Christmas Decorating

The week of thanksgiving Bryson and I decided that since we were going to be gone the last couple weeks of December we'd decorate a little early. So I got all the decorations we had out and transformed our living room into a winter wonderland (okay there's no snow, but the room is full of twinkling lights and wonderfully smelling evergreens). We got our tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and spent the rest of the day decorating the tree and putting up the Christmas lights on the house. Emerson didn't really know what was going on, but he did love all the lights! We even let him play with some of the extra lights...until he tried to put them in his mouth, then he was done. :) I'm really happy with how the tree and living room turned out (After living in apartments, all our decorations fit in one room. We decided we'll expand the decorating throughout the rest of the house next year.) and we love spending time in there! Enjoy some pictures of the decorations around the living room and our sweet boy being introduced to Christmas lights.

The tree after the lights and before the ornaments. And yes the star is off kilter. The tree is straight, but the very top branch has a kink in it. I think it gives it character.

What are these bright things?

I think he likes them!

6 Months!

Our little boy is six months old! It has gone by so fast and it's amazing how much he's grown and changed. As I read about friends who are in the first weeks and months of new motherhood I think back to when Emerson was a few weeks old. I loved cuddling with Emerson as he slept, giving him his first bath and waiting patiently for that first smile. I loved that time with my son and my husband. But even though there are times where I miss those quieter days, I am loving these busy and fun-filled days.

Emerson is a bundle of energy. He sits up on his own and pretty much has his balance figured out. He loves to play in his exersaucer and loves to "talk" to the animals on his saucer. Emerson's always been a noise maker and babbler but now his babbles are slowly sounding like words! He says 'mama' and 'dada,' although he usually says them when he's crying or upset and he doesn't quite put the name with the person yet. But I think he's figuring it out. He's been sleeping in his bassinet in his room (we tried to move him to his crib back in September but it didn't work out) but we finally moved him into his crib and this time it's been great! He is such a good sleeper. Our journey into solid foods continues and it gets better and better. We tried pears the other night and he couldn't get enough of them! We are having so much fun with our sweet boy! I leave you with photos of another Emerson first: playing in the leaves! He's not sure how he feels about them, but we did get a few smiles so it must have not been all bad. Enjoy!

Hi Mom!

I'm not so sure about this whole leaf thing...

I'm sorry I just have to say it. How cute is he?!

Solids

That's right folks, Emerson has started on solids! At his four month appointment, Emerson's doctor said that we could start introducing solids. We tried some rice cereal soon after but he really wasn't interested. We took a little break and tried again a couple weeks ago. Emerson still wasn't a big fan of the rice cereal but he still ate some of it! Since then we've introduced first sweet potatoes (which he really liked!), and just recently we've given him carrots. He's still working on how to get the food off the spoon, so consequently it goes everywhere. But we're all having a fun time discovering the world of solid foods together!

I don't know about this rice cereal mom!

Family Pictures

Here's one of the family pictures that our wonderful friend Jill took after a church activity last week. It's not an easy task to get a 5 1/2 month old to look at the camera. But we finally have a recent family photo! I think the last family photo we took was when Emerson about a month old!

Halloween Party

Our ward had a Halloween party on Wednesday and of course we had to dress Emerson up! Can you guess what he was?! A monkey! You can't see it very well but he has a curly tail and the bottom of his feet say "Cheeky Monkey." He wasn't so sure about the costume or the Halloween party. He mostly had his head on my shoulder and stared wide eyed at everything that was going on. Bryson and I were going to be zoo keepers but then we got sick and making our costumes went right out the window. Don't worry, we are for sure dressing up next year!

Kindred Spirits

So I'm not the best at keeping in touch with my friends. I admit it. I'm an independent person and when I get busy with life and my family I forget to keep up those relations with friends. Now don't think I don't care. I love my friends and I am fiercely loyal to them, but life can be hectic and with these dear people in my life living all over the United States it can be hard to keep that constant contact. Some people in the past haven't understood that about me and unfortunately taken offence, and I feel terrible about that because my close friends become like family to me.

