest clicking on the picture and blowing it up to get the full effect.  Not to worry, after a little warming up and some milk we were all happy again (although Dan looks pretty tired right?)  Emma continues to rule our world, but we love it!

Emma's new baby friends

Two of our friends recently had babies around Emma's age.  Emma now has a Cameroon friend (Daniel) son to Ivo and Astrida Teneng and a Russian friend (Sasha) son to Margarita and Oleg Barski.  She can't wait for these cute boys to fight over her :)  Congrats to our friends!!! Here are their pics.

Bachelor #1- Daniel Teneng 6lbs, 4oz and 19 inches long (9/28/08)

Bachelor #2-Sasha 7lb, 1 oz and 19 inches (10/7/08)

2 month update

Today Emma had her 2 month check up.  Technically, she was 2 months old yesterday.  It's hard to imagine that had she stayed put until her due date she would only be a week old.  In many ways I am glad to have already had her in our lives for this long.  Her stats were:  

Weight:  10lb 9 oz (50th %) compared to 8 pounds 12 oz at 1 month (5th %) and 5lb 9 oz at birth 

Height:  22 inches (50th%)  compared to 19 inches at 1 month (5th %) and 18 inches at birth

Head circumference: 30th %

Developmentally she seems to be right on track although I would say she is just starting to give us a smile here and there.  According to the March of Dimes preemies have to be compared to other babies born at their due date and not their actual birth date.  So basically, Emma is a 10 and 1/2 pound brilliant newborn (so thankful she wasn't born at that weight!).  Hopefully, she will give us more and more of those chubby cheek toothless grins that we love so much.  Also, MissE is still sleeping just 3 hours at a time still.  I can tell what time it is without even looking at the clock based on when she starts to stir.  It seems she is waking up more that her full term baby friends born around the same time.

Immunity:  Emma got 5 vaccines today, 2 shots and one oral.  One vaccine was for pertussis and it couldn't have come at a better time.  A local elementary school has closed recently due to a huge outbreak of whooping cough.  She screamed her little head off after the 2nd shot and tried to spit out her oral vaccine.  Tonight she has been a little fussy but otherwise seems to be doing well.  We received news today that the health insurance company okay'd her Synagis shot (RSV vaccine) which is GREAT news!!!  She could her first monthly shot as early as next week.  Click here to learn how Synagis protects high risk babies from a dangerous lung infection.  Since Emma is too young to get the flu shot, both Dan and I will be getting one (first time ever!).  And after all that.....we can cautiously take our baby into public!  

Here are some pics of Emma from yesterday:

Tummy Time fun

Daisy hating the darn baby..er..doggie gate

This is a video of Emma before her jaundice "tanning" (note her pink sun glasses!).  She was about a week old.   We are so thankful for the modern medicine and for all the great care she received after her early arrival.  She is truly a testament for what prayer and persistence can achieve and we love her so much!

Embracing It!

For the last 2 days it has been very hard to get anything done.  Emma wants to be held 24 hr a day.  She won't sleep during the day unless I'm holding her the entire time and she is getting way to comfortable in her mommy and daddy's bed.  I am now familiar with the "over tired" description that I've heard other parents use.  So I do what ever I needs to be done so she will sleep. I read on a developmental website that at about 2 months babies realize they are separate from their mothers and start to experience anxiety about being abandoned.  The site also said that babies have no memory yet so they don't recall that mom came back the last time she put me down.  My house is dirty, I am dirty and my writing is at a snail's pace.  Today I have decided to just let it all go.  There is nothing I can do about it and really why would I?  I have the baby of my dreams and she just wants to be cuddled all day long!  I will never get these precious moments back so I'm going to ENJOY them!!!   (although I would love any tips on how to get baby to sleep on her own, just for 5 mins)

Fun at the pumpkin farm

When I was a kid going to the pumpkin farm every October was one of my favorite things! Kiley (my sis) and Tricia (my cous) sent these pics of Kiley's girls Isabelle (age 6) and Maddie (9 months) and Tricia's new little addition, Mackenzie (7 weeks). I hope Emma can join them next year!

Maddie and Mackenzie

Happy girl!

