Category: Month Updates
Emmalyne: 18 Months
| April 18, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under Month Updates, Toddler |
Thank you for all your sweet comments yesterday! We are on our 3rd day of meds and they seem to be helping. Emmalyne is such a trooper and you really wouldn’t know she wasn’t feeling well other than her decreased appetite. Since we know the girl can eat, that is the only thing amiss other than the cough. Since we are both feeling a little bit better I figured today would be a great day to share Emmalyne’s 18 month update!
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT: 33 1/4 inches
WEIGHT: 29 pounds
CLOTHES: 18-24 months & 2T
TEETH: All of them! 16
She is sticking with her M-O of being a tall little lady! I am glad that we have pretty much all 2T clothes for this summer because I know she is going to be in them exclusively soon.
PERSONALITY
Emmie is seriously so much fun to be around. She is constantly showing us more and more of her personality. She loves to laugh but is pretty coy when it comes to taking photos. Emmalyne is extremely sweet to us and pats our backs now when she hugs us. We have finally gotten closed-mouth kisses down too! As sweet as she is, she can throw some wicked tantrums! Girl has some lungs on her and has no problem expressing her anger at us.
EATING
Eating lately has been hit or miss. Before she got sick Em was cutting her last 5 teeth and went on a meat and hard foods boycott. Then she got sick and her appetite has been lacking. She actually lost an entire pound from last week to this week which makes my heart sad but her pediatrician wasn’t surprised. As soon as she feels better it’s back to healthy eating over here! You can see more about what she eats in our most frequent Munchkin Meals post.
TEETHING
As I just said, Em recently cut her last 5 teeth. All 4 incisors and a front top tooth all at once. It was FUN (not). I am thankful we should have a few months off before her 2-year molars rear their heads.
TALKING
Em has a pretty good vocabulary and seems to be saying new words every day. However, like most things, she does it when she WANTS to do it. Emmalyne has gotten pretty good about pointing to what she wants if she doesn’t know how to say it. We are working on more animal sounds which is a lot of fun. BUT her absolute favorite word is NO. Everything is a big fat no from her. She is slowly starting to say YEAH when it is something she wants which will hopefully help us in the communication factor. I have to say though …. her no’s are pretty cute 
SLEEPING
She is still taking one nap a day but it has moved closer to 12:30-1PM. She will sleep for around 2 hours pretty consistently. Due to her later nap, we have moved her bedtime back to 7:3oPM. This schedule is working for us and allows Chris to see her more frequently during the week which is nice.
Every day with Emmalyne is a new adventure and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to experience all of her best (and worst) moments. She is the biggest blessing in my life and I am very lucky to call her mine.
I love you baby girl. You are my sunshine!
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: Month 15
| January 7, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under Emmalyne, Month Updates |
When Emmalyne turned one in October I decided to change her monthly updates to quarterly updates. While she is learning tons of things each month, it just makes more sense for me this way. SO much has happened since her birthday and I am super excited to share her developments with you. If you want to take a look back on her monthly updates you can find them on my Pregnancy/Baby page 
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: Not sure. Here 15 month check-up is later this month.
CLOTHES: 18-24 months
SHOES: Size 5
TEETH: 9
Emmalyne pretty much bypassed all of the 12-18 months clothes because she’s pretty tall. Her 18 month shirts are now too small too. I have some 18-14 month clothes for spring and then a ton of 2T for fall.
PERSONALITY
Em’s personality blossomed these last couple of months. She’s always been very outgoing and full of energy but it seems as if that multiplied since she turned one. She is fiercely independent and hates it when we try to help her do things. She prefers to figure it out for herself. Sometimes this results in some tears of frustration. She loves to give us hugs and kisses and also kisses the dogs all the time.
EATING
Homegirl loves to eat. Seriously. I gave a more in depth update in my last munchkin meals post but she is currently eating three meals a day plus snacks. She gets milk at her meals and constantly has a water bottle to drink throughout the day. Emmie isn’t a picky eater and will pretty much each everything we give her.
