A Close Call

Open scene with mother and young son preparing to engage in bathtime. Young son has a somewhat small amount of vomit on his clothes, and mother feels it necessary to bathe the small rodent because he hasn't been bathed since last week. Mother carefully removes child's pajamas, pulling onesie over his baby-proportioned large head. The child's arms are fully extended in a "skin the bunny" fashion, yet still don't reach over his head. While still diapered and mother looking on, child gazes into the magical playpen with sparkling water and colorful squirt toys and sieves. A glob of drool escapes his lips and blends with the raging torrent below. Mother spreads the soft, downy towel on the floor for a quick swaddle after splashing fun is through. Excitement overcomes the young child as mother approaches to remove his diaper and give him total and complete freedom. She cautiously checks the diaper to make sure there are no rapscallions lying in wait. Eyeing a suspicious brown streak in the diaper, she examines the child's bottom to locate the source. Satisfied that child's bottom is clean, she begins lowering him into the bathtub. Just as she does so, the culprit manifests itself and enters the gentle waves. Mother pauses, unsure what to do. Child still dangles inches above the water in Mother's arms, unaware of what has come to pass, his body still in spasms of excitement. Mother lowers child into the water, and, forcing herself to continue on even though she realizes what she's about to do, scoops the swarthy knave from the water with her bare hand and nestles it in the safety of the used diaper. A laugh escapes her lips and she continues smiling as she bathes her young son, not only because he narrowly escaped, but also because she remembers a long time ago when she and her brother cowered at the opposite end of the bathtub when a smiliar villain was in pursuit and the brave heroine who was their mother saved them.

Reasons to Smile

There have been a lot of things to make me smile lately. Here are a few (in no particular order):

*Friends and family commenting on my blog.

*Our fixed dryer, which, for the first time in 3 1/2 years, dried clothes after only one cycle and did not start a fire. (This almost wasn't smile-worthy after the $200 repair, but it was still cheaper than buying a whole new dryer and it was SO worth it when my clothes were completely dry. Laundry day goes so much faster when you have a machine that works! The puzzling thing is, Ben's grandparents gave us the washer and dryer brand new as a wedding present so they both should've worked really well. I suppose I've only begun to appreciate the meaning of dry.)

*Our snazzy new dresser (thanks Comins!)
* Emerson helping me unload the dishwasher (It's his new best friend.)
*Having mashed potatoes for dinner last night. (My favorite food in the whole world.)

*It being officially uncool to have to STAND in the activity center. E and T like walking AROUND it all day playing. The toys are apparently still cool...they just like the option of being able to walk or crawl away.
*Thinking about my family coming for E's first birthday in only a few weeks!

*Thinking about my almost 2-year-old neighbor Taylee making her mermaid go potty on the little toilet. (Trust me, if you saw the picture, it would make you laugh at random times during the day too. She's such a cutie.)

*The smell of warm banana bread wafting through my house.

*Ben telling me he looked at our blog. (I wasn't even sure he knew we had one!)

*My newfound talent and obsession with caulking. (I have a really cool tool that makes it easy and pretty much perfect. But let's be honest, it takes some skillz.)

*Looking at the clock and realizing that E still has an hour left of his nap. (Mental fist pump.)

*Reading this book and laughing out loud when I'm home alone and then sheepishly laughing more because I think of what a loser I am to be laughing by myself.*Emerson watching the DVD screensaver and laughing hysterically as the little logo bounces off the sides.

* And this:

New Floor

As I mentioned in the Valentine's Day post, Ben and I installed new floors in our two upstairs bathrooms. It was an easy, relatively inexpensive improvement. Our linoleum was pretty ugly with marker stains all over it from the people who lived here before us. It was time for a change. I'll tell ya though, picking out the tile at the store is not easy. It looks completely different when you bring it home and put it next to your carpet, paint color, and cabinets. We chose something quite a bit lighter the first time and decided against it because it was way too similar to the carpet. Our friends suggested going darker (which we actually probably never would have thought of on our own....seriously, we're not that adventurous.) I didn't like this tile color at Lowe's, but when we brought it home I loved it.

Before

(Ok, I realize in this picture you have to look really close to even find the floor. It wasn't an official "before" picture, it was just one I had taken when posting pictures of the house when we moved in.)

After

Master bathroom before

After

Our snazzy new handles installed by handyman Ben

And in other exciting news, we painted the baseboards in both bathrooms white because we kind of hate the fake natural wood color that is throughout the house. So I guess we may be undertaking the whole house eventually. It looks really good white, but it's going to be so much work. Luckily we have like 3 1/2 more years in this house to get it done though.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Emerson looks drunk...but he just doesn't feel well.

