tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36201379875096066322012-02-14T17:56:54.745-05:00Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.comBlogger1641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-41216489366846272882012-02-14T11:28:00.001-05:002012-02-14T11:30:42.077-05:00

I've gotten to sign my name a lot more than usual lately. Real Estate contracts involve pages and pages and pages of paperwork, which you probably know, and I've written and initialed and dated several slips of paper lately. I don't mind, though, because I love to write my name. I practiced this signature all the way through high school. If my old agenda books weren't currently in the storage

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-87139812136337229332012-02-13T10:09:00.000-05:002012-02-13T10:11:10.390-05:00

For the past few days, Annalee has been unbelievably sweet. She has been loving towards everyone, hugging us and sitting on our laps far more often than usual. She's always very sweet to Alabama, and that hasn't changed. Nothing makes Annalee happier than bringing a smile to her sister's face, whether it be by poking or tickling, silly faces or songs, or attempting to catapult her out of the

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-35757141879871811662012-02-09T08:23:00.000-05:002012-02-09T08:23:31.467-05:00

I haven't updated on the house hunt because there really hasn't been much to report. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); }

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-31053361115364948742012-02-07T00:09:00.001-05:002012-02-07T00:09:29.066-05:00

I know the Super Bowl was on Sunday, but more importantly, it was my husband's 26th birthday. When he turned 17, I got him a t-shirt and a Tim McGraw CD. I think. There's a chance that was his Christmas present two months earlier, and what I actually got him was a wallet, cologne, and a tag for the front of his truck that said "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" in green and yellow. Yes,

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-79599682053301217732012-02-01T23:18:00.001-05:002012-02-01T23:18:45.749-05:00

Alabama was four months old on Saturday. A third of a year has passed since she surprised us with her great big smile, since we brought her home from the hospital to her big sister, since we began life as a family of four.  She's 15 lbs and 4 oz. That puts her in the 75th percentile for both height and weight, which is big, but she was in the 100th percentile at her two month appointment. The

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-85302536358177753382012-01-26T10:16:00.002-05:002012-01-26T10:21:34.294-05:00

I've written something like this before, but I just wanted to remind everyone that Annalee is an awesome big sister. She is still doing so well; in fact, she's doing much better than I thought she would. I had anticipated jealousy and sibling rivalry of some sort, but I am happy to report that she's never shown any sign of such behavior.  When she wakes up in the morning, the first thing

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-51872621634161246472012-01-24T18:40:00.001-05:002012-01-24T18:40:54.256-05:00

We're driving down the road, on the way to my mom's house, and Annalee tells me that she sees flowers. It's January. There are no flowers blooming, but I look around anyway because I want to see what she is mistaking for petals. To my right is the cemetery. Cold granite slabs jut up from the ground, some of them old and cracked, some of them new and glossed. I don't notice that today, but

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-85955364165202584402012-01-19T18:23:00.000-05:002012-01-19T18:27:29.184-05:00

Sitting on the couch with the girls today, I realized that Annalee was trying to teach Alabama how to play Patty Cake. I had my phone within arms reach, so I started filming her. Having them on my lap, it was easier to film with the phone facing towards us. You know how you can set an iPhone to film from the front, so that you could film yourself? Well that's what we were doing. It took

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-6310797808275938092012-01-17T18:39:00.002-05:002012-01-17T18:39:51.771-05:00

I'm not even sure how to go about making this clever and somewhat entertaining. Basically, I've got two pictures of my absolutely-incredibly-unbelievably cute baby, and I'd like for you to look at them, please. They will probably make your day a little bit brighter. She is just so darn cute. I can't even say that without sounding like I'm bragging. I'm totally bragging. Sorry. (But

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-57557724625017383242012-01-10T10:51:00.000-05:002012-01-10T11:02:54.705-05:00

When we found out we were expecting again last January, we were absolutely thrilled. Annalee was going to be getting a little sibling and we would be a family of four. Most people assumed that we'd be hoping for a boy, and that would have made sense. I tried to hope for a boy. Deep down, though, I really wanted another little girl. There were all sorts of emotional and silly reasons for

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-50524816428703822622012-01-04T17:21:00.001-05:002012-01-06T09:55:51.561-05:00

 We spent last weekend in Avery County, where my grandparents live. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I'm always sure to be toting my camera when we're up there. In fact, the new header picture is of a window in their house. I took hundreds of pictures, as I always do, and here are my favorites.  A shed across from the house my great-grandparents lived in, which is

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-76878139579600261122011-12-31T17:43:00.001-05:002011-12-31T17:43:55.795-05:00

This is a purposeless entry, written solely for the sake of evening up the number of entries I had for 2011 with the number of entries I had for 2010. I'm only one off! var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-72959086578747469082011-12-29T14:40:00.002-05:002011-12-29T14:40:35.968-05:00

