The Cutest Blog on the Block

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Happy 1 year, Emersyn Ruth Haney!


One year ago, we had just welcomed our sweet girl into this world and were trying to figure out how in the world we were going to raise this sweet little baby.  As completely unprepared that Lance and I felt as new parents, we also had no idea how we had lived our lives thus far without our little Emersyn.  From the second we laid our eyes on her sweet little face at 8:47 am on that Sunday morning, we were completely in love.  Precious Emersyn has blessed our lives in every possible way in this past year.  She has amazed us more than we thought was possible.  Our hearts grew on November 20, 2011.
It seems like this past year just happened in a blink of an eye. Those early days that felt like they would last forever and the crying may never cease seem like such a teeny tiny little piece of this last year.  I can't believe the sweet little 7 pound baby we brought home from the hospital has flourished into a whopping 24.5 lb one year old.  I remember her being so helpless and it taking 20 minutes to change her clothes because I had to hold her head perfectly and be so careful with her little arms and legs.  Now, it takes 20 minutes to change her clothes because she is doing flips off of her changing table babbling the entire time.  
Lance and I are so, very thankful for Emersyn's health and perfect development.  We are thankful for her healthy weight and high level of activity.  This girl runs all day long, she is wide open from the time her feet hit the floor in the morning and I love every second of her energy. What a wonderful, sweet year this has been!
At our 1 year appointment, E weighed in at 24 lbs 7.5 ounces (96%) and was 30 inches long (80%).  She climbs on EVERYTHING and has running down pat.  She loves outside and would spend all day outdoors if  we would let her. Her new best friend is my cousin's horse who lives in the pasture around my parent's house, Billy Jo.  Emersyn feeds Billy Jo carrots everyday and giggles so hard when he laps a carrot out of her hand. This girl is FEARLESS. We visited the zoo for her birthday, and her biggest complaint was not being able to stick her hand in the big animal's mouths. She wanted to hold the parakeets, but the poor birds would not get near her, and she chased a peacock because she wanted to pull it's feathers.  She is extremely strong willed and thinks "No, Emersyn!" is a funny game.  She is still in love with Elmo, and we watch a lot of Sesame Street.  She loves to point instead of talking when she wants something, but she babbles non-stop.  She refuses to utter anything that even sounds like "mama", and her new favorite sound is patting her hand over her open mouth and making "Indian sounds". She is very curious and hands-on, you can not take your eyes off of this girl for a second or she will be ready to jump off of the highest piece of furniture in the room. She definitely keeps us running and on our toes, and we love it.  She gives the sweetest hugs and has a serious attachment to her mommy, which I adore :)
Now that we have hit the big one year mark, I can't wait to see how sweet Emersyn continues to grow and develop. I can't wait to see what new things she finds and how she grows up. More than anything, I can't wait to see how much more I love her as another year begins.  
Emersyn Ruth, you are a true joy and blessing to me and your daddy. We love you more than words can express and thank God everyday for choosing us to be your parents.  You are such a sweet little gift and we sure treasure you.  We can't wait to watch you grow up more over the next year, sweet cheeks :)
Here's to year #2!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Happy 11 Months, Emersyn!











Another month older, and as close as we can get to our first birthday- I can't believe it! Sweet little E will celebrate her first birthday in just 3 short weeks. What a blessing this first year has been- I'll save all of my sentimental "first year" thoughts for the next blog and spare you them now, so be ready next month :) 
Emersyn has changed so much over the past month and grown up a tremendous amount.  She went from a wobbly few steps to running! We had a little challenge learning to walk in our pretty shoes, but she has mastered that now (although she still prefers to try and eat her shoes more than walk in them most days).  She chews on EVERYTHING, I never know when she truly is teething or not because she is always chewing and putting everything in her little mouth. She thinks it is hilarious to sneak to the stairs or windowsill and chew on it.  You can ask Emersyn any question and she will shake her head "no" and grin as big as possible :) She has become so full of expression and love.  She will run for me with open arms and the biggest grin, definitely the best part of my day! She loves Bo more than ever, and has gotten pretty good at saying "BO!" Everything Emersyn does or says is overly dramatic, whether it's giving Bo love or pitching a fit- she does it will all of her might! The days of being held and loved on are just about over. First of all, you can't catch her and if you do, she is going to wiggle away.  She wants to walk everywhere, and thinks she is too grown to ride in buggies and strollers or be carried anywhere.  She still adores Sesame Street and we watch about 10 episodes each day. She will climb on anything and everything and is ever so curious.  
Sweet girl still is a horrible sleeper and eater.  She has been fighting an awful sinus infection, which has only made sleeping and eating worse but I think we are finally on the upswing.  She is sleeping in until about 8 am, which is nice and napping great twice a day.  She isn't too fond of trying many foods, and we have taken many steps backwards in our efforts to rid her of a bottle since she has been so sick.  Oh well.  
Since the ambiguous picture I posted in Emersyn's 11 month album, I'll elaborate :) 

We are selling our home in Pennsylvania because we are moving to St. Louis! Lance took a job with Boeing and will start in January. E and I will spend some time with Gran and Peeeps because our home search in St. Louis has not been very successful so far.  We are very excited and can't wait to be a day's drive away from our precious Gran and Peepsie. We will miss our PA friends so much, I really can't put into words what a blessing they have been to us. They have loved on me and Lance, and loved so greatly on sweet E. We have been taken in as family when ours was so far away, and flooded with care.  I am so thankful we met our friends here and can't imagine going through life without ever knowing them and having their friendship.  Our journey here has been more than a blessing, and we can't wait to see what lies ahead in Missouri :)

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Happy 10 Months, Emersyn Ruth!





