A Moment with the Mans Family.

This past weekend, Rob's parents came to visit.  I don't have a lot of time for detailed post, but I will leave you with these charming moments from our trip to the park.

Happy Monday.

Em explores my teeth. 

Maybe they are super exciting for someone who only has 3.5 teeth. 

And if you are thinking, "Boy, Keri must've not had a haircut in like 4 months!", 

you would be absolutely correct.

Great Job, Mans Family. Great. Job.

Just A'Swingin'

No, not that kind of swingin'. Get your head out of the gutter.

We took Em to the park this weekend for her first ride on the swings!  OHMYGOD nothing has ever made her more happy.

Photos and video!

We had a great weekend; Rob got to golf, and I got to go on a run with Edielicious AND to the farmer's market (which really just means that Edie, Alicia and I had coffee at Red Cat and talked about people we know).  Then, the three of us took Em for her first frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog and perusing around the mall.  I'm happy to report that Emerald still loves to shop. Sunday I had a bad headache which sucked, but I took a THREE HOUR NAP which was great.

But the best part was by far the swings.  I don't even care that I'm so lame that this was my favorite thing.  And that we took about ten million pictures.  Of a trip to the park. This. Is. Parenthood.

I DARE any photography studio to top these shots.  Perfect.

I have to admit that Rob took most of them.

Eating things in the park with Dad.

First Em tries a pine cone.

Then Dad tries some pine needles.

Then they look like a couple of pine...nuts.

And finally here is the video!

Happy Tuesday Everybody!

Dancing Queen

Em loves to dance! Especially in the mornings, which are her favorite time of day and Mom and Dad's least favorite time of day.  But she makes mornings better with her dance parties :)

We took one super great video this morning, but it was all choppy (the camera messed it up), so this is our "distant second" video of Em dancing.  I'm hoping to get a better one up soon.  One that doesn't also include her super snotty nose. I know, it's gross, but a fact of life.

But watch it anyway.  I'm sure you'll love watching her dance to "Twinkle Twinkle" by the all time favorite artist, FisherPrice.  I think this toy must have been marketed only in the South because it sounds like a total redneck is singing all the songs... You also get the added bonus of hearing me try to figure out why the toy won't play.   Her dancing style kind of reminds me of Snowball the dancing cockatoo.  

All around, a fun video for Friday!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Great Granny

This past weekend we went to visit my grandma!  We had a great time, and Bells had a great time playing with Granny's dog Tibby.

This is Granny with Em:

...And this is Em playing under a chair.

Also, for dinner last night, Rob and I had cheese and crackers.  And mojitos.  Best decision I've made in a while.

That is all, Happy Wednesday!

Let's get patriotic

...But first things first!

Em did great with the ear tube installation (and besides for a cold, we think she is doing very well!), this is her just a few hours later, looking a little tired but no worse for the wear:

I have no clue what she is playing with.  Looks like directions for something.

Marjelo is in town!  She came to our house for dinner last Friday night (Em was feeling social, even after getting surgery that morning!) and met Em for the first time (AND let me take a picture, AND said I could post it!). For those of you that don't know, Jel is anti-picture.  She'll grow out of it one day.

Marjelo looking great as always. Em is looking suspicious.  

Yesterday on the Fourth, we had a pretty laid back day.  We went to two bbq's and watched the Thunder on the Mountain Birmingham fireworks from our yard with our the Castellos and some friends of theirs.  Em slept through the WHOLE THING.

Recovering from a cold, this is how she feels about freedom.

Amy and 3/4 of her kids watching the fireworks.  
Very Norman Rockwell, if you ignore the cars and the whole "blowing up things" aspect...

I do have to say that having a day off in the middle of the week is very strange and sets a person up for many Thursday morning failures.

Happy Thursday!

An internet in her ears

Emerald is getting tubes in her ears tomorrow morning.  We are to be there at 5 a.m.

At her evaluation this morning, we found out that due to the fluid in her right ear, she has lost all the hearing on that side.  

Despite all this, she is still happy and energetic, a delightful child.  I can't imagine how she will be when she actually feels good.

Doc says that she will regain her hearing when the fluid drains out, and everyone says we will be bringing home "a different child".

I can't wait for her to feel better!

The Queen of TP

Spend time looking for the perfect toys for your baby.  Really, I dare you.  The ones that are not made of plastic from China.  The ones that are wooden, or don't make noise, or make delightful noises, promote development, and are painted with lead-free paint. 

She will prefer a pack of toilet paper, an empty ginger ale bottle, and a stick.  

But first I will update you on Father's Day.  We had to have it a week late, because as I mentioned in my previous post, we had to go to a conference on Father's Day.  Rob got a free drink on the plane, so I guess that was some consolation.  We took a picture of it with his iPod, but his iPod got lost on the trip, hereby making that trip (with the illnesses and everything) the BEST TRIP EVER.  

Anyway.  At daycare, Em "made" Rob this card (which is only sort of in the picture).  I thought it was great that the teachers thought to make it blue and orange for him.  A picture of them looking happy would be nice, but these pics of them looking EXACTLY LIKE EACH OTHER are way better.

For "Belated Father's Day", I made Rob this fancy-ish French Toast.  

Yes, Tommy, I did take this idea from that breakfast you made for us all those years ago.

Yes, Tommy, I still remember it as the only French Toast I have ever liked.

Before our big trip, we (read: Keri) had to pack up Emerald's stuff for her visit with Joy and Charlie.  BTW, how great was that guest post!?  Anyway, Em wanted to help with her own addition to the collection.

Dad's sock!  I will bring Dad's sock!

Just checking it's in there.

Em spent some time outside with Dad and Slick.

Hey Slick, check out what I've got.  It tastes pretty good! 

Now I'll have some!

(Look at Slick with his paw on her leg! Adorbs.)

Practicing for her country music album cover, gotta perfect that sultry "I don't care" face.

When we got home from our trip, there was SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY.  SO MUCH.  So naturally I piled it all in Em's room and shut the door.  I got around to folding it on Saturday, but Rob was gone so I had a little helper.

Another favorite toy:  receipts.

Guess I wouldn't have gotten reimbursed for that trip to Ann Taylor Loft anyway.

 And another favorite toy, this toilet paper I bought.  I'm considering sending these pictures to Quilted Northern to see if they'll make her a spokes-baby, haha! Also I have to say that I now know why every plastic bag in the world says "THIS IS NOT A TOY" on it.  Because there is nothing in the world a baby loves more than a crinkly plastic bag.  Except maybe dog food.

Why is TP the perfect toy?

Perfect for pulling up.  

Light enough to move around.

A good listener.

A friend when you need it.

Delicious.

In other news, her ears are still raging with infection, going on two months now.  We are getting evaluated for tubes on Thursday.

That is all.  Turns out I fail again at making it to the other side of the camera.  But you all know what I look like.  You also know that Em is much cuter :)