Oh, Alabama Grace. You have brought us so much joy in your three short months. It's already hard to remember what I filled my spare moments with before I was snuggling with you. Your sister was once a great snuggler, too, but she has since outgrown that. I assume you will, too, someday, and though I'm not looking forward to it, I'm not dwelling on it. Because right now you are my warm

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-30311558029164486762011-12-27T16:43:00.001-05:002011-12-27T19:59:04.379-05:00

...and one baby who hasn't quite grown into her new exersaucer.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-40519160475326739182011-12-23T15:43:00.001-05:002011-12-23T16:52:16.260-05:00

I usually post our Christmas card on Christmas day, but this year our schedule is extra busy and I'm not sure if I'll be able to find the time to! So, a few days early: Merry Christmas  from  Jeff, Emry, Annalee & Alabama (And from me, personally, thank you so much for keeping up with us on my blog. I love that you guys care enough to read it, and I am truly thankful

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-28435714689476424402011-12-21T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-21T19:14:45.455-05:00

"You have a thousand wake faces and you can pick any wake face you want. But your sleep face is when you are you, and if you could see your sleep face you would say, 'Of all my thousand faces, this one is me.'" -Carl Sandburg It's been a bit of a tough parenting day here in the Trantham household. I've been frustrated with my toddler. She is a wonderful child, beautiful and loving, but

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-62911179267438966352011-12-19T22:58:00.001-05:002011-12-19T23:46:57.204-05:00

So I came here to recount, moment by moment, the monumental event that just occurred in my living room, but then I realized that all I really have to do is tell you that Alabama rolled over for the first time. There's not much of a story to it, except that she was not happy when she suddenly found herself on her stomach, and I am terribly proud of her. Annalee first rolled over at five

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-49453373787718233802011-12-16T13:49:00.001-05:002011-12-16T14:24:14.897-05:00

A few weeks ago I came across my first cell phone, which I got on my 16th birthday, tucked away in a random drawer in the baby's room. I don't know why it was there, exactly, except that I am always putting small things in drawers and forgetting about them.  I was so, so excited to get this phone. I had been hoping for one for months. I'd gotten most of my gifts that morning, including a

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-5931174227787777742011-12-07T18:52:00.000-05:002011-12-07T18:52:26.942-05:00

If you find a mouse under the kitchen sink, you will shriek like a little girl and have immediate fears of MOUSE DISEASES.If you have an immediate fear of MOUSE DISEASES, you will begin to take everything out of the cabinet.If you begin to clean out the cabinet, you will realize that you are a plastic bag hoarder. You will also vow to actually start using all those reusable bags in your trunk.If

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-61330167431255988242011-12-05T23:55:00.000-05:002011-12-05T23:57:28.577-05:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-25808777121055403572011-12-01T11:48:00.001-05:002011-12-01T21:40:35.391-05:00

Two seconds. I was in the other room for TWO SECONDS. Also, she's in her crib. Annalee climbed up and reached through the bars just to share her cracker. Thank goodness she didn't actually try to feed it to her.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-22441013697306944212011-11-29T10:17:00.001-05:002011-11-29T10:56:21.267-05:00

I'm going to start a new category of blog posts. It's going to be labeled "Things Which I Probably Should Not Share," or maybe "I Promise I Don't Neglect My Kids," or perhaps simply "Please Don't Judge Me." This entry will be going in that category, along with this one and this one. Let me begin by saying that we have a small house, with a pretty open floor plan. I can hear my kids from

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-40628726315174843252011-11-28T20:32:00.001-05:002011-11-28T21:40:30.449-05:00

I am unabashedly enthusiastic about Christmastime. It is my favorite time of the year, and I love everything about it. So I've been patiently waiting for Thanksgiving to pass, although it's also a great holiday, so that I could start preparing. (By the way, I didn't mean to ignore Thanksgiving. Ours was fantastic, and I hope yours was too. We were just super busy and I didn't have time to

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-565409818649924912011-11-16T22:50:00.001-05:002011-11-17T10:45:20.580-05:00

I am so grateful that I've been able to be a stay-at-home mom since Annalee was born two years ago. I love staying home with my girls and spending all of my time with them. Honestly, it's all I've ever wanted to do. There are some unexpected issues that come along with staying at home, though, and sometimes I feel like I'm really not that good at it. We tend to get in a routine, and often by

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-17512395937038480802011-11-15T08:32:00.001-05:002011-11-15T10:57:43.003-05:00

This girl is awesome. She is an amazing big sister to this girl, who's also pretty awesome. Annalee is doing so much better with her little sister than I had anticipated. I had hoped that she wouldn't be jealous or mean to the baby, but I really hadn't dared hope much past that. But, oh, has she surpassed my expectations. I am so proud of her. When she wakes up in the morning,

