A Movie Star was Born

One year ago today at this very moment I had just checked into the hospital for what was the best day of my life.  I won't bore you with sentimental reflection on what I was doing at every minute during that day, although you can be confident I'm thinking about it each time I look at the clock today.  The moment that mattered the most came at 7:09 PM when the most adorable, sassy, stubborn, and tender-hearted little baby made her world debut.  She brought tears of joy to my eyes then just as she does while I type this.

I know that there's absolutely no way to put into words the immeasurable enrichment our daughter has brought to our lives in the past year.  So I promise not to try for very long.

Sweet, tiny baby you make us SO HAPPY.  This past year has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging of our lives, but I can say with sincerity that I would not trade a moment (even the one when I was drinking a wine cooler alone in the kitchen at 2:30 am bawling).  You are worth it.  You are worth every single second.  I hope you carry those words with you for the rest of your life.  Throughout all the tears, all the late nights, all the anxiety, all the skipped heart beats, all the early mornings and all the panic attacks- we have still had this incredible sense of contentment.  That, my dear, is because of YOU.  You complete your Daddy & I in a way that nothing else could.  We sit around for hours looking at you, playing with you, laughing at you, texting about you, trying to replicate the crazy sounds you make via written word and just smiling knowing that you're ours.  You make our lives better than we ever dreamed possible simply by being yourself.  Thank you for making us into the people we were always meant to be.  I pray one day we make you as proud as you make us.  Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday Emery!

So on to the celebration, huh?  I can think of no more fitting tribute to the first year of my beloved diva's life than by making her into the movie star she's always known she is.  I can't take credit for this idea myself.  A couple of weeks ago I was lamenting to my co-worker that I, once again, got far too hasty in pressing post on my 11 month photo bomb post and forgot to include videos.  She suggested that I do a post of just videos and thus the idea for this post was born.  Mad props Molly for being so smart.

I recognize that no one, besides her Grandmother, will click on all these links and watch all these videos, but I am putting them all here anyway.  If you can believe it, this isn't even all of them.  These are just some of my favorites.  I hope that a few of them warm your heart and light up your face the way they do ours.  (Editors Note:  I have not included any of the bajillion screaming videos I have because I care about your auditory health and your interest in future children.  Also I'm saving those for her wedding.)

Happy little lady bug laying on her Mama's lap while visiting Nonnie & Grandpa's house.  (March 29, 2013, a few weeks old)

She was supposed to be winding down to go to bed.  Practicing her moves to dream of Pele?  (May 15, 2013, 2 months old)

The first time she rolled over.  (May 21, 2013, 2.5 months old)

Learning to mimic our faces.  Obviously we taught her the most important expressions first.  (May 29, 2013, 2.5 months old)

I know it seems silly if you don't have recent experience with a newborn, but this was the first time I saw her actively playing with something.  (June 20, 2013, 3.5 months old)

Just having a little chat with her Mama before work.  (August 1, 2013, almost 5 months old)

Very first real belly laughs.  So thrilled I captured this on camera because she's still pretty stingy with laughs.  (August 8, 2013, 5 months old)

The first time she learned she could move herself on her belly.  (August 25, 2013, 5.5 months old)

The first real crawling.  (September 8, 2013, 6 months old)

Expressing her distaste for peas and flair for the dramatic.  (October 3, 2013, almost 7 months old)

First time pulling up.  (October 5, 2013, almost 7 months old)

First time we gave her a sippy cup.  This has been a rocky relationship from the get-go, clearly.  (November 22, 2013, 8.5 months old)

Waving to her fans.  (November 27, 2013, 8.5 months old)

Shaking her groove thang to some Mariah- shout out to her fellow divas!  (December 2, 2013, almost 9 months old)

Giving kisses...  (December 18, 2013, 9 months old)

... but not to her Daddy.  Ain't nobody got time for kisses when there's potential to be fed.  (December 19, 2013, 9 months)