This is fun, this is really fun.  Little Emersyn can be such a hand-full most days, but boy is it fun! Sweet girl has such a personality and is so, incredibly silly! She amazes me everyday at new things she picks up on and all that she learns.  She definitely keeps us on our toes, and we have our running shoes on at all times chasing after our quick girl.  I can't believe we are counting down to our big 1 year celebration.  I should be busy planning her birthday party, but I took care of that when she was in the womb :) Mommy's severe Type A personality at it's best, little E had a birthday dress before she entered the world.  It's paying off now, we are just ready to celebrate our baby girl's first year.  I know her 11th month is going to fly by with all of the busy-ness of planning to spend a nice, long vacation in the country and traveling, so we are holding on to every second of this month.  I am not excited that this first year continues to fly by, I am excited that little Emersyn is such a healthy, happy girl and is thriving, moreso I am ecstatic that in less than 8 short weeks my days will not revolve around a pumping schedule and a cow can primarily feed my child- trust me, this will be life changing!
Emersyn is such a busy little bee. I am in love with her personality, curiosity, and eagerness. This is the most determined and hard headed child I have ever known.  She wants to walk so bad she can't stand it.  So far, she has taken 5 continuous steps, that is our highest count.  She can walk all day as long as one hand can touch something.  She has a squat down pat.  Sweet child is in a head banging stage, and it really troubles me and Lance.  We can't figure out, for the life of us, why she loves to hit her head on every solid surface she can find, she has even started hitting balls on her forehead- why, sweet girl?! We read she could be under-stimulated, bored, tired, or a host of other things.  We are at a loss, praying this is a phase, and it passes QUICKLY! Right now, we are eating very well and primarily using a straw to drink with, although E is not a big fan :) She has cut out one of her three naps, so we are down to two. She is napping very well, between 1 and 2 hours each time, but sleeps horribly at night- I just remind myself this will pass ONE DAY and I will sleep again.  She loves BoJackson more than ever, they have their own little language.  I am almost convinced she is saying "Bo", just not convinced enough to put it in ink in her baby book :) It is more of a "BAH!!", but she knows what she means :) She is a chatter box, chatting constantly and it is the sweetest sound! Still no ma-ma, and da-da has morphed into deh-deh.  Such a doll.  She loves to climb and play with every non-toy item she can find such as mommy and daddy's phones, any kind of cord, the iPad, Lance's computer, the remote, the laundry basket, the dishwasher, anything in the kitchen cabinets, and Bo's food bowls :) She loves playing in the pantry and in Lance's backpack when it is not put up.  She had her first play date with the toilet, then was disinfected and bathed- I still gag thinking about it! She adores Elmo and Sesame Street, we watch at least 5 episodes a day. This girl is nothing less than SO MUCH FUN!
Every second with sweet E is heavenly, she is such a blessing! I absolutely adore watching her grow up and try and cherish all of our time together.  I am amazed daily, and can't wait to see what another month holds! Mommy and daddy love you, sweet E!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Happy 9 Months, Emersyn Ruth

Sweet baby girl is another month older, days are flying by now and our little angel is sweeter than ever.  This past month has included so much growing up and changes for little E :) I can't believe what a big girl she is turning into! We had Emersyn's 9 month appointment today and big girl weighs 22 lbs 11.5 ounces and is 28 1/4 inches long. Such a big, big girl! She checked out absolutely perfect, which we are so thankful for. Baby girl has her two top and bottom teeth and is learning how to use them! She is VERY attached to her mommy :)
Emersyn has quite the personality, and she shows us a little more of it each day. She is so silly and loves to giggle.  Emersyn absolutely adores BoJackson, and they are the best of buddies.  She loves to "call Bo" it sounds like "AH! AH! AHHH!!!" :) So sweet! She is also trying to snap her fingers because that is what her daddy and Gran do to call Bo back inside when he goes outside. She loves playing with balls and tearing up her alphabet foam puzzle floor pieces.  Sweet girl loves clapping for herself. She is a huge Elmo fan, and loves snacking on Cheerios and feeding herself!  We are learning to master the sippy cup, and E is a big fan of water. She also loves yogurt and after an almost month long hiatus, we are finally eating well from a spoon again! For a few weeks we were living off of cheerios, graham crackers, Little Cremes, and an occasional bite of mommy's waffle! It was rough, but as soon as Gran showed up, she started eating perfectly again :) We may not let Gran return to Alabama!
Big girl is climbing on everything, taking steps as long as her pinky can hold on to something, and standing alone! She is so quick and full of energy.  One of the sweetest little 9 month faqs about E is how much she adores "Old McDonald".  Seriously, every time she gets tired or upset, singing this song calms her down and puts her to sleep. Our farm has got to have the record for the most diverse animal population :) Oh, E loves it!


Sweet little Emersyn is growing up too fast, and getting sweeter by the second. I adore play time with my angel and love watching her grow.  We can't wait to see what this month holds :) Love you so much, little E!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Happy 8 Months, Emersyn Ruth!


