5 months old

Ember is 5 months old! She's some huge entertainment wrapped in a tiny package. She's just a petite little girl and we love love love every little miniature thing about her!

She found her toes and loves eating them. I've had to put her socks in the dryer because she soaks them with her drool! She loves standing and grabbing noses. She's working on sitting up, but has taken a few tumbles. She LOVES when people sing to her and will "sing" along if it's a song she knows and loves. She still loves the organ at church. Her newest discovery is scratching. I'll wake up to the sound of her scratching her sheets in the morning over the monitor. It's so stinkin cute! She also has just started grabbing my face when I pick her up from her crib and opening her mouth as big as she can and then lays one on me right on the mouth. Love her!

Yesterday, we went to Pocatello to pick Thaniel up from drill and attend a little Army Christmas party. Naturally, this was the first picture that had to be taken.

Then Dad helped Ember in a round of "Sergeant Says."

We met Santa for the first time and were thrilled. :)

We just love our little girl and can't believe how fast she is growing. Here's a little video of some cheek-pinching, adorable giggles. 

p.s.(from Nathaniel) That Santa isn't all that creepy, he's just a little rough around the edges. All I'm saying is that you'd better be good this year... because this guy is coming to town.

A Hot Date

So this date was from a couple weeks ago, but it was AWESOME, so I had to share.  Nathaniel and I try to switch off who's in charge of date night.  So we usually end up with a really fantastic date every other week and a so-so date in between. After this post, you will see who's in charge when the fantastic dates take place...and who's a total slacker...

Our dates since sweet Ember as arrived have been...less than extravagant. Let me give you an example. The other night I had a few girlfriends over to do crafts. They were meeting at my place at 5:30. Nathaniel gets out of class at 5:30. So, Stephanie arrives around 5:20 and I told her I had to run and pick up Nathaniel real quick. She volunteered to watch Ember while I ran to the school to get him. I pick him up and we drive the whole 5 minutes back to our place without babygirl in the backseat. And there you have it! A date!.......yeah, we really go all out for these things.

Now for a better example.

That's my man: The Chef.

He really likes me. So he made me...not one...not TWO....not THREE...but FOUR different kinds of homemade popcorn, chocolate covered bananas with toasted coconut and oreos, and white chocolate popcorn bark.

It totally didn't even bother me that my kitchen looked like this after he was through:

4 Months Old

We've got a big girl over here! She's growing way too fast but it is SO much FUN!!

Stats at 4-months-old:

Weight: 12lbs. even (15th percentile) tiny little thing!

Height: 25 in. (75th percentile)

Head circumference: 50th percentile

Eye color: Still blue and lightening up

She loves books and her teddy bear and duck rattle. She loves sitting in the Bumbo and watching mom cook. She LOVES standing and just started moving her legs to walk when we hold her up. She's started to teethe and is working on getting her two bottom teeth (so cute!). And...

She's eating rice cereal!

Please...no pictures.

Well...she's trying, at least.

Happy Halloween!

Ember really embraced the festivities. So much so...she tuckered herself right out. She was a pretty cute ladybug, huh?

Aunt Steph had us over for some yummy caramel apples and good company. (Look at that ponytail!!)

We threw these costumes together pretty quick. With Nathaniel's abundance of everything boyscout and western, it didn't take us too long.

Welcome to the Sellers family, little one. I held him off as long as I could...

We baked these mini apple pies took them to share. Our little cowboy and Indian bellies were satisfied. It was a great Halloween! I may have to dress Ember up in her ladybug a few times more just because she's so stinkin cute with her little padded bum!

We're chilly.

Welcome, Winter! Peace out, Fall! We woke up to about a million inches of snow this morning. Nathaniel reminded me last week that it always snows at least once before Halloween...but I secretly didn't believe him. It was so nice last week! There was NO WAY snow was coming. Then BAM...in my face. 10 points, Rexburg...you got me good.

Snow has a way of jump-starting the Christmas feel-goods. Yesterday we were planning our Halloween costumes...today I felt like I was behind on my holiday shopping.  Nothing like an unexpected season change to keep you on your toes!

We zipped Ember up in her slightly-too-big cozy suit and took her out to explore the white stuff.

 Daddy played...

 and Mommy cuddled.

Then Ember needed a nap to soak in the new view of the world we threw on her. We think she likes it. :)

Being Mom

I love your little fingers and how they reach around my neck to find their favorite chunk of hair to hold onto while we walk across the house.  Your gummy smile melts me straight through.  Especially when you catch yourself in the mirror and find it so amusing that I'm there too. I love your open-mouth kisses and the way you hold daddy's hand when he's doing homework. I love how you talk to yourself when you're sleepy.  And I LOVE your 'good morning' squeals.  I love when we go outside and your head flips side to side so fast, just to make sure you're taking everything in.  I love how you inhale and squeeze my fingers when a big breeze comes. I love it when you sing with me.  I love when you wake up so happy that you raise your feet high in the sky and pound them down with such excitement.  I love when you get so serious and then kick your feet and wave your arms as fast as you can...and then smile at yourself for being so speedy.  It takes me to my knees every time I rock you at night and get to examine all your little features. You are so beautiful. I love your sleepy face and your little puckered-lip smile. You get that from your daddy. You bring so much light to our family and to everyone who meets you.  Those big, blue, pure eyes radiate joy and love and beauty in the Truest form. I don't remember what life was like before I was your Mommy, but whatever I did then and whatever I've accomplished in years before are miniscule next to being in our home with you. This is happiness and you and your handsome daddy are the source. I love you.      Love,  Mom

2 months!

Ember is now a whopping TWO months old! She is getting bigger and bigger everyday and is such a joy to have around.

Stats at two-months-old:

Weight: 10 lbs. 10 oz. (50th percentile)
Height: 23 in. (75th percentile)
Head circumference: I don't remember the exact number, but she's in the 75th percentile for that, too.
Eye color: Deep adorable blue.

She loves sucking on her hand, drenching her clothes in drool, bath time, and having big people food fake-fed to her (she thinks it's hilarious...like, "mom, you KNOW I can't eat that yet!...silly").

She's also the cutest thing on the planet. But maybe I'm a little bias.