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-64191955142725049672011-11-08T20:29:00.000-05:002011-11-08T20:29:33.643-05:00

The nice thing about being a firstborn is that, for a few years, at least, a kid isn't compared to siblings. Annalee has spent two years as our only child, so in that way she was able to set the standard for normal. So now, every milestone that Alabama reaches will be held up to the Annalee ruler. And we won't love her more if she talks sooner, or less if she walks later, but we will always

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-30891378423745117432011-11-02T10:53:00.001-04:002011-11-02T10:53:33.295-04:00

Between the panes of glass in our front window Every kid has a favorite movie, and for the past few month's Annalee's has been Charlotte's Web. I blame myself, naturally, because I bought it for her happily. I had fond memories of the cute songs, pretty animation, and message of friendship the film offered. I'd loved the movie when I was a child, and I just knew that she would, too. (And,

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-18744536630124904742011-10-31T22:38:00.001-04:002011-10-31T22:38:38.776-04:00

Annalee and Rucker at the Hoopla festival at Biltmore Baptist on Saturday. Two very cute little horses.  Though anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that I have often wished that I could move with my girls to Neverland so that they will stay tiny chubby babies forever, I'm starting to experience the positives that come with growing children. Annalee is two now, which means that

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-3665124896347570942011-10-31T12:56:00.000-04:002011-10-31T13:03:37.886-04:00

(Don't worry. Costume pictures will come later.) var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-50074482545209062382011-10-26T22:36:00.000-04:002011-10-27T09:14:12.652-04:00

Just wanted to stop by and say that everyone in the Trantham household is doing quite well. I haven't written much lately because I usually have a very cute baby in one arm when I'm at the computer, and it's just too time-consuming to type with one hand. Right now I've solved the problem by typing from my bed, and the very cute baby is hanging out right beside me, freeing up both hands for

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-23329270808266229002011-10-20T11:05:00.000-04:002011-10-20T11:05:34.444-04:00

She's two years old today. She's given us two years of happy, two years of wonderful, two years of family. I love her more every day. I love every fit, every smile, every tear, every word, every dance. It's hard to remember what life was like before she was born. I just know for sure that it wasn't as good as it is now. var gaJsHost = (("https:" ==

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-33218541742602652952011-10-13T10:28:00.001-04:002011-10-13T18:47:13.722-04:00

We didn't go into the hospital knowing what we were going to name our daughter. I never thought I'd be one of those people who put off choosing a name until the last minute, but as we were walking the halls of the labor and delivery floor, Jeff and I were still debating. We had two names chosen, one that I'd liked in the middle of the pregnancy, and Alabama, which we'd decided on more

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-8000558097759053392011-10-10T15:52:00.001-04:002011-10-10T15:52:47.260-04:00

Annalee. My firstborn, my toddler, my big girl.     Living with this kid is so much fun. She is such a bright spot, such a source of happiness. She's at a great age, and she's starting to help me more and really be good company; she makes funny faces and tickles and is genuinely entertaining.   Yesterday I was doing some laundry, and she was in the laundry room with me, playing with some

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-9834730355532842442011-10-07T15:04:00.000-04:002011-12-01T21:55:26.986-05:00

I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I love a birth story. I love hearing about babies coming into the world, so I thought I'd tell you guys about the day Alabama was born. Feel free to skip this post if you aren't into hearing about being dilated and needles and amniotic fluid.  When I was 34 weeks pregnant, I started having cramps one morning. They weren't terribly severe, but

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-20991846358707990542011-10-05T22:55:00.000-04:002011-10-05T22:55:25.059-04:00

Alabama is a week old today. The seven days since her birth have passed so quickly. It doesn't feel like it's been that long ago that I was in the hospital getting to know my new daughter. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-79969373071316384402011-10-03T00:17:00.000-04:002011-10-03T00:17:08.766-04:00

Alabama Grace Trantham Born at 4:10 pm on September 28, 2011 8 pounds, 11 ounces 21 inches long She is unbelievable. Beautiful, sweet, and so good. We're all pretty crazy about her, and have been since the first moment we saw her. Annalee calls her "Amadeesh." I'm not sure why. I've started calling her that, too.   We're just...happy. So very blessed with our

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-72767952815855202292011-09-25T21:42:00.002-04:002011-09-25T21:42:45.243-04:00

On Friday, my little sister Brandi turned twelve. That's how old I was when she was born. I learned everything I know about babies from trying things out on her. Thanks, B, for letting me use you for a guinea pig. Now, by giving you nieces, I get to return the favor. Get ready for round two, coming sometime in the next nine days. For now, here are some pictures from this afternoon's little

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-28851682690236427362011-09-23T17:13:00.000-04:002011-09-23T17:13:03.095-04:00