Part of me is in complete denial that my baby is 2/3 the way through her first year! Yikes! Where has the time gone?! I have tried REALLY hard to savor every second with her and not let the time just pass by, and I still don't know how time has passed so quickly.  Emersyn is sweeter than ever, and so much fun.  She has grown up so much this past month, and become such a big girl.
Emersyn has become quite the communicator recently, she loves to wave hello and goodbye :) It is the sweetest wave I have ever seen! She absolutely loves Elmo and Sesame Street, and still adores Baby Einstein videos.  She is mobile and QUICK.  I spend all day chasing this speedster around the house, and it is exhausting.  Crawling is perfected as well as pulling up on everything she doesn't tip over first, and she can take a couple of steps while she is pulled up! She chatters non-stop, her favorite chatter is "dadadadada".  I know, music to Lance's ears :) Emersyn and BoJackson are the BEST of friends.  Bo is quick, but Emersyn in quicker and she can catch him in no time.  She loves to grab his ears and tail, sweet Bo just lets her.  The only bickering between these two is over toys.  Emersyn wants the toy Bo has and Bo wants whatever toy E has, and Emersyn has learned to pitch a FIT if Bo takes her toy away :) Speaking of fits, our sweet child is a master at fit pitching! She loves mine and Lance's water bottles, and if either enter her sight and she doesn't immediately have her hands on it, a fit will proceed.  Yes, we are in for it!
Emersyn is still eating like a pro, she went on almost a month long kick where she refused to eat anything except avocados and bananas.  Thankfully, we are on the other side of that phase.  She LOVES yogurt, puffs, baby crackers, and pieces of banana like a big girl.  She is still adjusting to her sippy, but does love drinking water out of it.  Such a big girl.
Our sweet angel teaches us new things everyday.  She absolutely amazes me, I think she hung the moon and have never been so in love.  She loves to be rocked and to cuddle, I cherish every single second of this. I just love this sweet child and can not get enough of her love each day.  Yes, sometimes I want to pull my hair out and am convinced I have no idea what I am doing and no business being responsible for this little human. Those days I grow as a wife and mom.  Other days, I just stop a hundred times during the day and just thank God for this sweet, sweet blessing that I could have never deserved.  Her sweet little giggle and precious smile make all the bad times more than worth it, she is such a sweet baby girl.  I love being Emersyn's mom.  I could watch Sesame Street, make silly faces, and sing "Old Macdonald" all day long. This is all I have ever wanted, and I am so thankful this is the life I have been blessed with. 
Emersyn Ruth, you are the sweetest blessing ever and I am so thankful I get to be your mommy!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Happy 7 Months, Emersyn Ruth!




Another month has come and gone and flown by ever so fast! Our sweet girl is growing and changing daily, and boy does she have a personality. She is the sweetest cuddler and lover, but can pitch a rather frightful fit as well. She has changed over this past month a little too much, I am still trying to catch up on all she has done just in the past 2 weeks, hopefully I will remember it all :) Emersyn LOVES to watch her baby Einstein dvds and Sesame Street, she is a huge Elmo fan. Her favorite food, hands down, is avocado! Girlfriend could eat avocados all day, every day if I would allow it. She is also a fan of squash, peaches, and bananas. You could mix anything with avocado and she would eat it, though :) She loves to chatter and make her "motor boat" noises. If she is awake, there is a sound coming out of her mouth :) Her chatter right now is mostly dadadada and nananana. Definitely not first words yet, my bet for her first word is "Bo". Speaking of Bo, E adores BoJackson, and I think it is safe to say the feelings are mutual. These two are precious together, they love to share toys and play. If E is ever fussy in the car, we will spend the whole ride asking "where is Bo?" and she will just giggle. Bo has been so great with her. Her favorite toys right now are the teething toys off of her Einstein mat and bouncy, Sophie the giraffe, her play cell phone and any real cell phone she can get her hands on, Elmo doll, the foam alphabet letters we have under her pallet in the floor, and she loves to run laps in her Bright Stars walk around table. We have discovered E loves the pool and the water! We have a float we put her in in the baby pool and she tries to swim out of it, busy all the time! Emersyn is now very mobile, overnight she went from barely sitting up to sitting up without a wobble, crawling, pulling up, and even can take steps once she has pulled herself up! Anything that this child can get her hands on, she's pulling up on. She is not still for a second! E is a pro at yoga moves, she loves to put herself in a V position on her hands and feet and try to walk around like that, such a mess! Our sweet girl loves playing with her feet, and too many times those piggies make it to her mouth! She loves for us to talk bout kitty cats because BoJackson likes to chase cats in our yard, and she thinks that is so funny! She loves singing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" with her daddy and riding on his shoulders :) I can't believe how much sweet little E has changed over the past month! She is turning into such a big girl, it actually makes you appreciate the tantrums and helpless times because it's a reminder she is still a baby. Emersyn is so sweet and such a precious blessing! We have had the lovely pleasure of spending time with Gran and Peeps the past few weeks, and it has been glorious! I can't even begin to put into words how wonderful and amazing they are and how much they love little E, but having them around makes my heart happy :) E loves her Gran and Peeps so much and she has the best time with them when they are here! I get a little vacation because they hog her :) I actually took a nap by myself without having to listen for a baby this past week, it was amazing what quality sleep can do for you! E lights up when they come in the room , she knows how much they love her, too :) Thank you, mom and dad for not only being the greatest parents in the world but also being the most amazing grandparents for E and loving her more than you thought was possible. We are all so lucky to have you :) I have no idea what this next month will hold, Lord willing more growing up for our sweet girl, more bumps on the noggin, more chasing for mama, more hugs, kisses, and giggles, and a lot more play time with this busy little bee :) and I am so thankful for every second I have to spend with her and love on her. 7 months ago, I had NO idea what I was doing or about to embark on, I'm still pretty clueless most days but I do have an unconditional love for little Emersyn that gets us through everyday. What an experience and beautiful blessing you are every day, being your mommy is the greatest! I love you, Emersyn Ruth Haney, happy 7 months our sweet angel :)

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Happy 6 Months, Emersyn!