Isabelle and Maddie

Maddie, Mackenzie and Isabelle (look at those teeth!)

look at that pout!! (must be time to go home)

The "big" cousin and very tolerant "little cousin"

Monday Pictures

How well do you sleep at night?

It seems that Emma induced sleep deprivation has helped Dan and I sleep like rocks.  Yes, so much so that these "rocks" were unaware that someone walked past our 2 cars in the driveway, entered our home through an unlocked door (accident), riffled through our things, and stole credit cards all while we slept a mere 15 feet away.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  The worst part is that we didn't even know it had happened until the next afternoon and only because the credit card companies started calling.  We went to bed at 12am Wed and Emma was up at 1am and 3am.  Our cards were first used in Louisville at 2:57am so we think they were in the house between 1 and 2:30am.  I can say that when I realized what happened I almost threw up.  What's that?  Oh, yes we do have a dog.  A labradoodle.  Her name is Daisy.  We are trading her in for a pittbull....named Kujo.  In her defense, baby has made her exhausted as well.  So as the responsible and' scared straight" home owners that we are, we are investing in a security system.  

Emma Stats

Today Emma is up to 10.2 pounds and 21.5 inches long.  She already seems so big to me.  Where did my itty bitty baby go?

"what double chin??"

maybe a reaction to the t-shirt?

lounging with dad

Emma's due date!

Yeah! Today Emma is full term! This was the day I had circled on the calendar as the "big day." Little did I know! Emma is truly a miracle. She is what a thousand answered prayers looks like. We are so thankful for her! She is such a strong little baby and has come so far in such a short time.

Emma's birthday, 8 weeks early

Present day photos

The Shower Sprint

Today I thought I would go that extra mile and take a shower. Then I remember why I didn't take one yesterday and vow not to take one tomorrow. The scenario:

Krista 1: "okay, baby is asleep. Take a shower"

Krista 2: "what if she wakes up. She has been sleeping for a while"

Krista 1: "I can be fast"

-grab towel, sprint to shower

Emma: "huh" and baby "grunt"

Krista 2: "told you so"

Krista 1: "no she's still sleeping"

-Jump in shower.

Krista 1: "oh no. What's that noise"

Krista 2: "baby's awake. you didn't even wash your hair. total waste of time"

-Jump out of shower dripping wet check on Emma. Still sleeping. Jump back into shower

-Rinse soap out of my hair to find the dog is half way in the shower, taking a shower. I yell at her. She backs out but keeps her head in the water. (Dan's her only boss)

-Turn water off. Dry self, dry floor, dry Daisy (make mental note to get Dan a new towel)

-Run out of bathroom to check on baby, still sleeping

Repeat with laundry, cooking, bills, and writing. Must now end this blog entry. I think I hear the baby...........

A picture is worth a thousand words! (Daisy with wet head)

The walk of shame

I must preface this little clip by saying that Daisy has been desperate for attention lately. She steals the baby's pacifiers, and last week her suction bulb (lovingly referred to around here as Emma's "bugger sucker") turned up in Daisy's bed......licked clean. Dan can handle baby poo and spit-up, but baby boogers is a whole different ball game. He turned green when he found it (I digress). Even last night at the exact moment Emma was spitting up on me, I could hear Daisy barfing in the hallway. Coincidence? I think not.

This morning I found a huge pile of tissue pieces (more than likely from the bathroom trash can) in the middle of the living room floor. This is a classic Daisy offense. As soon as she saw me walk into the room and spot her little parole violation she ran with her tail between her legs into her "cage" a.k.a jail. This clip is after she came out of jail and I found another piece of tissue. She never acts as guilty when she sees the camera. She knows she has amused me if I'm pointing it in her direction. Don't worry. As soon as shut the camera off she bounced out of her cage requesting a treat for her Oscar nominated role in the feature presentation of "sorry doggy won't do that again if you will just give me more attention like before that loud squeaky baby came to live with us."

What's a mom to do?

When she as a baby that doesn't want to be put down AND clean clothes in the dryer? Improvise! (thanks nanny pam for this super cute outfit! I'm already starting to outgrow it!)