Annalee has finally reached the age at which it's actually fun to take her to the park. I tried to pretend that she reached this age a long time ago, and ended up lifting her up on slides and holding onto her all the way down while she looked at me blankly. Now, though, she runs around and climbs stairs and goes down the slide with the wild abandon of any happy toddler. I love watching her get

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-790708677874964682011-09-20T12:48:00.000-04:002011-09-20T12:49:46.044-04:00

This lovely girl doing a superhero pose with me is Ashley Marie Willingham. As you can see, she's pregnant, too. She's expecting her first son on December 10th, which is the day before my birthday. I'm hoping he's a day late.   Ashley and I have been dressing up for photo shoots since about the second grade, back when we were having American Girl Doll tea parties and getting sun tans on

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-49897791765831074182011-09-14T21:42:00.001-04:002011-09-14T21:42:56.445-04:00

Well, I'll begin with an admission. I'm really bad about cooking dinner lately. I blame the pregnancy, of course. There must be some advantage (other than the obvious one of bringing a new life into existence) to being this enormous and uncomfortable, right? So I'm taking the initiative to use pregnancy as a reason to skip cooking dinner a few nights a week.  var gaJsHost = (("https:" ==

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-63220043647631625282011-09-09T19:47:00.000-04:002011-09-09T21:40:03.990-04:00

The North Carolina Mountain State Fair opened this morning. Though this is not exciting news for many, as it brings lots of tourists and crazy traffic for awhile, I have been known to burst out singing It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year at the sight of those first flags that are hung up to announce the fair's arrival. I absolutely love the fair. I used to love the fair because of the

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-59167086522428571072011-09-06T11:11:00.001-04:002011-09-06T16:24:13.613-04:00

It started out innocently enough, you know. Yeah, that's what they all say. The occasional glass of chocolate milk at a restaurant or a tiny bit of chocolate powder in her milk at home, and what's the harm in that? Just makes life a little sweeter. Everyone deserves a treat now and then. But then something changed. She learned to talk, for one, and she started asking for it. What started out as

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-54361390920440536122011-09-02T21:23:00.001-04:002011-09-02T21:26:14.467-04:00

I keep this blog up primarily to entertain a few people with stories about and pictures of Annalee. It's also nice to have a sort of scrapbook of how she's grown and changed. Yes, I could make a real scrapbook, but that's just not going to happen. I did spend one long day working on her baby book about a year ago, but then I shoved it all in her closet and haven't looked at it since.  var

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-4388158300850093742011-08-31T18:11:00.000-04:002011-08-31T18:11:45.103-04:00

As we're trying to take advantage of the waning days of summer, my mom and I took Annalee on a visit to the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock today. I've been there a few times, since it is a pretty common field trip destination for local elementary schools, but Annalee has never been. And while the estate is beautiful and full of history, the real draw for kids is the goat barn. She was quite

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-23163652931848526912011-08-21T21:41:00.000-04:002011-08-21T21:41:17.852-04:00

The following pictures, in no particular order, are from the week we spent at Holden Beach. It was a wonderful, happy, relaxing (except for all the toddler chasing) week. We've all been in a sort of vacation mourning since we came back last weekend. I think I'll blame that on the delay in posting this. It was just too soon. I took so, so many pictures while we were there. I just can't

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-72755037915337472072011-08-15T11:38:00.000-04:002011-08-15T11:38:45.433-04:00

We've been at the beach for the past week, and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things now. I'll have a post up soon, but I have several pictures to edit before then. So, this isn't really an update. It's just a small announcement that there will be an update soon. But here's a picture of me and the belly, sort of. I promise the rest of the pictures (which include lots of beach scenes and

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-45108047348534222212011-08-04T16:26:00.003-04:002011-11-29T10:56:02.313-05:00

Sometimes I feel like what I write here makes me sound like a neglectful mother. I'd prefer not to portray myself in that light, but there are times that I have to admit certain things in order for stories to make sense. I feel like I have to at least mention that I know I'm being neglectful, and then right here I was going to tell you the reason that I feel like that, but actually I don't know

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-68837891827466823482011-08-02T23:16:00.001-04:002011-08-02T23:16:55.873-04:00

Three years ago today, I married this fellow. Three years ago today, we took the step we'd been waiting to take for six years.(Because nine years ago Thursday, I started falling in love with him) Three years ago today, I was certain that life could get no better. Until one year, nine months, one week, and six days ago. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl."