How are we already celebrating 1/2 a year with our sweet girl? Time has FLOWN by extremely too fast. I am trying to hold on and capture every second and make the most out of every minute (even during screaming, crying fits!) but they are all going by faster than I can catch them.  It was only yesterday we found out we were going to have a little girl, it seems, and there is no way it has been six whole months since we welcomed her into the world.  I know, it's not slowing down anytime soon....
So, what all has our big girl been up to this month? Well, we had E's 6 month visit at the pediatrician, and she got all good remarks :) E is 19 lbs 15.6 ounces (97%) and 27 inches long (90%).  Little girl is definitely not lacking in the size category! She is developing perfectly as well.  She can sit up without assistance long enough to watch an entire Baby Einstein movie (which is her absolute FAVORITE!), she is scooting and rolling everywhere- still waiting for that first crawl, she has started mimicking sounds and so far has mastered rolling her lips making a spitting sound and smacking, she loves to eat and does it very well, she has started reaching for us when she wants out of a toy or to be picked up, she cries if you walk out of the room, she responds to her name, and just gets sweeter by the day! Emersyn has the sweetest personality, she loves to laugh and smile.  She has started giving "kisses" where she reaches for your face with her mouth wide open and lands a big wet one wherever her mouth hits :) Melts. My. Heart.  A big milestone we just reached this past week is Emersyn is now napping in her crib and sleeping some of the night in there as well! Yay, E! She is doing great, I am the one with the separation anxiety issues :(  
Sleeping in her own room in her crib is not something we have stressed over or pushed. We are definitely NOT "cry it out" parents and you could classify us as more of "attached" parents if you need to give us a label, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It has made life so much less stressful and relaxed, E is doing a great job sleeping on her own now and it was just something that came with age. 
I have learned so much in these past 6 months of being a mom.  One thing that really disappointing me is all of the "parties" of parenting.  Parenting is just another classification system to too many. And discussing your views on parenting can cause a commotion nothing less of a political debate.  Yes, this has caused way too much stress and unnecessary thoughts as a mom, too often I wonder if I am doing the best thing for my child because what I prefer is the least popular of parenting styles and too many ideas flood my mind from people who are not MY baby's mom. Just in case someone reading this is struggling with the same thing, this is my conclusion and it has freed me.  Every baby is different, and what works for one may be detrimental to another, as a mom I know my baby better than anyone else. Yes, most days if a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics observed us, they would probably gasp, and I don't care at all.  I am a complete hippie and germophobe when it comes to being a mom, and I am ok with it.  I do many things now I swore I never would, and I get over it and move on.  Being a mom is too much of a blessing to sit and fret over each and every decision, and I choose to turn my frets into thanksgiving to God for choosing me to be E's mom :)
I have learned so many positive things, too. I have learned and experienced true joy and unconditional love unlike I knew existed.  I have learned that a clean house is not as important as 15 extra minutes of play time in the floor making silly noises and faces to get a giggle.  I am so thankful that I am blessed enough to be a stay at home mom with Emersyn. I never doubted this was my ultimate goal, but I had no idea how amazing it could actually be.  Yes, I spent 5 years earning a degree just in case being a mom wasn't in the cards for me and I use that knowledge every time I introduce a new fruit or vegetable to E and we review the nutritional benefits :) I never imagined or planned my  life around being a mom so soon, but boy am I glad I am not the one in control! I could not imagine a plan any greater.
Emersyn, I LOVE being your mommy.  Here is to the next 6 months being even more enjoyable than the first 6. I wish time could pause or slow down just for a second, but I know there is no such thing, so we will have fun and absorb all the time together that we can.  I will cherish everyday with you, even the days when you won't nap and pitch fits, and be thankful for your cries.  I love you more than I ever thought was possible, and this love only increases daily.  I can't wait to see what all you do this next month, I am sure you will continue to amaze and surprise me. You are such a precious gift, and I hope you always know that your mommy loves you, No. Matter. What :) I love you, Emy-boo!




Sunday, May 13, 2012

Mother's Day 2012




Today, as well as this entire week, has been such a blessing and a wonderful celebration of my first Mother's Day. Lance completely outdid himself and celebrated every day. He brought me gifts (new running shoes, chocolate, and an upgrade in our satellite channels so I could watch Fox and Friends in the morning :) ), he took off work a couple of days, helped me paint our living room, and a host of other sweet surprises to help me celebrate being a mom. Of course, I didn't need or expect any of this, it's just a testament to the wonderful husband he is :) just loving on sweet E and BoJackson was plenty enough for me. This Mother's Day was even more special because we had Emersyn's baby dedication at church. Sweet girl wore one of my Feltman Brothers bubbles from when i was her age :)  It was a wonderful day with my precious family, just loving on each other and thanking God for this beautiful blessing of family he has given us!
One year ago, Lance and I had just shared with the world that we were going to be parents. Lance took me out to lunch because I was craving meat and we dreamed about what we would be doing on this day one year later. Neither of us would have imagined what parenthood would truly bring us, or what an amazing blessing it would be. We had no idea how hard, yet how rewarding it would be, and we surely had no idea how much our capacity to love would increase. I have known my whole life I wanted to be a mom. Some people have desires and callings to be many things, mine has always been a mom, and thankfully my desires matched God's plan for my life and sent me Lance who had the same wishes for a family. When we found out we were going to be parents, I was terrified although it is all I ever wanted. The second I s aw Emersyn, I felt complete. My ability to love others multiplied the second I looked in her sweet eyes. I was able to love my parents more because I understood their love for me as parents, I loved Lance more for helping create this beautiful baby,and I even loved complete strangers. I developed a burning desire in my heart to love others more than ever before and to love children. The love I have for Emersyn is unexplainable. I understand now all of the times my parents said, "we are doing this because we love you". I understand why my dad always tried to force my mom to do something for herself, but she would always take it all and use it towards me and Luke. 
Being Emersyn's mom is the greatest title I could ever have and the proudest title, even on days I barely get a shower and smell like spit-up. I love my sweet girl more than I could have ever imagined loving anyone and I am so thankful she was given to Lance and I to raise. Emersyn Ruth,you are an amazing little girl and your mommy will love you forever and ever. You will always be my baby girl. Thank you, Emersyn, for making me a mommy :)

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Happy 5 Months, Emersyn (well, 5 1/2 :) ) !