With Halloween coming up and it being Emerson's first, I was thinking about how I've spent past Halloweens. Immediately I thought of the Halloween right after I graduated from College. Bryson and I were just beginning our relationship. He was in Illinois and I was in Provo. I was unsuccessfully trying to find a job and treading water in what my next step was in life. Then enters my wonderful dear Siamese twin, Amy. I walked over to her house and hung out with her while she carved Mona (she carved the Mona Lisa into a pumpkin..It was so cool!) It was a wonderful night filled with candy, sweets, and wonderful conversation.

Amy moved to my home town when we were in high school. We knew each other but really didn't become close till she came to BYU and we reconnected. We were in the same choirs and became attached at the hip, which is a pretty funny sight because I'm 4 foot 11 inches and she's 6 foot. We were together so much that I friend of ours dubbed us the siamese twins. We cried a little, laughed a lot and had a wonderful time together. The amazing thing about our relationship is that although we don't see each other often, when we get the chance to talk, it's like we saw each other yesterday! And then we talk a mile a minute, catching up on each other's lives. Amy is so sweet, kind, generous, a wonderful mother, wive and friend, and I could go on and on. She is the sister I never had and I love my Siamese twin!

Now there is one more person who joined our merry little band a little later but is my other dear friend. The year Amy and I got into Concert Choir at BYU, I had the wonderful opportunity to stand by Aubrey. In the words of Ann of Green Gables, we were kindred spirits from the beginning. She is thoughtful, kind, funny, caring and again, I could go on and on. (These are amazing women!) She is another person that, although we don't see each other often, when we get to talk it's like we saw each other yesterday! I love that! So put the three of us together and we became fast friends and had so much fun together! I remember both Amy and Aubrey came with me when I needed more practice on the freeway (I hadn't done a lot of freeway driving at that point in my life. Now the freeway and I are good friends). We would drive from Provo to American Fork on the freeway and then drive back on State street. We got together for birthdays. I introduced Aubrey to her husband, and when they began dating we all triple dated. I love these two incredible women and am so blessed and privileged to call them my friends. I know that while we live far away (Utah, Wisconsin, and Texas), these are life long friendships and I am so grateful for that. Thank you dear friends and I love you both!

Amy and I on Halloween cleaning out Mona.

Us at Amy's bridal shower.

Aubrey and I after our first concert in Concert Choir.

Aubrey and I at the Strawberry Days Rodeo. One of our triple dates!

The three of us after a concert.

Fall in Janesville

A few weeks ago Bryson, Emerson and I took a walk down to the Frosty Freeze. It was closing for the winter and we wanted to grab one last candy freeze. So good!! On the way I took some pictures of the fall foliage. Here are some of the beautiful trees we saw along the way and our favorite dessert place. See you next spring Frosty Freeze!

Fall flowering plant in our backyard. I did a little research and I'm pretty sure this is an Aster Amellus.

Next door neighbor's tree

I love all the different colors in this tree.

This picture doesn't do the tree justice. It was so vibrant and almost had a glow to it.

Close up of the tree above.

So good!

Cute!

Just some cute photos of Emerson from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Emerson loves his saucer!

Daddy's little buddy.

How cute is he?!

Four Month Stats.

No matter how hard I try I can't him to smile for the camera. He'd rather study it then smile at it. It's a work in progress. :)

We finally had Emerson's four month checkup yesterday and he is doing great! Everything looks good, and he has a tooth starting to come in. He also had more shots, and he did so good! He cried while getting the shots but he calmed down once Bryson picked him up. He's was a little cranky and clingy throughout the day but overall a happy little guy! Here are his stats:

Weight: 16 lbs. 12 oz. (72%)

Height: 25" (36%)

Head Cir.: 43.3cm (66%)

What do you think?

Bryson wanted some new pictures he could use for work, so we headed out to our backyard and had some fun! Here are two that are at the top. Which one do you like?

Lately

It's been a while since I've posted so this will be a long post, but there will be pictures. Enjoy!

Life has been busy, crazy and fun! UW Rock County started up at the beginning of September so Bryson is back to teaching. He's added another choir at U-Rock which is exciting, and he's also conducting the Festival Choir of Madison, which he's really enjoying. It's been a bit of adjustment being only Emerson and I after having Bryson home all summer, but I think we've figured out a great routine and now are having a great time! I helped out at the University bookstore the first couple weeks of school and that was a bit of a rough time for Emerson. It took a little while to get him back on a schedule, but he was such a trooper through the whole thing.