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-66180836006860316782011-07-31T11:08:00.001-04:002011-07-31T11:09:05.934-04:00

Me: Is Annalee in her bedroom? Jeff: No, she's in the living room reading a book. Me: Aw, what a good girl. I'm so glad she likes reading. Jeff: (upon closer inspection) Yeah...she's licking the fuzzy lamb on the page. Me: You really didn't have to tell me that.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-90799287593276484092011-07-25T21:34:00.000-04:002011-07-25T21:34:18.827-04:00

I feel the need to warn you going into this that this post is not the type of thing that I usually put up. It doesn't pertain to my daughter, pregnancy, or family, and it's not very sweet. It's, well, a bit disturbing. And I just feel like I have to say this: My dear grandparents, I love you, and you may want to stop reading now. There are pictures, but they aren't of Annalee. So here's the deal.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-31318187258420469642011-07-18T21:38:00.000-04:002011-07-18T21:38:09.342-04:00

I had a photo shoot yesterday in downtown Asheville for the photography class that I'm taking. I have a few decent pictures to choose from to turn in, but I also (accidentally) managed to get a shot of my growing gut. We were walking by a store on Wall Street and I just decided to try and catch Jeff's reflection in the window. Since we were still moving, though, and he didn't realize I was taking

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-75169234480312815552011-07-17T21:11:00.000-04:002011-07-17T21:11:14.177-04:00

Last night Jeff and I took Annalee to her first movie. I wasn't planning on taking her at such a young age, but then we found out about the new Winnie the Pooh movie. I loved Winnie the Pooh as a kid (that's my old Tigger stuffed animal that she's holding), and Jeff just thought it would be the perfect film to take a little girl to. I think he's been more excited about it than the rest of us

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-57455575258827849632011-07-14T15:33:00.000-04:002011-07-14T15:33:57.984-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} Annalee is learning to speak. She's been learning her whole life, I

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-58662355184938971212011-07-04T19:55:00.000-04:002011-07-04T19:55:47.971-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend at the Phillips Family Reunion up in Avery County, as we do every year. We enjoyed the time we got to spend with my grandparents and with all the other family members that we only get to see once a year, and I spent a lot of my time taking pictures. Looking back, I wish I'd taken more pictures of people, but I just couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful scenery.  My

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-28812796045356119562011-06-29T13:29:00.000-04:002011-06-29T13:29:21.531-04:00

We* have a big garden this year. I don't know if it's actually any bigger than it was last year, but we've planted a bigger variety of vegetables so it seems bigger. As the season progresses, we should have squash, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, watermelon, pumpkins, and a really tall sunflower. We've already gotten lettuce, broccoli (I never, ever spell broccoli correctly on the first try), and

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-25083944800078940872011-06-20T21:36:00.001-04:002011-06-20T21:38:10.859-04:00

Don't worry, it's tasteful nudity.  We'd both just gotten out of the shower, hence her lack of clothing and my lack of makeup. The lack of makeup is, incidentally, why the picture's so small.  Today I'm 25 weeks and 3 days pregnant. This is the first picture we've actually taken of the belly. We're really not great about the pregnancy photos, obviously. I have like three pictures of when I was

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-60459764362170136612011-06-19T12:25:00.001-04:002011-06-19T12:26:08.450-04:00

To the love of my life and the best father I could have dreamed up... Happy Father's Day. Your girls sure love you. (And of course, happy Father's Day to my wonderful father and stepfather, as well. We love you, too) var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-27153349581850588312011-06-14T09:59:00.001-04:002011-06-14T10:01:40.120-04:00

We spent last Saturday afternoon at Deep Creek in Bryson City for a family picnic. Annalee ate lots of goodies and got to play in the water, so she pretty much had a perfect day.  That man in the second picture is my stepdad, who used to be known as Chris, but is now called Boppa. We avoid saying that word around my house, because as soon as Annalee hears it, she repeats it tirelessly until we

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-80217368667968455052011-06-05T21:37:00.000-04:002011-06-05T21:37:47.771-04:00

For the past few weeks, Annalee has undergone a sort of transformation. My usually stand-offish, distant child has become downright cuddly. As bewildered as I am, I'm also delighted. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-25779075431044456372011-06-02T13:23:00.001-04:002011-06-03T08:19:21.245-04:00

Annalee loves to be read to right now. She'll grab a book and sit in my lap while I read her favorites five or six times. Many of them I know by heart, and I hope to do a post on some of the best ones soon.  Today, though, it's even better. These are some of the pages of Annalee's books that have me tilting my head and saying, huh? This page is from a book on pandas, obviously. It's a fairly

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-77154457963179318332011-06-01T21:56:00.001-04:002011-06-01T21:59:26.463-04:00

I promise to write a non-toilet related post sometime soon, but tonight you're getting an entry on my cute little potty-peeing toddler. Plus, my mom asked me to write an update, and I always do everything my mom says. Mostly. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-45730859602438454802011-05-26T21:11:00.000-04:002011-05-26T21:11:53.748-04:00

Just a quick update on the potty training--we've actually made some progress! It's going more slowly than I thought it would, but she's definitely come a long way. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-60058181519577867532011-05-23T21:22:00.000-04:002011-05-23T21:22:40.705-04:00