Big girl is sitting up

Precious baby girl

Best friends

They fight over Bo's toys :)

:)

Kissy lips :)

This is what my mornings look like :)

Sweet love fell asleep swinging

Mommy and Gran bought this outfit for her the day we found out we were having a baby girl :)
How is my sweet child making her way into her 6th month of life already?? Emersyn is such a big girl and Lance and I are so blessed to be her parents. E is learning and growing everyday. She LOVES her Baby Einstein movie, and has traded interest in her toys lately for BoJackson's toys! So, extremely gross! Bo and E both love playing together and think it is hilarious. E is quite the chatter box lately and loves to call Bo. I think they have their own way of communicating :) Emersyn is as close to being mobile as possible. She gets on her knees, puts her booty in the air and rocks back and forth. Just today, she has started pushing up on her arms while she's got her rear up, as soon as she figures out those two things go together, she is GONE! She even tried to pull up up on her toy box today- yes PULL UP! She is quite the advanced child :) I blame it on her large frame :) We are counting down the days until our next doctor visit. I am already dreading shots, but looking forward to seeing how big sweet E is! We started solid foods about a week before E's 5 month birthday and she LOVES it! So far, she has had sweet potatoes, avocado, spinach, carrots, peas, and her first fruit- bananas and apples :) Sweet girl loves to eat (is that a surprise?) We are still settling into things here in PA. We have met and developed a beautiful friendship with some great people- such an answered prayer! I have a running buddy, Lance has a basketball buddy, and E just adores their girls! E has made some friends at church, she likes the boys. We had a talk, no boyfriends until she is 30, but I am thankful she is getting interaction with other babies instead of just Bo :) Lance is working diligently at his research and I am teaching an RPM class and staying home with E and Bo :) In 2 weeks, our sweet girl will be halfway through her first year! I'm still trying to figure out where time has gone :) Being your mommy is such a blessing and I love you more each day, sweet E!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The beautiful circle of life

We are finally beginning to settle in our new home in Pennsylvania! There is only one box and I don't see it moving anytime soon, so I am trying to overlook it- it is full of all of our framed pictures and I am just way too indecisive to decide on where I want to put those now. We spent this past weekend painting our master bedroom and the dining room- which is the most gigantic dining room I have ever been in, and didn't realize it until I was about to cry from paint exhaustion! Our new bedroom suite was also delivered and is absolutely beautiful. It is finally becoming OUR home, and we love it! I will start posting pictures once we start completing spaces :) We love our little neighborhood, our neighbors are awesome, I found a gym with fabulous instructors and a ton of Les Mills classes, Lance is settling in to his research at the university, we found a church that we love, and one of the coolest things about PA- no sales tax on groceries! (yes, I feel like an old woman getting excited over such a thing!) Our biggest adventure so far has been trying to get car tags- so far, we have a tag on one car and are waiting on more paperwork for the other- a word to the wise if anyone who reads this blog is planning a move to Pennsylvania in the near future... be prepared for 12 trips and many headaches over car tags. My favorite line from Lance during our last excursion to AAA was "Well, Rick Santorum just lost my vote just because he is from this dumb state!"
I know, so far this blog relates in no way to the blog title... I'm gettting there. On April 4th, 17 years ago I lost one of the most influential men in my life- my granddad. I only had him here for 7 short years, but no one has made such an impact. Ever since he left us, whenever I have an important event in my life my dad always says "Do you wonder what granddad would think if he were still here?" Each and every time that brings tears to my eyes because if only he could have been here to see me go off to Auburn, run Boston, graduate college, get married, and have a baby! I can only imagine what he would say and how much he would love Emersyn :) Thankfully, he left a beautiful legacy and implanted himself in so many ways in my dad and his brothers. My dad reminds me so much of him, especially of the grandparent he is to Emersyn. I am so blessed to have had my granddad for the short 7 years that I did, and my dad to carry on his name and greatness my entire life, Not one day has passed in the past 17 years that I have not thought of my granddad and I doubt that will ever change. Since junior high school, I have kept a picture of granddad and me on my nightstand (it is in the unpacked box of pictures still!), and every picture we take of E and my dad I can only help but think "this may be the picture Emersyn keeps on her nightstand when she is married :) Althoough, I sure hope she has her Peeps to be with in person!
As I have spent this day remembering my precious granddad, I have done this while watching my precious little girl amaze me with every little sound and movement she makes. What a precious gift life is! E has grown up so much over the past couple of weeks. She has started rolling over from her back to tummy (she has been rolling from her tummy since 7 weeks). She has started jabbering and laughing at everything, of course BoJackson is her favorite. She calls Bo, and it is the sweetest little sound in the world. She looks right at him and squeals until he comes towards her, and when he does she will just smile and laugh like it is the funniest thing she has ever seen. Bo adores E just as much, and HATES to hear she is upset- he will pace the house and just look at us like "Do you know my baby is crying?!" E has become even more of a daddy's girl, she absolutely adores Lance! Of course, there are still times when no one but mommy can console her little soul :) Her hands are CONSTANTLY in her mouth, as well as anything else she can grab. You can not take your eyes off of this child. Last night, I sat her in the chair with Bo while I got ready to feed her, before I knew it she had leaned over and grabbed one of Bo's back legs and was headed straight to her mough with it. I laughed so hard I hurt, when E saw me laughing, she thought it was hilarious and started laughing as well. Definitely one of those times you wish you had the video camera on and ready to capture that moment :)
I am in complete disbelief that my baby is 4 1/2 months old! She is growing up a little more each day and becoming such a big girl. Her independence breaks my heart some days, but I am so thankful she is a healthy baby :) I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds for our little angel!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Happy 4 Months, Sweet Emersyn