There was a beautiful rainbow after the scary wind and rainstorm last week. There was a tornado watch apparently, and we were all ready to huddle in our downstairs bathroom. (We don't have a basement.) But I've often thought...why the downstairs bathroom? Why not the pantry under the stairs? There's food there. And then the thought of being trapped by five gallon buckets, metal shelves, and shards of china enters my mind. Then I'm immediately seized with claustrophobia. I guess I'll settle for the bathroom and take my chances dashing to the emergency kit in the garage--that is, if the tornado doesn't confiscate the emergency kit. Stupid funnel clouds. But, I digress. The rainbow was pretty. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of our Valentine's adventure because I forgot my camera. Ben planned a romantic date and surprised me by taking me ice skating--something I've always wanted to do since I was like 13. I thought it would be so romantic. It was so much fun! He wasn't expecting me to have any skillz, but he was unaware that at McMillan Elementary, we got to take ice skating lessons for 6 weeks during 5th and 6th grade. Woot woot. So was I lacking in skillz? I think not. Ben was particularly cute in his ice skates and even dared to do some turns with me. He didn't even fall! I was so proud.

After ice skating we opted for dinner at Chipotle because it is oh so good and wasn't very busy. I enjoyed my huge burrito a lot, but with my plugged nose (from my cold) it was less of a taste explosion than I wanted. :(

After dinner the REAL romance started. No no, not that...(ha ha). We took a trip to Lowe's to spend our gift money. You see, lately we've been making little improvements to our home and completely separately decided to give each other money to spend on something practical. Boring and unromantic maybe...but we're happy with it since we're not rolling in the dough right now. :) So Ben bought some faux tile with his mullah (we installed some last week and really liked it in our upstairs bathroom), and I bought handles for all our kitchen cupboards and drawers. Yay.

After that we tried to go to Confessions of a Shopaholic, but it was sold out, so we opted for a Redbox film instead. I picked out License to Wed and I thought it was kinda dumb. (Robin Williams isn't my favorite. He makes me uncomfortable. He's big into awkward situations, being crude, and yelling at people. Although I liked him in Hook and Jumanji.) I thought I might like this film because it has Jim from The Office on it. Alas, I did not. It was still nice of Ben to let me choose a chick flick for V-Day though. Thanks for the romantic date Ben, and thanks Emerson for being tired for the babysitters! (And thanks Richards for trading babysitting with us!)

Jerry Seinfeld

We were just getting ready to go out the door when Ben looked at Emerson and pointed out that in his ensemble, he looked just like Jerry Seinfeld. He totally does. All he needs is different hair. I could not stop laughing. :)

Ten Months Old!

Yesterday Emerson turned 10 months old! I can't believe it! These last few months have absolutely flown by.
At 10 months Emerson:
*Loves to look at books with Mom and Dad or by himself
*Walks when he feels like it
*Makes a break for the pantry whenever he makes it into the kitchen
*Loves to crawl away naked when I'm changing his diaper
*Sucks his thumb when he's going to sleep
*Thinks he's big when he uses his sippy cup
*Hugs his Pooh bear
*Likes to play with cords, shoelaces, and elastics
*Likes having his teeth brushed because he gets to swallow the fruit-flavored baby gel
*Gets excited when Dad comes home from school

We love you, Little E!

Big Helper

Emerson was being a "big helper" with the laundry the other day. Ben thought it would be funny to put him in the dryer. Don't worry though, we didn't close the door and turn it on. :) He thought it was a fun little place to peer out of. It probably reminded him of the caterpillar tunnel.

Grove City Church of the Nazarene

Peeking through the holes of the tunnel

Crawling out of the caterpillar tunnel

Playing with Taylee on the big ball

I know it's a mouthful, but it was a lot of fun. A bunch of ladies in our ward took their kids to this church that has a McDonald's playplace-type area. But it was even cooler because they had a play area for babies. Emerson had a blast! Sometimes he's kind of a solemn little kid and doesn't have a lot of expression on his face when he's having fun, but I could actually tell this time! There wasn't much that he could shake, but he had a fun time playing peek-a-boo through the holes of the little caterpillar tunnel. He also liked pushing around the giant ball. I felt bad that we had to leave because he was having so much fun playing.

(Notice that Emerson is wearing his "Uncle Tim shirt")

Air Force Museum

Mom and Emerson by the big airplane wheel

My disheveled child craning his neck to see the big planes

A few weeks ago we were bored and tired of being stuck inside due to the cold weather. After my ward basketball game (which we won!) we decided to drive to Dayton and go to the air force museum there. We were amazed at the size of the museum! There was so much to see, and we didn't get to all of it in the 2 1/2 hours we were there. We would love to go back again, and we'd love to take anyone who comes to visit.

Thoughts on Peaches

I know Mom, I need to post more pictures of E...

But in the meantime....

What is it about the smell of canned peaches that takes me back to the school cafeteria and reminds me of sweaty, mildewy winter boots and throw up?

That goes for baby food peaches too...I get a wave of nausea every time I pop the top of the jar before settling myself down and reminding myself that I'm in the safety of my own home and there is no rotten winter attire to be seen. I just thank my lucky stars that student teaching is over with. Phew.