TEETHING
In the last three months Em has gained 4 new teeth including her upper two molars. These last couple of teeth came through pretty easily and I honestly didn’t know they were coming. I just saw them one day. Her bottom molars should be coming in soon. I can see them under the gums. With my luck they will pop through on the airplane Wednesday.
TALKING
Probably my favorite part of toddlerhood so far. Em is very communicative and verbal. She will come up to me and start telling me a story in her own language complete with inflections and hand movements. She’ll nod at the end and walk off. No idea what she’s saying but she sure does. Recent actual words: “baby”, “done”, “thank you” (AND with the correct context … color me shocked), “hey”, “boo”, and so much more. She is constantly talking and I love it. Now if only we had a translator …
SLEEPING
We are down to one nap a day. She dropped to the one pretty quickly after her first birthday. Now, she eats lunch around 11:30 and then is in bed for her nap by noon. On most days she will sleep a solid two hours which is great. At night, she is still sleeping from 7PM – 7:30AM. No complaints here!
PLAY
Imaginative play is in full force over here. Emmie has taken on the role of “girl” seriously and without much prodding. She loves to wear jewelry, carry purses, and push her baby. Normally, she does all three at once. We didn’t push gender roles on her but as soon as she discovered the above at friend’s houses etc. she was off and running.
She also loves puzzles. We got some simple Melissa & Doug ones for her birthday and she loves them. The shape one is her favorite and she can actually put the shapes in the correct spot. She doesn’t know the names of the shapes yet but can definitely put them where they go.
My mom and stepdad got Emmalyne a rocker for Christmas and she loves sitting in it. She also loves rocking her stuffed animals. Her absolute favorite stuffed animal is “Boo” her dog (as seen in the above photos). Her great-grandmother gave him to her and she has become pretty attached. She knows him as “Boo” and takes him everywhere. I love it. She also loves her Minnie doll due to her obsession with all things Mickey Mouse.
I am truly blessed to be able to stay home with Emmalyne and I have cherished and loved every moment. While her newborn snuggles were priceless, these moments of toddlerhood are unique and special. I am seeing her grow up before my eyes and each and every day she takes a bigger step away from being a baby. Emmalyne is constantly learning new things and I have a front row seat.
Emmie – I am so thankful that I am your mom. You fill my life with so much joy, laughter, and love. I love you little girl … you are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: Month Twelve
| October 9, 2012 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 9-12 Months, Baby, Emmalyne, Family, Month Updates |
I’ve had a few days now for the reality that I have a toddler now to sink in. Regardless, I still am in slight denial that I am writing Emmalyne’s 12 month update. Wow. This last year has been the most amazing year of my entire life. I have learned so much about myself, and more importantly, about Emmalyne. I can’t believe I have known this sweet little person for a year but at the same time I feel as if I have known her forever. If you’re brand new to Emmalyne’s updates you can catch up via the following links:
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT: 31 inches (95%)
WEIGHT: 22 lbs 9 ounces (50%)
CLOTHES: 12-18 months, 18 months, and some 18-24 months
DIAPERS: Size 3
SHOES: 4.5 wide
TEETH: 5
Emmalyne is taking after both Chris and I … long and lean. Her thighs are still chunky but she is pretty lanky too. I get comments a lot about “how tall” she is. I can tell because many of her 12-18 month pants are too short but too big in the waist. Sigh.
PERSONALITY
Every month Emmalyne’s personality becomes more and more pronounced. Overall she is SO incredibly happy. Emmie loves to laugh and totally gets jokes and humor. She is a little imp and arches her eye brows at me as she goes in to do something naughty. She doesn’t cry for no reason and as soon as the cause is determined and fixed she is all smiles. She is such a loving little girl and gives kisses, hugs, and rubs my back. One con is that she has fully figured out how to throw legitimate tantrums. She spreads her legs into a middle splits, throws her body forward, and cries into the carpet. Don’t try to soothe her … She will just throw whatever you’re giving her. It’s hilarious and annoying at the same time.
