Growing like a Weed

The saying seems to be true: April showers bring May flowers. There were several dreary days at the end of April, but May has kicked off with beautiful weather. We've tried to be outside as much as possible to enjoy the sunshine and the 70+ degree temperatures. I'm hoping that we can soon do our daily walks around the neighborhood like we did last year, in that sliver of time between dinner and bedtime. With the school year winding down, there have unfortunately been several evening activities for both Boomer and me, but I am hoping that by the end of May, we can make it a part of our regular routine again. (We did fit in one walk this week!) Even though it has been tricky to be outside much during the week, we were outside a good amount this past weekend and hope to be again this coming weekend. Last Saturday, we went to Zander's tee ball game and a birthday party for Jared and Ashley's son, Harrison. Zander had quite a cheering section at his game with all the Houstons, Bakewells, and Kennedys there. He did very well hitting the ball off the tee and stopping the ball when it came to him in the field. He plays with other 4- and 5-year-olds, so they are all learning the basics of the game. It is entertaining to say the least!

Zander is #21, standing on 2nd base

Uncle Boomer supporting the team - Go Braves!

There were two major mishaps over the weekend. First, on Friday evening, our dryer broke! We had to resort to hanging our wet clothes around the house, and then on Saturday morning, we found ourselves at Lowe's purchasing a new one. We won't be getting it until Sunday, so until then, my parents have been providing free laundry service. It's actually been pretty nice! Maybe I don't need a new dryer after all... ;)  We did a lot of shopping this weekend between our weekly grocery run to Walmart and then the trip to Lowe's. Emmy loves sitting in the shopping cart, and Daddy gives her an exciting ride by swerving and speeding through the aisles. Emmy is such a dare-devil, and her laughs and giggles only provoke him to go faster!

The second mishap of the weekend was on Saturday afternoon during naptime. We usually put Emmy down while she is still awake, and so she will often 'play' in her crib for a bit until finally going to sleep. I'll see her on the monitor walking around inside her crib or playing with her blanket, moving it around and re-positioning it until it is just where she wants it. There was a loud cry, and we assumed that she was making one last attempt at resisting her nap. Not long after, she was quiet. When I went in to get her later, she had a black eye! We think she must have fallen and hit her eye on the wooden railings of the crib. With the combination of the unsteady mattress and her beginner's balance, I suppose it's surprising it hasn't happened sooner. We have been lucky to have avoided any injuries up until this point. The bruise is currently going through all the many colors of purple, blue, and yellow. It actually looks worse now than it did when I first took these pictures. Hopefully it will heal soon!

Boomer and I had a belated birthday date tonight (Thank you, Grammy!) We had originally planned to go out to dinner on my actual birthday, but then when everyone else's schedules aligned to go out for Japanese, we swapped the date for a family dinner. I've always loved dragging out my birthday anyway! After a nice dinner at 4th Street Filling Station, we then did some shopping for the upcoming YoungLife Golf Tournament. The tournament is next Wednesday, and Boomer is involved each year. He puts in a lot of hard work - I have no idea where he finds the time! We finished off the evening with some ice cream at Mayberry's. Throughout our date, we got several cute pictures from Grammy. Any guesses on what she is doing in the last picture? ... ;)

"Here's my nose!"

"Grammy, no pictures! A little privacy, please!"

As we turn the calendar to May, the weather isn't the only thing that is changing. Emmy is almost 18-months old, and I seem to notice new things about her everyday. All of a sudden, she started saying "daddy" instead of "da-da", a slight difference but one that Boomer and I noticed almost immediately. She says it in the sweetest voice and several times in a row: da-dee, da-dee, da-deeee. She will say it when Boomer is around and when he isn't, but she most certainly knows who she is referring to. I have tried to work with her on other words that end in "-ee" (like Mommy, Grammy, and Emmy), but so far, only Daddy. I've also noticed that Emmy has learned the daily routines of our mornings and evenings. During bedtime, I can ask Emmy to close the door to her room and get her blanket from where it hangs on the side of the crib. I love watching her proudly prance around the room while she does these things. She is still showing resistance to putting our books away when we are finished reading, but most nights, she is very helpful through the bedtime routine. She willingly opens her mouth to brush teeth, even sticking out her tongue when I say "tongue," and she will turn out the lights as we go from the bathroom to the bedroom. Like with bedtime, she has learned our morning routine, too. She will often say or point to the next thing on the list: socks, shoes, hair bow ("bo"). She'll also reach for her jacket when she sees Daddy putting on his. Emmy LOVES her shoes. Right now, we are rotating between three different pairs: her size-3 pink tennis shoes, a size-4 pair of Nikes, and a pair of white Mary Janes for church. She likes to take them off and on throughout the day, and she has figured out how to strap and unstrap the velcro on each pair. I think she likes her shoes so much because it is the only item that she can wear which can also double as a toy! Here she is on the way to church wearing a pair and playing with another!

Emmy is almost in size 4 diapers. I say 'almost' because I just bought our first box of that size, but she is still wearing size 3's for now. We will probably be using up the last of the 3's in the next few days. Sometimes I look at pictures and can hardly believe how big she is getting. We go next Friday for her 18-month appointment, and I am curious to see her weight and height. Stay tuned!