When babies attack.  (December 26, 2013, 9.5 months old)

The day she adopted "sharing is caring" as her personal mantra.  (January 17, 2014, 10 months old)

Playing peek-a-boo with her Mama on a snow day.  (January 24, 2014, 10.5 months old)

Waking up is hard to doooooooo.  (January 29, 2014, 10.5 months old)

Her first real steps!  (February 7, 2014, 11 months old)

First time using a spoon.  (February 19, 2014, 11 months old)

Discovering her favorite instrument.  (February 23, 2014, 11.5 months old)

Being generally adorable.  (February 25, 2014, 11.5 months old)

I like to think she's really just echoing her Mama's sentiments on growing up.  Hope she smiles this much when she tells me no in teenager-hood!  (March 1, 2014, almost 1 year old)

I Love Balloon

A few weeks back everyone's favorite Hallmark holiday struck.  Ryan & I typically are not big Valentine's Day fanatics**. In fact, this conversation took place on approximately February 11th:

Me:  Are we observing Valentine's Day this year?
Ryan:  Sure!  When is it?
Me: Friday.
Ryan:  This one?  Oh, probably not.

I actually, not shockingly, get far more sentimental about our dating anniversary which is 2 days later.  However, we know I am not one to pass up a quality opportunity to dress my kid up, torture her for a bit with a photo shoot, and then post about it later.  Her first Valentine's Day was no exception.

I believe these photos speak volumes about my little Valentine's personality of late.  (P.S. I love everyone!  Happy belated Valentine's Day!)

I posted this one first because it was the best one I got.  Those are little hearts on her pants.

This is more what our photo shoots really look like.  Me trying desperately to seem interesting to my child and getting trumped by something, anything, she sees across the room.  It is excellent for my self esteem.

Mama, look what I found.  It's one of those things you keep trying to put on my head.  (Please ignore what Ryan & I affectionately refer to as the "magic butt paste" tube in her left hand.  When you are trying to get a tiny tot's attention, you pull out all the stops.)

Oh ****.  Mom.  Did you put one of these in my hair already?!  (Please note the furrowed brow of consternation.)

NOOOOOOOO!  (If you've ever wondered what sheer rage in a baby looks like- this is it.)

Get it off.  I quit.

Proof that her persistence gene come from her Mama.  Definitely slapped that bad boy right back on while furiously waving said magic butt paste as a distraction.

Her teacher at school got them all headbands, which I obviously tried to make her wear for a photo shoot sequel that afternoon after I picked her up.  Turns out she did not change her mind during school- things on her head are still not her BFF.

Praying that I will stop.

Hey, do you want this?  Mom keeps trying to make me wear it.  I think it would look better on you.

Daddy got Em a balloon as a present.  She was so entertained.

I have no idea what this face means but it makes me laugh.

Annnnd... Mama's present.  That's a wrap on Valentine's Day 2014.

Showering Baby Covington

On Saturday February 8th I was privileged to help host a baby shower in Dallas for one of my beloved college roomies, Melissa.  I hosted with 2 other college friends, Meredith & Katie, her high school friend, Lauren, & her step sister, Dianna.  I have been fortunate enough to get to know them throughout the course of Melissa's wedding as well as other post-college visits and they really are kiiiind of awesome.  Melissa must pay them very handsomely to keep them around.  ;c)

Luckily for this over-busy-seasoned, out-of-towner, Miss Meredith took the lead in the planning department.  She definitely missed her calling as a party planner because she managed to come up with the cutest theme (the Hungry Caterpillar) and did an incredible job spurring us all into action to get it pulled together.  She basically is Pintrest in the flesh.  Major kudos to this organizational Goddess.