Today I started trying to potty train Annalee. She's 19 months old today, which is a little on the young side, but we're going to give it a go anyway. Worst case scenario, she doesn't pick it up yet and keeps wearing diapers. Probably. I guess there's a slight chance she could buckle under the immense pressure of impending big-girl panties and refuse to use a toilet until she's 11, but I think

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-57395531615513864592011-05-18T19:49:00.001-04:002011-05-18T19:51:55.311-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {} People are often asking me how Annalee feels about the little sister

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-44629551160058703502011-05-03T21:28:00.000-04:002011-05-03T21:28:25.905-04:00

I think, think that we've finally gotten Annalee to give up her pacifier. Of course, I've said said that before, but I mean it this time. I think. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have taken it from her just yet, because she loves it and it makes her happy and it wasn't hurting anything, but over the past few weeks she developed a rash around her mouth. I tried putting ointment on it at bedtime,

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-12211913901041322032011-04-28T15:52:00.003-04:002011-04-28T19:55:25.196-04:00

Over the Easter weekend, we decided to take Annalee camping for the first time. We were going to be in Bryson City for the holiday anyway, so we just decided to camp at Deep Creek Campground. I went camping there pretty often as a kid and have a lot of good memories of the place, so I was quite excited to take Annalee. We went ahead and booked two nights, Saturday and Sunday, because we didn’t

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-13125661167694778912011-04-24T21:35:00.001-04:002011-05-26T23:08:01.644-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you all had a chance to spend time with your loved ones and celebrate this wonderful holiday. I'm so thankful for a loving family to share beautiful spring Sundays with, and even more thankful that we got to share some exciting news with them today. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-78063036939088456312011-04-18T21:45:00.000-04:002011-04-18T21:45:04.901-04:00

I've been a little worried for the past few months because Annalee, though active and expressive and adorable, has been kind of slow with her speech. She points and makes noises and says a few words, but I just haven't noticed that her vocabulary is expanding. I've actually managed not to panic too much about it, meaning I've only googled "17 month old speech development" maybe twice, but I have

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-4799025062684625052011-04-07T19:22:00.000-04:002011-04-07T19:22:41.843-04:00

Let me just set the scene for you. I'm taking the dogs out to our backyard, which is more difficult than it sounds, because our house doesn't open directly into our backyard and our dogs run away whenever given an opportunity. Do they hate us? Maybe. But they always come back. So I have a dog collar in each hand, I'm hunched over, and I'm trying to hold the screen door open with my butt so that

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-19735804025106222692011-04-04T08:26:00.000-04:002011-04-04T08:26:52.694-04:00

Today is my sister Erin's twenty-first birthday. I have to give my mother credit for giving my sisters and me awesome birthdays as children, and as a result we still look forward to them with the hope and excitement of third-graders. Erin is even more extreme than I am; she's honestly been counting down to this birthday for six months. Erin, like everyone else in our family, thinks that

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-64552837571324266862011-03-21T13:00:00.000-04:002011-03-21T13:00:55.566-04:00

So. I've discovered that I don't like making pregnancy announcements. As exciting as they are, I also find them to be terribly awkward. Of course, I have a fabulous ability to make almost any situation awkward, so when you add in a little drama and emotion my social skills pretty much collapse. I tried to slip the news into my last post so as to avoid the announcement altogether, but I suppose

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-47412807821764761512011-03-14T22:22:00.001-04:002011-03-14T22:23:35.386-04:00

I like to think I've made a lot of progress when it comes to accepting the fact that my daughter is growing up. I had my issues for the first few months of her life; I cried the first time she rolled over, I cried when I rocked her to sleep at night, and I had to catch my breath when she took her first steps. But I didn't get emotional on her birthday or when she got her first tooth, and I call

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-16364770510776965652011-02-25T08:37:00.000-05:002011-02-25T08:37:14.215-05:00

When Annalee was smaller, I was a little bit obsessed with teaching her manners. I would say "Thank you" every time I handed her something, hoping that she would catch on and start saying it soon. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't the first thing she ever said. I've gotten kind of slack with encouraging her manners, but I still try to get her to thank us when we give her food or something

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-35029687265009289512011-02-21T09:28:00.002-05:002011-02-21T09:37:44.643-05:00

I know I haven't posted much lately, so here is a little Annalee clip to keep you going. I didn't set out to get anything special in this video, but somehow I managed to catch a moment that perfectly captures Annalee's personality. Hope you enjoy it! var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-77322418215527443942011-02-10T20:04:00.001-05:002011-02-10T20:05:45.131-05:00

She's addicted to her comfort items. She carries that blankie around with her throughout the day, dragging it behind her and stepping on it and chewing it wiping her nose in its soft, pink fabric. At night, she snuggles up and holds it to her face, calming down instantly. And that binky. That darn binky. I hadn't planned on letting her have it this long, but according to her pediatrician