I can NOT believe another month has passed! I have had to take notes so I would remember all of the new, fun things she has done this month. Little girl is growing up so much, and is too much fun! Her little personality is adorable, she is becoming quite the social butterfly and will melt any stranger's heart with her sweet smile. She loves to hear you whistle, and talk like Donald Duck. She is eating like a champ and taking great naps as well. You never know how she is going to sleep, some nights are a solid 8-10 hours, others she may wake up every 2-3 hours.
My favorite thing that has happened in the past month is that Emersyn has discovered BoJackson, and he is by far her favorite thing to play with. She will sit and just laugh at him if he is near, and if he gets close enough she is reaching for him. Unfortunately she doesn't understand "be easy" and when she reaches for him, she grabs as much fur and skin as she can and tries to take it right to her mouth. He doesn't necessarily like this, but since Bo is so "special" he forgets quickly and is ready to play again soon :)
E is so close to rolling from her back to her belly and she gets SO mad when she gets stuck! She is also almost sitting up on her on, she just needs a little more core strength to get more upright :) She loves to jibber jabber and communicate with anyone who will listen. She also tries to talk to Bo when she wants to play :) Yes, it is precious! Throughout all the moving and unpacking we have discovered that E loves to be in her Baby Bjorn! She will ride in it until she passes out. If I ever meet the Baby Bjorn creator, I will kiss them, this has been a lifesaver!
E went for her 4 month check-up and is a whopping 16 pounds 11.7 ounces and 25 1/2 inches long!!! She had an awful time with shots, but is feeling much better now. I am already dreading our 6 month shots.  On the bright side, though, I love love love her new pediatrician. What an answered prayer she is.  
We are so thankful for such a sweet and healthy baby girl! On to month 5, sweet E, and I can't wait to see all of the new and fun things you do next :)

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Welcome to Pennsylvania, Haney family!

I have written and erased this blog over and over because I just can't get it right. I am posting it this time despite whatever imperfections I find :) 
This past Tuesday morning our journey began to Pennsylvania. I had lost sleep and stressed for weeks about how we were ever going to travel 900+ miles with an almost 4 month old and nervous puppy. When Tuesday morning finally rolled around, I just had to buckle everyone in and hope for the best. My dad and brother traveled with us and drove our other car so that Lance and I could ride together with E, that was a blessing! We left Corner, AL at 5:30 am and drove all day long. Emersyn did amazingly well, as did Bo (he was under the influence of tranquilizers!) We drove from Alabama, through Tennessee, on to Kentucky (which is beautiful), and got to our first day destination of Huntington, West Virginia. We arrived sooner than we expected and checked in to our hotel for the evening. We had spent 9 hours on the road that day.  
Day #2 (Wednesday morning) we left around 6am headed for Pennsylvania. E did very well the first few hours, then through the end of West Virginia and Maryland, the ridiculous changes in elevation caused her ears to start aching and she was NOT a happy camper. We stopped 2-3 times within a 10 minute span to hold her because that is all she wanted. She eventually cried while I rubbed her ears and fell asleep- my heart was broken. She didn't wake up until we had made it into Pennsylvania, and actually only about 15 miles from our home. We stopped at this town and had lunch, then met our realtor at the house (so I could finally see it!) 
We got off the interstate and turned into our community and I fell in love. Banners lined the brick sidewalks and people were out walking dogs and pushing strollers everywhere! The town is beautiful and full of Victorian homes and businesses, it feels like you have stepped back in time. When we got to our house, it was even more beautiful than the pictures I had seen, I knew it was perfect. We made a final walk through and decided where we would put what furniture and what colors paint we wanted to change. We took Emersyn and BoJackson on a walk and just loved every second. We were supposed to close on our little home the next day, Thursday, but it was starting to look like that may get pushed back a day or two. I crossed my fingers and held on to the little hope that was left that we would close and be in our house by the weekend..... well, it is Sunday and I am writing this blog from a hotel room that we have lived in since Wednesday, but the good news is WE CLOSE TOMORROW!! And we are having a new king size Tempurpedic bed delivered Wednesday morning :) 
I have been completely stressed out and have felt at times like my world has been flipped upside down, but everything is finally coming together and calming down and I really am enjoying it here. Emersyn has made the transition greater than I could have ever imagined, and has grown up so much during this adventure. BoJackson has learned to stay on a leash (which is HUGE if you know him!), and Lance and I are learning to really depend on each other since we don't know another soul here. 
The weather has been beautiful although extremely unseasonably warm, but I have loved runs around campus and trips around town. I have been very impressed with all of the nice folks we have met or spoken to. I have realized there are no babies around here, and everyone lights up when Emersyn enters a room- she draws so much attention to be so small. Because of this, she has become quite the social butterfly, she loves to get attention and will smile and jibber jabber with anyone :)
Lance is very excited about starting work next Monday, until then we have a week to hopefully get the house in some order. My sweet mom is coming to stay with us, so that will help out so much. I can't thank my precious daddy and brother enough for all of their help with the move, Luke spent his spring break driving cross country for no reason other than to get to Pennsylvania and sit in a hotel room :) 
This has already been such an adventure, but I have really enjoyed it. I am excited for all that is in store for our little family over the next couple of years, I know this will be a time we will cherish forever. We are looking forward to all of the new friends we will make and the family traditions we will begin here. Welcome to the Haney family's world, Pennsylvania, we can't wait to see what you have in store!

