Emmelyn at the end of February

Emmelyn keeps getting stronger everyday. She still isn't crawling, but gets closer and closer everyday. She had her first swimming lesson on Saturday, but didn't go in the water (the first lesson was a video and orientation). We're excited to get in the water next Saturday, to check out the kids pool at the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center. We expect her to love the water. It is not uncommon for her to take a bath for 30 to 45 minutes, splashing or lounging in the water with her toys the entire time. Talking to other parents at the pool, it sounds like some babies are not like that when it comes to bathtime! Em has always loved it.

She continues to be very particular about some things, which is kind of funny. Her new favorite thing is a giant bag of Charmin toilet paper that is in the guest bedroom. There is something about it that she just loves. She hits it and tries to pull herself up on it, and sometimes cries when we take her out of that room ;-)

She is learning new foods every week. Pears and raspberries were a huge hit. I also went and got a book to make homemade baby purees, instead of jarred baby food, since Emmelyn has not liked canned vegetables. So far, the experiment has been working. She gobbled up the banana puree and carrott puree, and surprisingly, the whole process is quite easy.

We are anxious for the snow to go away here, although our skier friends are not. We are ready for some spring hiking.

Emmelyn sits up

Emmelyn is slowly mastering the art of sitting up. We think she is learning that she can see one of her favorite shows --Yo Gabba Gabba --much better from the vantage point of sitting up. She's a busy girl who continues to love her jumperoo, exersaucer and spinnin' zoo (which she is now able to grab hold of the moving animals). She moves her toys back and forth between her hands and seems to be closer and closer to crawling everyday. She sticks her butt right up in the air and pushes her arms up, so she is in a bridge. She hasn't figured out that she needs to bend her knees and move her legs forward. So, she ends up sort of collapsing and sometimes gets frustrated, but usually she tries again.

Little stinker

In the approximately 4 seconds it takes for us to remove Em's diaper to put her in the bathtub, she remarkably is able to pee on us. Often. Then she laughs. Oh well, at least she pees on my work clothes at the end of they day, and not when I'm trying to get out the door. Here is a photo of the damage.

Emmelyn's six-month appointment

Emmelyn had her 6-month appointment today wiht Dr. Morgan. Just as we suspected based on the fact that her 9-month sleepers are almost too short, Em is very tall. Measuring in at 27 inches, she is in the 75th percentile for length. She is in the 50th percentile for weight, at almost 16 pounds. She now grabs her toes, smiles like crazy and tries to roll everywhere and anywhere. She can shimmy across a room, but hasn't quite figured out getting on all fours to crawl. We're sure that will be coming soon! Other than that, she is a healthy little girl. She broke out in a rash this week and we worried could be related to a food allergy, but the doctor ruled it as a heat rash. We realized she gets too warm with her bunting, now that it is in the 50s in SLC everyday. We're converting to springtime wardrobe/jackets around here already.

Sunday at the park

It was 64 degrees in Salt Lake City on Sunday, so we got a taste of spring before the snow is set to return on Thursday. We went to the park and enjoyed the day and brought Em out of her stroller to look at the ducks and seagulls in Sugar House. It should be more scenic when it is not so muddy. We also cleaned off the grill and plan to use it tonight for the first time this spring, before the last douse of snow. Tomorrow is Emmelyn's 6-month doctor's appointment, and we are anxious to see how big she has grown.

Em's new face!

Emmelyn learned to make a fish face this week. She enjoys trying it out often.

Em tries squash