We threw the party in the rec room of Katie's apartment building and it. was. awesome.  As the pictures below will evidence  Just seeing it makes me want to move there and we all know that Dallas and I are frenemies.  Sure there may have been an older lady who randomly came in to "get her vitamins" (play piano) while we were setting up.   And yeah, there may have nearly been a confrontation when a different lady kept trying to utilize the room despite the fact we very obviously had it reserved- BUT the free Flavia machine and warm cookies totally outweighed that.

We guests were treated to a delicious HC-themed smorgasbord o' food, some fantastic company and Melissa and sweet baby boy C were showered with some fantastic loot.  I had such a great time getting to visit with the old 5th year PPA crew as well as Melissa's Dallas folk- so tragic that Houston and Dallas have to be separated on opposite ends of the state with only a Bucees between them.  It's pretty much the geographic version of Romeo & Juliet.

The fun didn't end at the shower though because Melissa & Blake were kind enough to let me stay with them despite having LOTS of family in from out of town.  Why would a very pregnant lady agree to add stress to her life by letting me stay with her?  Because she's crazy?  She is and I don't know why they're so nice to me.  Probably because she subjected me to 2 nights of a whining feral cat my 5th year of school.  That's neither here nor there though.

Thanks to their generosity I got to pretend to be a Poorvington for the evening.  I tagged along to dinner with Melissa's Dad, Mom & Aunts as well as Blake's Grandmother, Mom & Sister at Love & War in Texas.  The food was topped only by the company.  I already knew that baby C was a lucky little man to have such wonderful parents, but after breaking cornbread with the extended fam I can say that he is far more blessed than he'll understand for a long time to come.

Lots and lots of thanks to my fellow shower hostesses, the Poormans, the Covingtons and mostly the proud parents-to-be for a wonderful weekend.  I love you all and I can't wait to house crash again in April when sweet Norman* makes his world debut!

* name subject to change.

How perfect are those eyes the Katie fashioned from pipe-cleaners?!  If this whole bad@ss lawyering thing doesn't pan out I think there's an Etsy shop in her future.

Only Meredith would own her own helium tank.  Is this not the cutest?!

Gorgeous flowers that Katie picked up.

Meredith's childhood books really dress up the place.

Is that a caterpillar head or a tomato?  Who can tell?

Lots of treasures for the little Mister.

Blake just found out Melissa's pregnant.

Melissa and her incredible Aunt Sue. 

Can't WAIT for pics of Little Man in the precious wardrobe he scored.  Best Dressed List Dallas, look out!

I'm still a little upset Becca didn't pose suggestively on the ottoman- I think that's supposed to be Auntie tradition.  Especially because Katie appears a full foot taller than the rest of us.  Can't wait to meet you, sweet boy!

Emery Tracker: Month Eleven

The Story
Another month, another few weeks of negligent tardiness.  I am sure you all have been chewing your fingernails to the bone in anticipation, huh?  Never fear- Ryan dearest has put me on warning that after we hit the big 1 year mark, "we" are not doing this photo shoot business once a month any more.  That should save your fingernails.  (I still plan to do it every 3 months though.  Put the Kleenex box away.)

Month 11 went back to the post-6 month usual state of affairs.   It seemsEmery got a lot of the channeling her inner Beyonce/Mariah out of the way in month 10 and decided that being a Diva is hard work.  She periodically returns to that dark place, but normally a solid look-how-funny-this-cup-looks-on-Mama's-head or a few rousing games of let's see what Daddy can pop out from behind/over/through do the trick.

My little pudding pop.  Someday the fact that I wrote that will horrify her.

This month's main theme was that our tiny love has places to go and things to DO.  The quickness with which she moves indicates that she takes her To-Do list just as seriously as her Mama does.  This has resulted in so many fun new developments in the month.  First, she learned, seemingly out of nowhere, how to put the little balls in her hamster wheel toy.  Sure Mama tried a few times to show her how to do it but it was usually met with... absolutely nothing... not even eye contact.  Typically as soon as I tried to show her she moved on to the next toy.  Then all of a sudden out of nowhere one evening at home she put it in there like it was the most natural thing she had ever done.  Obviously I got overly excited, clapped and cheered like she had just won the Nobel peace prize.

