Immediately after she was born, people started telling me that she looked just like me. I was skeptical. I mean, she was a newborn. She looked like a little old man. I don't think I look like a little old man. Maybe I'm wrong? Granted, she was the most adorable and gorgeous little old man you will ever lay eyes on, but it takes a few days for newborns to fill out and start looking like babies, especially when you have the peanut-sized munchkins that I had. True, she had a lot of hair when she was born, but I was pretty sure that was about as far as our similarities went. Then people started commenting on how she had big eyes, just like mine. Hmmm. I've never noticed anything different about my eyes. I thought they looked just like everyone else's. (And I can now verify this statement being as I have spent an insane amount of time staring at myself in the mirror wondering if my eyes are indeed "big".)
When people started making the "big eyes" comments, I was reminded of a conversation that I had had with my parents before Emerson was born. They were cracking up because when I was a baby, they kept my bedroom super dark so that I'd always think it was nighttime and therefore I'd sleep a lot. Hence, they said, the big, owl-sized eyes to see better in the dark. (Before you call CPS on them, consider the fact that they may have been on to something, since I was and still am a really good sleeper. Come to think of it, if you're going to call CPS on them, tell them that my parent's idea of a "baby monitor" was to turn the stereo up louder so that they couldn't hear me. Or maybe tell them about the time when I was in 7th grade and had an allergic reaction that caused my eyelids to swell, reducing my eyes to slits. Obviously before they could take me to the doctor, they decided it would be much more helpful to walk around with giant mixing bowls upside down on their heads like Chinese bamboo hats, all the while talking in "Chinese" and calling me by my newly appointed Chinese name: Ah-choo.) Needless to say, my big eyes have become somewhat of a running joke in my family (as has the name Ah-choo, unfortunately). Because, let's face it, everything becomes a running joke in my family. THESE PEOPLE DON'T FORGET ANYTHING.
Of course when they told me I had big eyes, I argued like hell. Just like I argued when they told me how effective their "baby monitor" was and how effective their Chinese impressions were at fixing my face. Not that arguing with them helped at all. Then, about a month later, Mom and I were in Coachlight in my tiny hometown of Cass City doing some Christmas shopping. We were standing in line to check out and, as it often happens in a small town, chatting with people we knew (which happened to be everyone. Did I mention CC is really small???) One of the people in line happened to be my old bus driver. Mom turned around to say hello and mentioned that she was there with me and asked my bus driver if she remembered me. My bus driver looked at me, got a huge grin on her face, and said "Of course I do! Who could forget those big eyes?"
Checking In!
Emerson - 6.5 months! (30 weeks)
6 Month Well-check Appointment Stats:
Weight: 14 lbs (12th %)
Height: 25.9" (54th %)
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still stuck at my 161-164 weight range. Well, I say stuck, but I guess that would indicate that I have been trying to do something about it. Of course, if you count bitching daily to my friend Katie about how fat I am, then I most definitely am doing something about it. I think I'd probably have better luck if I, oh, I don't know, stepped on my treadmill once or twice. As for Emerson's weight gain, the doctor said she isn't on her curve anymore, meaning she's not gaining as fast as she should be at this point, and she shouldn't be losing since she's not mobile and burning calories. So we've upped her cereal and solid foods. We have a weight check in a couple of weeks. To be honest, I'm not even close to being concerned. She still nurses like a champ (every 2 hours STILL) so she's getting plenty of food.
Maternity Clothes: Well, I'm not wearing any. Although, maybe I should be, being as last week I was trying on my work clothes in preparation for a work trip to Texas that Kevin and I were taking with the kids, and couldn't fit into any of my old work pants. Or, if I could get them buttoned, there was no sitting down in them. Oh, except for the pair that split from zipper to rear belt loop when I tried to sit. I could sit in those ones just fine. I guess I can say I am not officially in them anymore, but only because I've bought bigger sized jeans.
Sleep: Emerson is a pretty good sleeper when she's not sick. We have nights when she's up once, and we have nights where she's up two or three times. Or when she's sick, like she has been for the past few days, she's up 5 times a night. So, nope. No sleep. The de-swaddling process went well though and she's been doing great in her sleep sack. She's a tummy sleeper. She also gets a goodnight hug and kiss from her big brother every night. Actually, she gets a hug, a kiss, and a high five (usually off of her forehead).
Best moments this week: Well, not this week, but a few weeks ago when I was changing Greyden's diaper, he was holding his feet in the air for me. I started to ask him to put his feet down so I could fasten the tabs and he put them down before I could ask him to. I told him "wow, you've done this before, haven't you?" He looked at me with the most serious expression and replied "Daddy's changed me a couple of times."
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| Cuddling with Harley |
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| Big shoes to fill |
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| Emerson's new wheels |
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| Kisses from Big Brother |
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| Getting a bottle from Grey |
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| Our budding genius. |
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| Okay, maybe not. |