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-87073497342311053232011-01-26T13:43:00.000-05:002011-01-26T13:43:21.077-05:00

I've realized in the past few days that one more of the many frightening responsibilities of parenthood is being an example for my daughter. I knew this logically, of course, but until this point Annalee has done her own thing, and she's never been terribly interested in what I'm doing. In the past week or so, though, I've noticed that she watches me. She studies my face and gauges my reactions

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-17678422148510521052011-01-25T16:47:00.002-05:002011-01-25T17:01:49.196-05:00

From sound asleep to slightly annoyed in approximately 3.7 seconds. . var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13186528-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-80321634870724201052011-01-18T21:59:00.001-05:002011-01-19T08:31:40.982-05:00

I'd just like to begin by saying that I don't know exactly how the ring got around the kitty. I don't believe he put it there voluntarily, and I don't believe he did it alone. Tootles may or may not have been involved. The pictures will tell the rest of the story. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-86729801450311637442011-01-17T08:43:00.000-05:002011-01-17T08:43:42.380-05:00

This is my nephew Rucker. I've mentioned him a few times before, but I haven't put up any pictures lately. He's gotten pretty adorable. Well, he's alway been adorable, but if it's possible, he's gotten even cuter. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-31999808430473606312011-01-10T17:32:00.001-05:002011-01-10T17:35:51.819-05:00

 We were able to go outside and play for the first time in a long, long time today. Last year Annalee was just too small, and the snows we've had this year have been accompanied by too much wind. So I bundled her up tight and we had our first family outing in the snow. Though she sat up in the sled for a few minutes at a time, she mostly laid down in it. She seemed quite comfortable and

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-84691368844291387512011-01-07T10:29:00.001-05:002011-01-07T22:46:04.247-05:00

It's evening, and Jeff and I have settled into our respective warm seats in the living room. He's on the chair, my usual spot, looking at seed catalogs online. I am on a little bench by the fire, reading. Annalee is playing on the floor, toddling around, causing slightly less mayhem than usual. It's too late when I realize that she's in the dining room. She's already stretched up to her tiptoes

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-83538918884136238652011-01-04T20:32:00.006-05:002011-01-04T21:09:59.104-05:00

Sometimes, in January, when the days spent playing with toys and reading books and doing laundry begin to suffocate us just a bit, the need for cool, fresh air pulls Annalee and I out the door and into the backyard. It's not warm enough to do much--no swinging, no long wagon rides, certainly no kiddie pools. But it's perfect weather for exploring, observing chickens, and letting Annalee practice

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-79378903158703068052010-12-31T16:32:00.006-05:002011-01-04T21:31:18.208-05:00

We've had a wonderful year, but I'm looking forward to 2011. Things have changed quite a bit, but I think it's for the better, and I'm just so thankful to be heading into the next year with my family.I hope the next year brings good things for all of you, too.I'm sorry about the pun, but I like this picture, and I didn't really have anything more appropriate. So, really, I hope you enjoy ringing

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-56425297330740701032010-12-28T10:41:00.009-05:002011-01-04T21:31:44.624-05:00

Remember how awesome my husband is? Remember that lovey-dovey post I wrote last Christmas about him?He just keeps getting better. And more adorable. This Christmas, my big present (that I'd been thinking about for months, but had given up hope on) was a new camera. I already had a really good point and shoot, which my mom gave us when Annalee was born, and it has been used like crazy since we got

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-3587596488438060922010-12-23T22:42:00.005-05:002011-01-04T21:33:05.364-05:00

I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, exciting, safe, blessed Christmas.Enjoy thelittle miracles.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-53395598597476847602010-12-14T23:04:00.008-05:002010-12-14T23:46:33.096-05:00

I don't really like taking Annalee to have her pictures taken. In fact, I've only done it once, and I wasn't thrilled with the outcome. I mean, she looked adorable, and the pictures were good quality, but she always looks adorable, and the fact that I had to pay for her Easter pictures didn't make her any cuter. I'm far from a professional photographer, but it's just not that hard to get a

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-73691904642670202212010-12-06T13:13:00.002-05:002010-12-06T14:47:56.524-05:00

Catching Annalee's special and adorable moments on film is harder than you might imagine. She's constantly doing film-worthy things, and if I could carry a video camera around without her noticing and turn it on at all the right moments, then I'd have tons of footage of her.As it is, though, I usually take videos on my phone, and it takes awhile to get the camera setting up and running. By the

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-90891168127726635522010-12-01T13:31:00.011-05:002011-01-04T22:16:16.626-05:00

I haven't posted any pictures or anything in awhile, but I do have a few quick notes to make about Annalee.1. She's walking all over the place now. After about a month or so of walking a few steps and then crawling to wherever she wanted to go, she's begun toddling all over the house. She looks too small to be walking so much. Well, she does to me anyway. 2. Annalee is no longer toothless! One of