This month she was a champion stander.  She seems to prefer standing to sitting for sure.  She's nearly always pulling up on something, cruising between things, or just standing in the middle of the room grinning at you.  I saw her take quite a few "side steps" towards the end of the month.  She can climb stairs like it's her job.  Thanks to the magic of a spindle on an angle, we are still in search of a functional baby gate.  In the meantime Mama gets some cardio in chasing her majesty the Gigglebox.

Wearing pearls combat style is so hot right now.  This accessory doubles as a place to store your bottles.

Emery also started "sharing," again, out of nowhere.  One evening when she was eating puffs she just took her little fist full of puffs and shoved them in Ryan's face.  This was obviously accompanied with the biggest grin I've ever seen in my life.  Since then she will try to "share" just about anything with you.  It truly melts my heart.  Case in point: baby girl has a bunny from her Aunt Julie that she sleeps with.  As soon as you put her down, she snuggles up to it and if you ever go into her room to check on her in the evening she is without fail spooning it.  Basically in baby world, it's her prized possession.  In the morning when we go to wake her she has the awareness of... well, her Dad in the morning.  She is so out of it she can't even manage to sit up, but the first thing she does is try to give her bunny to you.  Makes.  My.  Day.

This month Emery has also become more "vocal."  She doesn't say any words but she does seem to have an understanding of language.  She didn't seem to babble as much this month but makes what Ryan and I refer to affectionately as "dinosaur noises."  My love bug can make some seriously prehistoric screeches, squawks and sighs.  She has a "thinking" one (tssk tssk tssk in varying quicknesses), an excited one that I can't even type and a questioning one that I also can't type.  Look out Jeff Goldblum- Jurassic Park 5 might just star a Martin.

Infinitely happier than she was 9 months ago at this time.

I know I'm a broken record, but I don't care- this month was better than all those before and thinking about those to come makes me so, so excited.  Love you more than all the times you try to swat me when I give you a kiss, little boogs!

The School Stuff
This month at school went well!  Ryan started a new job in January and he and I have a good schedule going now.  He drops her off and I pick her up in the evenings.  I think it makes life more predictable for both Emery and her teachers which was a little hard at first but now is probably benefiting everyone.

I know her teachers made some funny comments this month buuuuut since I did not write them down, I've since forgotten.  #mamafail.

Oh, were you thinking I would stay put?  Fat chance, crazy people!  (Look how big she looks!!!)

The Stats

• Height:  29.5" inches (81st percentile)
• Weight: 20 lbs 0 oz (65th percentile) 
• Head:  You know I have no idea.
• Diaper size: 3
• Clothes: 9-12 months & some 18 months
• Shoes:  Still a size 3.  Mama had to find some with better treads because she was collecting incident reports like Pokemon cards.
• Milk:  She's started having about 6 oz every 4 hours.  I continued to pump for month 11 but didn't feed her myself any more.
• Solids: Emery tried lots of new foods this month because at the very end of the month she started having lunch at school.  Isn't that crazy?!  My baby eats school lunch, and apparently looooves it.  Those Boarman/Martin genes are hard at work. 
• Firsts: 
• Felt her fourth tooth coming in- the top right one next to the middle 2 (January 16th)
• First time to purposely put the ball in her toy (January 17th)
• First time "sharing" (January 18th)
• First time eating school lunch (February 4th)
• Games:  She is starting to love peek-a-boo, funnily enough.  She's always basically ignored it but this month she discovered that if she's the one leading it, she finds it funny.  Once again- her parents are NOT funny.
• Favorite Toys:  Mama's keys are hands down her favorite, but she also loves her Hamster Wheel that sings the A-B-Cs and using the Minnie car that Aunt Tiffany got her as a pseudo walker
• Songs:  Really whatever is on the radio when I pick her up from school.  Mama tries to make the trip home into a sing a long.  It's usually more of a scream a long.  One day, right?
• Sleep:  Amazing sleeper this month- when we have her at least. She normally went to sleep between 7:30 & 8:30 PM (dependent upon how fussy she is after school) and sleeps until we wake her around 6:30 AM.  She will sleep until some time between 7:30 & 8:30 AM on weekends.  When we have her she will nap 2x a day for about 1-2 hours a piece.  At school she takes 0 naps.  At most 1 20 minute nap.  It makes the evenings after work rough for all of us.
• Other Notables:  I have never really noted it on the blog before, but she seems to favor her left hand a lot when she's eating.  I'm curious to see if this means she is left-handed or if maybe she just eats left-handed?  Ryan does some things with his right hand and some with his left... so maybe she just inherited his touch of ambidexterity?  