BREASTFEEDING
I wrote recently that we have started the weaning process. So far things are still going incredibly smoothly and it has honestly been a really easy experience for both of us. She is still nursing two times a day … in the morning and late afternoon. The other two times she is getting cow’s milk. I am unsure at this point when I will drop the morning feeding. I am not in a rush for that one and may just let her decide when enough is enough.
EATING
Meal times are Emmie’s favorite time of the day. She is all about her food and I try to mix it up daily for her. Right now she is eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with about two snacks a day thrown into the mix. I let her try peanut butter yesterday and success! No allergies (yet). It amazes me how she will pretty much eat anything and everything. She loves fish and broccoli … such a heart healthy girl My biggest downfall is figuring out good snacks for her. Moms feel free to chime in on the comments!
PLAY
One of my favorite parts of Emmalyne getting older is that she is playing with us more and more. Chris and I bought her a shape sorter box for her birthday and it is her favorite thing to do with us. She puts shapes in, takes them out, hands them to us, takes them back, and starts over. She will walk across the room carrying her box, sit in my lap, and start playing. My heart melts. She still loves playing with balls and bath time is the highlight of her evening. Half of her toys aren’t really toys but she is starting to interact with her actual toys more and more.
SLEEP
Sleep is an area I am thankful has never been a problem. Emmalyne goes down to sleep like a dream. She may cry for a second but then she stuffs her blanket into her mouth and goes right to sleep. She sleeps from 7PM – 7:30AM now with 2 naps a day. I am not sure when she will drop a nap but right now it is pretty clear that she needs and wants 2. I am not going to complain
WALKING
It’s official. Emmalyne is completely walking. It was an overnight transformation and as soon as she figured out she was capable of walking her confidence soared and crawling became so last month. She barely crawls now and walks everywhere. When she falls she stands right back up and keeps going. She is almost running now. Save me.
I thank God every single day for the privilege of being Emmalyne Grace’s mother. She is the most incredible, loving, kind, and funny child. I am so lucky that I get to spend each and every day hanging out with her because she’s awesome.
I love you baby girl. You are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Post Baby Body: 11 Months
| September 13, 2012 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 9-12 Months, Baby, FitFluential, Moms, Month Updates, Post Baby Body, Postpartum |
I know that this update was due to you all last week but life happens I have to admit that I am SUPER excited that this is my second to last post-baby body update! I am SO over the scale … more on that another day though! Without further ado …
I have to admit that I kind of hate these photos. My photographer was 5 inches shorter than me and I think it led to seriously unflattering images (hi mom … not you’re fault). Oh well! Just another excuse to get a tripod! Overall I am happy with how I am looking and content with where I am at currently.
How Am I Measuring?
Little to no change … and totally ok with it since these are pretty much my pre-pregnancy numbers. Notice the +1lb? Also totally ok with it. I was in Arizona for 3 weeks … 10 days of which was spent in/out of the hospital with my dad and snacking on super unhealthy foods when we were at his house. I am actually pretty relieved that the number isn’t higher. Taking the stress of my dad’s situation and taking 8 flights with Emmalyne in 3 weeks I will take that pound with pride.
EATING
Pretty much the same as always. I am eating when I am hungry and shooting for a diet that is 80% clean with 20% of fun purely devoted to buffalo wings and beer now that it’s football season. With Emmalyne turning 1 in a few weeks, and potential weaning from breastfeeding coming, I am going to have to figure out my new caloric needs. Until then I am going to keep on trucking.
WORKING OUT
Again, I was in Phoenix for 3 weeks this month. I was able to work out at the LA Fitness by my mom which helped me squeeze in some good treadmill runs and weight sessions. However, I wasn’t able to stick to my normal routine. Now that I am back in Goergia I am struggling getting back adjusted to the eastern time zone so I have taken the last couple days off to regroup. Hopefully I will be back in full force tomorrow and sharing my daily fitness photos on Instagram. I have some goals in the back of my mind for when I am done weaning Emmie … mainly wanting to build muscle. Like a decent amount of muscle. Fun times.