Sense of Humor

Babies have the funniest sense of humor. You never know what's going to set them off into a fit of giggles. I love when Emerson laughs because I can see his little spaced-out teeth. I love them--even though they're sharp.

Fun with the Broom

Fun with friend broom

Yesterday I was cleaning the house and E was absolutely enthralled with the broom. So we had some fun with it. He wouldn't let it out of his sight, so when I walked around the side of the couch I saw his little head peeking around trying to locate his beloved broom. Of course I made him crawl after the broom among other things. Yeah, being a stay-at-home mom totally rocks.

E crawling after the broom (And no, we weren't having an earthquake, I just don't have very steady hands.)

E getting frustrated with the broom because it wasn't cooperating! (Again, sorry for the shaky filming...he smacked me in the head with the broom.)

Cuddly Boy

Emerson being cuddly*

It's been a long while since Emerson was cuddly with anyone. The other night when Ben and I were watching an episode of 24, he was being fussy (Emerson, not Ben) so I picked him up and held him on my lap with a blanket around the two of us. He sucked his thumb for a minute and then all of a sudden dropped both hands to his lap and he was asleep. It was so precious that I didn't want to move him or get him into his jammies. So we just snuggled for awhile and then had to wake him up to get him ready for bed. What a little sweetie.

*Pay no attention to the creepy looking woman holding the sleeping baby. She looks like she's about to do something evil. Or her eyes look kind of weepy. But I promise I wasn't crying... I mean she wasn't crying.

Sometimes Babies Are Like Puppies

That's right. Sometimes babies are like little dogs. Below I've drawn some frightening similarities. I was struck with these the other morning and keep laughing about it as I see my baby do other silly things, like scratch the wall.

He's decided that crawling around with Pooh bear in his mouth is a good idea. Really having anything in his mouth is a good idea to him. He likes putting his mouth on things too...not necessarily to bite, but just to see what it feels like. Quite a bit like a puppy.

Dogs wag their tails when they're happy or enjoying something, and Emerson rolls his ankles. He'll sit for a long time in his high chair playing with his puffs or sippy cup and his ankles will be just rolling away. That's how we know he's content.

I find myself calling these "treats." I can't help but think of little doggy treats when Emerson crawls to me and I put one in his little mouth avoiding his sharp little teeth. They also kind of resemble Kibbles 'n' Bits.

Dogs and Emersons need their little claws clipped. I need one of those little file things on the infomercials so I don't injure the nail bed. :)

Another thing (which I do not have a picture for) that contributes to this post is the fact that my friend Candice calls little baby toys "chew toys". And we both laugh about it every time. And it's true. They ARE chew toys.

But puppy or not, I love my little guy.

Standing

This is what I've been finding when Emerson's naptime is over. (The standing, not the crying.) It makes me laugh to see that little body clutching to the side of the crib. His expression is one of pure joy when I lift him out of his bed. He actually loves going down for his naps. His whole body starts to relax when I'm lowering him down, then he rolls over and sticks his thumb in his mouth and sighs. He's usually happy when he wakes up, too, although you certainly wouldn't guess that from this picture. It was a particulary bad day and he wasn't feeling well. :)

Emerson's Funny Hat

"Sigh...I wish my arms were long enough to reach over my head so I could pull this stupid thing off."

"Maybe if I pull to the side"

"Success."

The other night when I was changing E into his jammies, I pulled the shirt over his head and remembered back to my childhood when I thought it was so funny to have "shirt hair." I just wanted to see if Emerson could figure out how to pull if off his head. He did--after a lot of straining and crawling around.

Slighty Better Attempt at Walking

Here is a video we got of him that's slightly better, but of course it doesn't do his cool first steps the justice they deserve. E's such a silly boy. At nine months, he's starting to walk, but he won't clap his hands or wave. He's just got a mind of his own. :)

Emerson Took His First Steps!

We tried to capture a video of him walking, but this is the best he would do for us.

When we were still in Utah, Emerson began demonstrating his amazing balance, standing for 10 seconds or so on his own. Ever since we've been home in Columbus, he's started pulling himself up to the coffee table, couch, chairs, Mom, Dad, etc. He had been stumbling between Ben and me for 3 days or so and was getting close to walking and we weren't sure if we could count controlled falling as "walking". But on Tuesday, Emerson had pulled himself up to the couch and I said "Emerson, come here!" And he got so excited that he let go of the couch and took 3 steps toward me and then sat on his little bottom. Hooray for Emerson! I'm excited and unexcited because my life has changed forever. No longer can I enjoy the days of setting him on a blanket with a toy, knowing that he'll be there when I return in a few seconds. My little guy is getting so big!

Christmas in Utah Part 2

Melinda sledding

Josh and the sleds and snow machine

Melinda and Emerson

Mom and Emerson opening presents at the Christensens' house Christmas morning

Here is part 2 of Christmas in Utah. It has all the Christensen side of things...so don't worry, I didn't forget you!