You're just going to leave me wide open to escape?

Don't have to tell me twice.  Later!

i(Phone) Spy: Month Eleven - Emery

On February 6th my precious baby hit 11 months old.  I can't even fathom that we are only 1 month away from the big 1 year mark and just typing that puts me near tears.  So let's look at some ridiculous pictures instead, shall we?  We shall.

Just a little pre-work selfie.  This is essentially the same way Ryan responds when you say you're going to take his picture.

What did you say Mom?  That these curtains aren't for aggressive playing?  I can't hear you over the sound of your anxious heart beating out of your chest.

Me?  Never done anything wrong in my life.

Sharing is caring is definitely Emery's mantra these days.  Here she is "sharing" (read: forcefully shoving) puffs with her Daddy.

Found it!  You were right Mama, it's always the last place you look.

It's definitely in women's genetic code that you hit the wallet first.  Ryan walked in and literally said, "Oh man- I am so screwed."  Welcome to having a house full of girls, Papa Bear.

Last time I let Lola baby sit.

Sharing her purple ball with Daddy before work.

Apparently Daddy wasn't appropriately receptive because then it was my turn.

Ahhh, yes.  We have reached the ice day series.  This was the first ice day.  Abracadabra- #s tie out!  Clearly a little accountant in the making.

This was absolutely not on purpose, but I find it so adorable that she brought her laptop over next to me that it may as well have been.

Mama seems really wrapped up in that computer.  If I go in the kitchen and make as much noise as possible, AND jack up her rug for the 5th time today, maybe I'll get her attention.  (Totes worked)

Don't lie to me, Kylie- I saw you touch my puffs.

Heeeeeeelp!  Someone heeeeeeelp!  My parents won't let me crawl up the stairs whenever I please.  What did I do to deserve this?!

View of this maniac pounding on the window from outside.

Cancel the SOS.  I am back on the stairs.

Can I help you, Mom?  You're all up in my biz with that phone and I'm just trying to honk my Minnie horn and drive over things that shouldn't be driven over.  Is that so much to ask?!

I dared her to try to fit her whole fist in her mouth.  Challenge accepted.

Ahhh, ice day #2.  This magic machine is BACK!

But Mama, I WANT that machine, you brought it here to MY house, it has to be MINE.  That's how it works.  You don't look sympathetic yet...

... do you understand yet?  I have my eyes closed, so I can't really tell... I'll go ahead and do this for another 3 minutes for good measure.

Drive-in movie, 11 month old style.

This is my life.  Chasing this child in and out of various pieces of furniture in my home.

She was every bit as excited about the mini-Starbucks cup the lady at Target gave her as her Mama is on a semi daily basis.

I thought I could take an 11 month old shopping for a toy for another child without her noticing.  I thought wrong.

Mama, Target is so last week.  Take me somewhere exciting- like Radio Shack.  Wires for days.

Not impressed with her Mama's paltry attempt at a run.

Half small child, half raccoon.

Ship me off to Nonnie's.  See you next month, kids!