Emerson is getting so big! We've had a lot of friends in our ward have babies and it's amazing to see in a few months how much Emerson has grown and changed! Gone are the days of sleeping all day and cuddling with mom and dad. Now he wants to see everything that's going on. Here's some of the things he's been up to.

-He loves to smile and laugh but also loves to study everything and everyone. That's what comes from having academic parents I guess. I love to research!! :)

-There are no teeth yet but he's definitely become a drooler and basically puts everything in his mouth which he then chews on. I'm sure we'll be seeing some teeth peeking through in the near future.

-Emerson's been able to play and bat at his toys for a while but now he's figured out how to grip and pick up his toys...and of course put in them in his mouth.

-He's been able to sit up for a while but he's really close to sitting with no one helping him. Right now he sits up on his own for a couple seconds and then sees something he wants and leans that way and falls over. :) Once we work on balance a bit I think he'll have it down.

-Our biggest news...Emerson finally rolled over yesterday! He's been trying to figure it out but couldn't quite get the motion down. Well everything came together and he finally did it! Now he can't be stopped. Every chance he got yesterday he was rolling over. He doesn't know how to roll onto his back yet so he gets mad after being on his stomach for a while, but it's exciting!

I don't have stats for him because his pediatrician has been out of town on vacation but once he's had his appointment next week I'll post about how he's doing. Overall he's a sweet and happy baby. We love him so much and love not only seeing him grow but discover the world around him!

One of his favorite things to do...staring out the window at the tree our front yard.

This is how he loves to sleep...with his face buried in the blanket.

Hello!

Here he is rolling on his side...

...almost there...

...and we're on the tummy! Mission accomplished!

Emerson trying to roll over on the changing table. Now that he knows how, he tries to roll over everywhere.

Photo Challenge: Day 30

Day 30: In Motion

Last day of the photo challenge! This has been so fun and I love that it's gotten me in the habit of using my camera again. This picture I actually took last weekend. Bryson and I took my mom to the farmer's market and while she and Bryson grabbed some last minute things, I sat down with my sleeping baby and watched the hustle and bustle of the market.

He is so cute!

Photo Challenge: Day 29

Day 29: Purchased

Today Bryson went back to work to get ready for the fall semester and I went to help out in the college bookstore for a couple weeks, all with Emerson in tow. In the craziness of getting ready this morning, we didn't get anything for lunch. Jimmy John's to the rescue!

Photo Challenge: Day 28

Day 28: Daily Routine

You can usually find me after breakfast and throughout the day with my planner open in front of me. It's pretty much with me wherever I go.

Photo Challenge: Day 27

Day 27: After Dark

The tree in the front yard.

Photo Challenge: Day 26

Day 26: Something Old

This is a picture of my maternal grandmother when she was young and her parents. Most of my mom's side of the family are gone so I cherish the pictures my mom has and the stories she tells me.

Photo Challenge: Day 25

Day 25: Sunflare

Photo Challenge: Day 24

Day 24: A Smile

My mom came out from Oregon to visit for a week and we had so much fun! The last time she saw Emerson was when he was two weeks old. He had a great time with Grandma and can't wait to see her again at Christmas! We love you!!

Photo Challenge: Day 23

Day 23: Sunset

If you look really hard you can see a little bit of pink down by the tree line. It had been cloudy and rainy all day so I was glad that the clouds cleared so we could catch a glimpse of the sunset.

Photo Challenge: Day 22

Day 22: Trees

Look at those big, green trees in our neighbor's yard. I love how lush and green the landscape is here in Wisconsin. It reminds me of growing up in Oregon.

Photo Challenge: Day 21

Day 21: Pretty Pattern

This pattern comes from Emerson's swing. Not only do I love the pattern but I also love the swing! Emerson wasn't such a fan of it at first but has come to really like it, and it helps mom and dad get more things done. :)

Photo Challenge: Day 20

Day 20: What I Read

This is what I'm currently reading. There are four in the series so far and I'm on the second book. I don't want to give anything away but I'll tell you that they deal with museums and Egypt, two wonderful things in my book, so check them out! :)