Monday, March 12, 2012

15/16 weeks

Our sweet girl is growing up extremely too fast.  She is becoming such a big girl. She loves to try and sit up by herself and is so close to rolling over from her back to her belly. She has the sweetest personality with a smile that will melt your heart. She loves to be entertained with funny faces and sounds, she loves to try and communicate back with sweet sounds. 
Emersyn is growing like a weed! She is so long and we estimate she weighs about 15lbs. She has her 4 month doctor's appointment in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, March 21st. We are very excited to meet her new doctor. 
Speaking of Pennsylvania, our journey north starts early tomorrow morning! We have about an 8 hour journey (not including stops for E) planned for tomorrow and are planning to make it to West Virginia. Wednesday morning we will set out again and make it to Pennsylvania by that afternoon/evening. We are praying for safety and happiness for little E during the trip. 
We have been staying in the country with Gran and Peeps since the movers packed up our home this past Friday, and it has been a sweet little vacation :) We all got to visit our precious Maxie's grave which is here in the country. We have got to spend time with some of our sweetest friends and family before our big move. It has been just lovely and I can't wait for our next visit to see all of these sweet people again. 
Today Lance and I celebrated a special day- 2 years ago we said 'I do'. It was a very laid back and relaxed anniversary but perfect in every way. It was so nice to have little Emersyn to celebrate it with :) Happy anniversary, sweetheart, here is to many, many more! 

Here are some new pictures of our little angel, she is too sweet!

E is not a big napper, but so sweet when she does :)

Love this little smile! E went to church in the country and loved seeing such sweet people who love her so much!



E LOVES to go for runs :)

Monday, February 20, 2012

Happy 3 Months, Emersyn!


These months have started going by a little too fast! If you have a secret to slowing them down, I would love to hear it :) 
Little girl is not at all a "little" girl anymore but quite the healthy, chubby little one. I just love her sweet fat cheeks! After all that we went through the first two weeks with E not gaining weight, then losing weight I will gladly take my sweet, chubby girl. She is wearing 3 month clothes but busts out of the legs, so 3- 6 months has been the more desirable option with her long legs :) 
Her little personality is starting to shine and she is SO MUCH FUN! I love play time and look forward to every second of it. She hates not being able to sit up all the time, and constantly tries to pull herself to a sitting up position, even in your lap :( I try to tell her to just relax and be a baby, but she is quite hard headed and determined! She absolutely LOVES her Einstein bouncy toy (we stack Lance's thermodynamics books under her feet so she can bounce!) She will bounce in it, then pull herself up, play with her friends for a minute, then start the sequence over. She has started babbling at her little sea friends on her bouncy and her play mat, and it is so funny to listen to. Little girl has a lot to say already :) Her sweet smile lights up the room, and I keep holding my breath waiting on a giggle to come out!
She has settled back into her good sleep routine of  8-10 hours of sleep at night, a long (about 2 hours) nap, and  1 or 2 shorter naps during the day. She is absolutely precious to wake up to, so happy and smiley :) She still sleeps with me, and I'm in no hurry to move her to her big girl room. I will definitely not try anything until we are settled in Pennsylvania- too much change for a little girl! For the first time this past weekend, E put herself to sleep while Lance was holding her. This child has NEVER just fallen asleep. We had a moving company at the house to give us a quote, and Lance was walking around with Emersyn in his arms and she just fell right to sleep. She didn't fuss, didn't need her mommy, nothing- I was so sad, she is growing up too fast! Later that day, I went to buy groceries and she did it again- such a daddy's girl! She LOVES her daddy to pieces and has him tightly wound around her little finger :) 
Mommy loves you so much, E, and is having the time of her life watching you grow up! You are so much fun and the greatest blessing I have ever received. I lay in bed every night and  thank God for giving you to me to love and raise- you are wonderful and I love you SO MUCH!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Haney's Are on the Move... Again...