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-30972001625097390312010-11-19T08:51:00.004-05:002010-11-19T09:17:40.072-05:00

Annalee has come a long, long way from the constantly-sleepy infant she was at this time last year. I'm not sure if I've been able to convey on this site just how active my daughter has become, but she keeps me running all the time.She's one of those kids that wants whatever she can't have, and she wants it bad. Currently, her favorite thing to do is turn off the satellite and change channels on

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-18259696724463321502010-11-06T11:07:00.004-04:002010-11-06T11:40:39.418-04:00

We had our first few snow flurries of the season this morning. There was no accumulation, and honestly, very few snowflakes, but it was a nice little reminder of the small joys of winter. At this point, I'm glad to be snuggled up inside for a little bit, although I do hope the winter isn't as intense as it was last year.During our first big snowfall of 2009, I wrote this post. I was on a high

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-16987958144269182232010-10-31T09:14:00.005-04:002010-12-06T14:49:33.414-05:00

Happy Halloween from our little ladybug. She hopes you eat tons of candy in her honor, because she's still quite limited as to what kinds she can eat. Maybe next year you'll have teeth, Baby. Maybe.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-6254421968282295852010-10-29T21:13:00.002-04:002010-10-29T21:35:50.252-04:00

For the past few weeks or so, I've been thinking a lot about what kind of foods my family eats. Actually, I've been thinking about it since Annalee was born, but I've been debating our eating habits more heavily lately. I don't really know why. Probably because I read too much stuff on the internet. Also, I watch too much Dr. Oz.I'm not completely committed to healthier eating yet. I really,

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-60240352583784795352010-10-26T14:14:00.005-04:002010-10-27T09:51:31.872-04:00

On Annalee's birthday, her Aunt Jenn and Rucker brought her a great butterfly balloon. It was love at first sight.But later that night......disaster struck, and it was my fault. Let's just say I greatly underestimated how sharp the corners of diaper rash ointment tubes are.She took it like a champ, but I felt like I'd become The Birthday Villain. So, really, there was only one thing to do.Crisis

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-33830626333926969282010-10-24T18:33:00.004-04:002010-12-06T14:48:55.921-05:00

Annalee's birthday party was on Saturday, and it went as well as I could have possibly hoped for. We were surrounded by our friends and family, and I was so touched by how many people came to be a part of our little girl's celebration.Here are just a few of the pictures to share. It was a wonderful evening, and thank you so much to all who helped us celebrate!

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-16951257345137473522010-10-18T13:20:00.005-04:002010-10-20T08:01:18.551-04:00

For Annalee's birthday, I decided to put together a slideshow of the past year. I can't believe how much she's changed in the short time she's been in our lives; when I look at her I still see the tiny little baby we brought home from the hospital. We love you so much, Annalee. Happy first birthday.

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-43067982748246566672010-10-14T08:55:00.005-04:002010-10-14T09:21:28.788-04:00

One of my favorite things about cooler weather is the pajamas that Annalee has to wear to keep warm at night. I suppose the proper term for them is "footed pajamas," but around here we've always called them footie jammies. I firmly believe that footie jammies have the power to turn even the cutest of babies into something even cuter--something so sweet and adorable and cozy that the child must

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-40636686600563401612010-10-08T07:54:00.003-04:002010-10-08T08:11:00.866-04:00

This is just a quick update to let you know that...(drum roll, please)...Annalee took her first steps last night!She walked from me to her Grandmommy, Jeff's mom, and according to her father took about five steps. I was far too shocked to count. Jeff had been afraid that she would take her first steps while he was at work, so we were all pleased that she waited to walk until she had an

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-9198696577753174222010-09-29T09:22:00.003-04:002010-09-30T09:52:52.850-04:00

For the most part, Annalee loves the water. She splashes in pools and lakes and creeks with a smile on her face. But lately, when it comes to bath time, she is horrified.If you're around Annalee much, you know that she doesn't sit still. Ever. She is constantly in motion, and it takes a lot of energy to keep up with her. Honestly, I was not prepared for this aspect of motherhood. I know from

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-32654974004038666192010-09-23T20:25:00.005-04:002010-09-23T21:44:54.246-04:00

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3620137987509606632.post-31630976350594565002010-09-21T10:53:00.012-04:002010-09-21T16:17:56.855-04:00

On Saturday Jeff and I took Annalee and our nephew Harrison up to the Pisgah Forest Fish Hatchery and Wildlife Center. We'd been meaning to go up there for awhile, but the last time we'd tried was a Sunday, and it was closed. So if you Google it and the Internet says that it's open on Sunday, don't believe it. Surprise, huh? You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. I'd never been

Emryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524471767581308087noreply@blogger.com0