Overall I am totally content with my progress over these 11 months. I look forward to sharing my reflections at my 1-year post baby body update next month Until then, catch up from the beginning:
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: Month Eleven
| September 6, 2012 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 9-12 Months, Baby, Baby Led Weaning, Family, Month Updates |
Gulp. My baby girl is 1 month away from being ONE. I don’t know where time has gone. I say that every month but seriously every second is fleeting. These last eleven months have gone by in a blink. I can’t believe I am sending out invites to Emmalyne’s First Birthday. I need a hug. If you’re new to Em’s journey, here’s where you can catch up:
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
Your guess is as good as mine! We will get a full update at her 1-year well visit next month. She is still fitting in 6-12 month clothes but they are starting to get a tad snug. 6-12 month jeans are definitely too short though for her! She is still long and relatively lean … minus her chunky thighs
PERSONALITY
Holy cow does this little girl have a BIG personality. She cracks me up every single day. She gets a mischievous glint in her eye when she knows she’s doing something she isn’t supposed to. Emmalyne cocks her head to the side, clasps her hands, and squeaks at you when she is trying to be cute. She loves to throw her head into my chest for a morning snuggle and kiss with her mouth wide open and drool hanging. At eleven months old her huge heart shows and her love for her family is unmistakable. She is the funniest, sweetest, and liveliest person I know.
BREASTFEEDING
STILL GOING. It’s crazy for me to think I am one month away from reaching my goal of breastfeeding for a year. She is currently nursing 3-4 times a day with a bottle of formula before bed. The formula is so Chris can give her a bottle and have that special time with her and I just don’t want to pump anymore. This month I plan on slowly introducing whole, organic cow’s milk into Emmalyne’s diet. Our weaning plans are still coming together but as soon as they do I will be sharing them here
BABY LED WEANING
Emmalyne’s attention to food is amazing to me. The girl seriously LOVES to eat. A couple funny stories involving food. The other day my mom, step-dad and I were out at breakfast. I shared my scrambled eggs with Emmalyne and cut up some banana for her to munch on. Both the eggs and banana were on the same plate. Well, baby girl decided she didn’t want the banana. SO she periodically picked every piece of banana off her plate, and put it on the table. While I am shamed that my daughter doesn’t like bananas (I LOVE them), I am impressed that she can sort?
PLAY
I seriously LOVE playing with Em. Who would think playing with such a little person would be SO MUCH FUN? She loves to put things into containers and take them out. I want to get her some stacking cups for her birthday. Her favorite toy however is a stuffed soccer ball Chris bought from Ikea when I was pregnant. She gets SO excited when it comes out and loves to roll it or throw it to us. Emmalyne also loves anything that has to do with music and tends to shake her behind. Baby girl is SO busy and the entire world is her playground. She was pretty fascinated with the leaves she found during our photo shoot too
TALKING
Em’s vocabulary is slowly but surely increasing and I am learning pretty quickly what words she is associating with things. Her words include: mommy, daddy, Bailey, doggie, ball, bottle, penguin (seriously, pen-gin), hi, bye, and bottle. Some of the sounds are similar to each other and her articulation isn’t the greatest, but hey, she’s only 11 months! ;) Either way, she is communicating with us which is tons of fun.
TEETHING
Our teeth count holds steady at four. She is gnawing on her fingers 24/7 though so maybe some more are around the corner. I feel like babies are constantly teething until they are 24.
SLEEP
Sleep is awesome around here. Em is still going to bed promptly at 7PM and wakes up around 7AM. We have been a little off since switching time zones twice but overall things are pretty consistent. She is taking two naps a day. A mid-morning snoozer and a mid-afternoon normally averaging about 1 1/2 hours each … sometimes a little less.
Oh Emmalyne … I love you more than words could ever do justice. You are the light of my world, my everything. Every single day you teach me something new and how to love a little more. I am so beyond blessed to be your mother. I can’t believe we are one short month away from celebrating your first year of life.
I love you baby girl, you are my sunshine.