We bought a house... in Pennsylvania! And, yes, we will be living in it in a few weeks. What's been happening in the Haney house? Well, besides sleepless nights since E has reverted back to a newborn sleep pattern at night, Lance was offered and accepted a phenomenal post-doc position at Penn State. He will be doing cutting edge research on some really cool stuff. Since I write this blog, in my words and understanding, he will be making things invisible and bending light on a flat lens that has properties like a curved lens (and we aren't talking about sunglasses lenses :) ) But, seriously, he will be doing a lot of extremely smart research that could improve technology leaps and bounds over the next 10-20 years. The university gave Lance many responsibilities while he is there that will only further improve his resume' and make him a very competitive candidate for a professor position after these 2 years are up. Of course, we are praying night and day for a position to be in preparation for him at Auburn. However, after making this compromise, we have agreed we will search for positions at schools in the 2011 South Eastern Conference :) (before Texas A&M and Missouri were added in!) 
Lance went to school all these years and earned his doctorate to have a job just like this and eventually be a professor. When this opportunity presented itself, it would have been silly to turn it down. I would love more than anything to be back in Auburn, where so many of our friends and relationships are.  I miss the gym I taught at and the members, our precious small group that is irreplacable, my sweet friends who I worked with, and just the charm of the town itself. I would do anything for us to be able to have a fighting chance at being back there, hence agreeing on this northern adventure.
So, we are going North- WAY North where a Yankee accent is prevalent, stay at home moms aren't in existence, sweet tea can't be ordered, and "y'all" is replaced with "you's guys". Am I ready? Nope, not hardly. I have my stereotypes as I am sure they will have about me but hopefully we can live amongst each other in peace. I will carry my southern charm with pride and maybe, just maybe, spread some cheerfulness to the northern folk :) I am going to miss my mama, my daddy, my sweet baby brother, my dear friends, and sweet home Alabama more than words can express. I keep reminding myself this will be a short stay and God willing we will be closer in a short time. My mom and I have mapped out a travel schedule for a remainder of this year already, we do not do very well apart. I have never been so thankful for the genius mind behind Skype as I am penciling in Skype dates with my dearests daily! A large piece of my heart will be in this sweet state, but another huge piece will be with me in Pennsylvania. 
I am looking forward to the adventure living in Pennsylvania will bring, it will be something I have never experienced before and hopefully a chance for our little family to only become closer and learn to depend on each other even more. E will surely have snowmen pictures to look back on and we are campaigning for a trip to NYC to see the tree at Rockefellar Center be lit. 
Speaking of the fun news, our new home :) We purchased a beautiful Victorian home in a rural area outside of State College. We are both in love with it, and have always wanted to own a beautiful Victorian :) It was built in 1890 and is full of charm. The community is full of restored Victorians and has a nice neighborly feel about it. The town has sidewalks running all through it which we hope to take E for jogs on. We have a list of projects that should keep us busy to help spruce the house up a bit, but nothing serious has to be done. We close on March 15th and will be Pennsylvania residents then.  Here is a picture the current owners sent us during one of the latest snow storms. I plan to deliver cookies to all of our neighbors once we are moved in and greet them with a nice "Hey, y'all we are the Haney's :)"

Please remember our family (both immediate and extended) as we prepare for this move- with our sweet little Emersyn who will not quite be 4 months old when we make the move. I am rather terrified, but pray God is preparing special friends and a dear home church for our family to help ease the home sickness. I pray that in this and everything else our little family embarks on is following with God's will for our lives and we remain Christ-centered in it all. What a journey we have ahead of us :)

Sunday, February 5, 2012

10 and 11 weeks

Our sweet Emersyn has been growing like a weed and getting to be such a big girl! Everyday it seems she has grown more and has a new trick. She is such a sweet joy to be around and has shown me more love than I ever knew was possible. Her precious smile is the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen, and we are on the brink to out loud laughing :) She laughed once this past week in her sleep and it was absolutely adorable, then once again at her Gran during bath time.
Sweet girl is becoming very active! She has even started to become less of a fan of her bouncy seat because she can't move her arms and legs as freely as she wants :) She spends most of her time on her Baby Einstein mat kicking her legs and holding onto her octopus friend. Tummy time is starting to transition from rolling over time to trying to crawl time. No, we are not ready for this! Now, on her tummy she gets her hands in place, pokes her booty in the air and starts moving her legs. I'm sure we are probably a couple of months out from mobility but still that is a couple of months too soon! Where has my baby gone??
In the past couple of weeks, one of E's favorite new habits is chewing on her hands. She has found her thumb and fingers and thinks it is the greatest thing to have them in her mouth. She wakes me up most mornings sucking on the side of her hand :) She has also started grabbing things and moving them towards her mouth...uh oh! 
I have a feeling E and BoJackson are going to be the BEST of friends. They absolutely adore each other. Since we lost our sweet angel Max, I think Bo has really found a friend E. He gets so excited when she wakes up from a nap and he starts dragging his toys out. We got him and Max each a huge squeaky bone for Christmas and Bo loves bringing them to Emersyn when she is playing. Play time for E means play time for BoJackson :) She smiles so big when he jumps up in her face to give her loving. We can't wait for her to get big enough to hear stories of her brother, Maximus.
I can't believe we are getting this close to a 3 month birthday. I am in complete denial, but enjoying every second of bliss with sweet little E. Here are some recent pictures of our little angel!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Happy 2 Months, Big Girl Emersyn


Look at that big, sweet, chubby angel. Little Emersyn is growing up extremely too fast! The little bit who couldn't keep weight on and had weekly weight checks is now tipping the scales at 12 lbs, 3 oz and is 23 inches long! Her check up was perfect and her doctor confirmed she is a bundle of beautiful perfection :) 
E has been up to a lot this past month. She started rolling from her belly to her back, smiling and communicating when you talk to her, and sleeping 6-8 hours at night pretty regularly. She LOVES to play with her toys and has many friends, her favorite is the blue octopus that hangs from her Baby Einstein activity mat. She has begun to reach for her toys and kick her chubby legs constantly. Actually, trying to capture her 2 month pictures was much more difficult from one month because she kept wanting to roll over and her legs were kicking the entire time! She is so much fun to play and communicate with.
I look at Emersyn everyday and try to explain to her how much I love her, but I know she won't truly understand until she is a mommy herself. I never knew I could love someone so much. All I have ever wanted to be was a mom and, Emersyn, I hope you know you have made that dream come true for your mommy and even better than I ever imagined :) I love you so much, sweet girl, and can't wait to see what another month holds!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Big Girl Rolls Over!

This came out of nowhere today. We put little Emersyn on her pallet to play, and look what she did :)










 Yes, people, at 7 weeks and 6 days old! This came after she slept a solid 8 hours last night! I can't handle it...my baby is growing up way too fast!