I'm ready for my close up....

A New "Toy"

Little Miss Emalyn was able to try out her new "toy" today! I use quotation marks as it is not really a toy but rather an exercising/teaching contraption!! I have really learned that I like baby Einstein products, which this is!! She is still a little small for it so we have to watch her closely until she gets a little bigger, but she really likes spinning the dials and moving the beads-there is a musical feature, but she hasn't yet gotten into that. The colors are a great attraction for her as well! She also doesn't jumpso much, but that will come in time, I am sure. Thank you Tios Ramon and Marta for helping us get this for our little girl!

(It looks like she hates it in this photo, but I promise, she DOES enjoy using this jumper!!)

Goodbye Great-Nana, see you soon.

Sadly, after meeting her Great Grandmother only once, Emalyn's Great Nana Lundquist passed away unexpectedly. Here is the photo we took of Nana holding Emalyn on fourth of July weekend.

Yesterday, we were able to hold a brief burial service at Fort Snelling (her husband passed away 4 years ago, he was Navy), and a Celebration of Life service later that morning. The service was beautiful, her memory captured in our minds forever. Although her ashes are all that remain now, it will be so wonderful to be reunited someday as she is a believer and accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. We'll miss you Nana, but we shall see you soon.

The end of summer...

Sadly, for the last week, our evening walk has gotten more and more chilly. Here is Emalyn in her hoody and also a fleece pant set so she stays nice and toasty. It is hard to believe she is already three months old...where has the summer gone!??!!

Emalyn's First Trip, 8/22-8/24

We arrived at our friend's family's lake house on Friday night. We were lucky enough to score the bedroom since we had the little one....as you can see below, Cameron (the one hunched over) and the others took no time to get into the water and enjoy some tubing.

A close up of Cam getting ready to hang on!

Emalyn and I sat on a swing and watched Cameron and the others from shore. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! You can see a little bit of the house in the background....my head is blocking the hot tub!

The next morning, Cameron and Trent (another friend) tried their hand at fishing....no luck! Trent's wife, Aimee, was the only one who caught anything, and it was a weed! It was very cool that morning, but by afternoon the temp reached close to 80 degrees and everyone was in the water again tubing and riding the wave runner.

Again, Emalyn and I watched from our favorite spot, the swing on shore. See how much fun we had?!?!? Her smile is so big in this photo!!

Overall we had a GREAT time! Emalyn slept really well and hardly made a fuss all weekend. Our friend's father said, "you'd hardly know she was here, she never made a peep!" We are so blessed to have such a laid back little girl. She is wonderful!

Gurgles!!

For Grammy, because you've only ever heard her over the phone....

Thre Months Old!!

Tummy Time is paying off! Look at the size of that head, and the ability she has to hold it up! My goodness, it seems like last week we had to support her head all the time. She has great neck control-as I am always saying-and people are amazed at the way she locks in on something and focuses. She also really likes to follow people or things with her eyes...another observation many people are making as they watch her.

Emalyn making a little adjustment....

And there's the tongue!! She has found her tongue and sticks it out any chance she gets-especially when she is cooing and gurgling. Her hands have also made their debut these last couple weeks. She likes to hold them together or interlock her fingers while she feeds or does anything that requires her full concentration.

Cameron, Emalyn (sleeping in her stroller), and I went this weekend to Cameron's work. They have a full family day in which all the members of your family get to enjoy a complimentary lunch, pony rides, hay rides, and much more. Obviously next year Emalyn will have a much more fun and interactive time as she will actually be walking and be more awake! The plane behind us had the doors open and people could walk in and check things out. This is the kind of plane that takes Cameron and the rest of the people overseas on a rotation. It was fun day and I can't wait until next year!

Off to Daycare

This is one of Cameron and my favorite sweaters. I had to get a photo of it as Emalyn had it on this morning to go to daycare. She has actually been very good about the adjustment of going to daycare and has not been fussy at all. She eats and sleeps there no problem and her teachers say she is doing awesome. Such a relief, as I wasn't sure how she would adjust....again, she's just so laid back! How nice!

Nightly Routine

So part of the routine for getting Emalyn to sleep at night, is the evening walk. Each night starting at 6:30ish Emalyn gets fed, burped, and then we prepare for our walk. We head out through the neighborhood and get back usually around 7:30. After our walk, she gets an evening bath (which you have seen many photos of already!) to start winding down. Finally, she has another feeding and then falls asleep in her crib. I still can't believe what a good baby she is. So laid back....I wonder from whom she gets it-I hate to admit it but it certainly isn't me!

Cameron and I saved our pennies and purchased this jogging stroller. I have been looking into a lot of them and found this Jeep to have the best reviews of getting what you pay for, however in this case, you get more than you pay! Comparatively, this stroller is a quarter the cost of other similar ones and so far, we really like it! We haven't been jogging with it yet, but will soon, I am sure. Cameron will be the first....I am still easing into working out.
Had to get a close up of the little one. She takes such good photographs, doesn't she?!?!?!!

11 weeks

I couldn't NOT post this photo after I saw how funny it looked. She was laying on her back on the couch with me next to her and just the angle of the camer cause it to look like she is staring up at the camera. Her eyes look like they are going to be dark....the latin influence won out I think. We'll just have to see!

We just got this new little "chair" for Emalyn. It's called a Bumbo and from what we have heard people swear by it. She definitely gets to practice strengthening her neck muscles while in it as you can see...she is pretty strong already as she is only 11 weeks and likes to keep that head up all the time!

This adorable outfit is from my (Kristine's) boss at work. His wife picked it out and the colors look fantastic on Emalyn. The photos were taken at a softball tournament Cameron was playing in. Emalyn got to spend the whole day out and about....and crashed that night!

As you may be able to tell her hair is lightening and getting a reddish hue in it. Interestingly enough, Cameron and some friends have noticed that since being pregnant, my hair has also taken a reddish tone. I really like it and don't mind. It is like paying for the highlights-only I didn't pay! NICE.

TOO CUTE!!

Immunizations....

We like to call this one her warrior photograph....she had her shots today and was not happy about it. Three shots and one oral--you know it is for their own good, but the fever and fussiness that follows is enough to make you feel worse than she does for making her go through it in the first place. At least she got to wear cool band-aids for each of the shots she received. Then again, taking them off wasn't the easiest process either!

Oh, don't worry, her diapers aren't used-or old for that matter....Cameron and I are trying to be good about our carbon footprint and also careful of Emalyn's health, so we buy chlorine free diapers. They obviously aren't white, rather this beigy-tan. We've actually found we like them better because we are able to tell much more easily when she has a wet diaper. Diapers.com has them in bulk too, with free shipping-good deal!!

Cameron's Ladies

Cameron decided to take a photo of his two ladies. Maybe we are finally looking more alike?!?!? Most people who see us immediately think she looks like Cameron.

She is getting much stronger and refuses to rest her head down much at all anymore. Her head control has increased immensely within the last two weeks and she LOVES to sit up (assisted, of course) and watch what is going on all around her! Very observant little one!