**A HUGE Happy Anniversary to my sister Heather and her husband Mark on their 16th year of marriage. You guys have set an incredible example of what a great and lasting marriage is … one full of trust, love, and laughter. I love you both SO much
Gulp. My baby girl is 1 month away from being ONE. I don’t know where time has gone. I say that every month but seriously every second is fleeting. These last eleven months have gone by in a blink. I can’t believe I am sending out invites to Emmalyne’s First Birthday. I need a hug. If you’re new to Em’s journey, here’s where you can catch up:
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
Your guess is as good as mine! We will get a full update at her 1-year well visit next month. She is still fitting in 6-12 month clothes but they are starting to get a tad snug. 6-12 month jeans are definitely too short though for her! She is still long and relatively lean … minus her chunky thighs
PERSONALITY
Holy cow does this little girl have a BIG personality. She cracks me up every single day. She gets a mischievous glint in her eye when she knows she’s doing something she isn’t supposed to. Emmalyne cocks her head to the side, clasps her hands, and squeaks at you when she is trying to be cute. She loves to throw her head into my chest for a morning snuggle and kiss with her mouth wide open and drool hanging. At eleven months old her huge heart shows and her love for her family is unmistakable. She is the funniest, sweetest, and liveliest person I know.
BREASTFEEDING
STILL GOING. It’s crazy for me to think I am one month away from reaching my goal of breastfeeding for a year. She is currently nursing 3-4 times a day with a bottle of formula before bed. The formula is so Chris can give her a bottle and have that special time with her and I just don’t want to pump anymore. This month I plan on slowly introducing whole, organic cow’s milk into Emmalyne’s diet. Our weaning plans are still coming together but as soon as they do I will be sharing them here
BABY LED WEANING
Emmalyne’s attention to food is amazing to me. The girl seriously LOVES to eat. A couple funny stories involving food. The other day my mom, step-dad and I were out at breakfast. I shared my scrambled eggs with Emmalyne and cut up some banana for her to munch on. Both the eggs and banana were on the same plate. Well, baby girl decided she didn’t want the banana. SO she periodically picked every piece of banana off her plate, and put it on the table. While I am shamed that my daughter doesn’t like bananas (I LOVE them), I am impressed that she can sort?
PLAY
I seriously LOVE playing with Em. Who would think playing with such a little person would be SO MUCH FUN? She loves to put things into containers and take them out. I want to get her some stacking cups for her birthday. Her favorite toy however is a stuffed soccer ball Chris bought from Ikea when I was pregnant. She gets SO excited when it comes out and loves to roll it or throw it to us. Emmalyne also loves anything that has to do with music and tends to shake her behind. Baby girl is SO busy and the entire world is her playground. She was pretty fascinated with the leaves she found during our photo shoot too
TALKING
Em’s vocabulary is slowly but surely increasing and I am learning pretty quickly what words she is associating with things. Her words include: mommy, daddy, Bailey, doggie, ball, bottle, penguin (seriously, pen-gin), hi, bye, and bottle. Some of the sounds are similar to each other and her articulation isn’t the greatest, but hey, she’s only 11 months! ;) Either way, she is communicating with us which is tons of fun.
TEETHING
Our teeth count holds steady at four. She is gnawing on her fingers 24/7 though so maybe some more are around the corner. I feel like babies are constantly teething until they are 24.
SLEEP
Sleep is awesome around here. Em is still going to bed promptly at 7PM and wakes up around 7AM. We have been a little off since switching time zones twice but overall things are pretty consistent. She is taking two naps a day. A mid-morning snoozer and a mid-afternoon normally averaging about 1 1/2 hours each … sometimes a little less.
Oh Emmalyne … I love you more than words could ever do justice. You are the light of my world, my everything. Every single day you teach me something new and how to love a little more. I am so beyond blessed to be your mother. I can’t believe we are one short month away from celebrating your first year of life.
I love you baby girl, you are my sunshine.
**A HUGE Happy Anniversary to my sister Heather and her husband Mark on their 16th year of marriage. You guys have set an incredible example of what a great and lasting marriage is … one full of trust, love, and laughter. I love you both SO much
