I'm Growing Up!

Look! I have 2 teeth!

I can sit up all by myself now!

I like to climb over everything and everyone! Mom and Dad have to keep our floor very clean...because I eat everything I find!

I can crawl and pull myself up onto mom's and dad's knees...chairs...and almost everything else that's as big as me! I'm even faster when mom doesn't dress my in this silly nightgown!

I love to sing along to music. This is one of my favorite songs that gets me grooving. Mom tries so hard to get these types of things on video...but what can I say...the camera is too cool and I have to concentrate real hard to figure out how I can get the camera from mom's hands and into my mouth! I can't sing and concentrate at the same time!

Congratulations Ryan and Kim!

Ryan and Kim were married in the beautiful Reno, Nevada Temple yesterday! It was a wonderful ceremony and we were very happy to have been able to attend! Matt had to stay home to play in a percussion concert but Emmie and I flew with my parents and John and Ceri for the event. We had a blast! Emmie had her first airplane ride and did so good - despite it being her bed time. We got to visit with some family that we don't get to see very often. Between the ceremony and reception we drove out to Lake Tahoe and saw the beautiful lake for the first time. And...most exciting of all we were there for the earthquake! 4.9! It was crazy!! For some reason I always pictured Reno being flat and ugly...but it's really not - it backs up to the Sierra Nevada's and is very hilly/mountainous - very beautiful...plus there are slot machines everywhere you go - totally awesome!

Emmie's first airplane ride! Look at those tired eyes!

Beautiful Reno! The girls outside the Reno Temple.

Lake Tahoe!

Dana and Emmie at the reception

Check out the car! 4,900 post-it notes!

13 drums

I tried and tried to post this video right after Matt's recital - but it was too long and wouldn't load up on blogger....so Matt downloaded it onto YouTube with a bunch of other performances he's had recorded. To explain the outfit I need to tell you that Matt's parents are serving a humanitarian aid mission in Bejing, China. When Mom Coleman found out that Matt was doing a piece using Chinese tom toms she sent him this shirt - totally awesome!

Thanks Mom Coleman! The shirt added a nice touch! If you remember a while back in the winter Matt was making this stand for his recital. It turned out pretty good!

Cheese Party!

Emmie turned 6 months on Monday and in celebration I have decided that it was time for me to be done pumping...I say "pumping" instead of "nursing" because that is exactly what I have done for the past three months - ever since Emmie decided she was done with breast feeding and only wanted a bottle. I knew it would happen eventually with me being at work and her taking a bottle during the day...but I never anticipated how rejected I would feel when I tried to latch her on and she would push me away and gag...like I was all of the sudden revolting...I cried...and cried...and cried some more...I kept pumping to give her all those great antibodies and other things that only breast milk can give but as the months dragged on and she began taking more milk I added up that I spent a total of 2 hours pumping everyday for only 8 oz of milk- not that great. Anyway - Oregano's seemed like the best place to celebrate seeing as I've stayed away from dairy since we discovered her intolerance and there is only one thing on their menu (besides the drinks) that does not contain milk or cheese....I didn't order that. I ordered the Chicago style pizza - aka cheese...lots of cheese. It was even better than I had imagined it could be! For the longest time I've dreamed about sinking my teeth into a hunk of cheese (any Seinfeld watchers?...remember the summer of George and the block of cheese...I wanted that to be me!) Oregano's helped me achieve that! Yeah for Cheese parties!

A day brightener....

not that I'm having a bad day or anything...but when I do I like to watch these videos and have a good laugh!

Saturday In The Park with Emmie (And Co.)

Last Saturday Emmie had her first park experience! It happened to be a time of a lot of "firsts"...first time she wore sunscreen...first time she went down a slide and swung in a swing...but best of all first time she met Heidi and Luke! It was a short amount of time between conference sessions but we made the most of it! It's so funny when Heidi and I get together...we were joined at the hip 8th grade through the beginning of the college years... Since then (and especially after marriage) we haven't gotten to see eachother often (even when she still lived in AZ) but every time we get together we pick up as if we saw eachother just the other day. I love it! I give a lot of credit to the blog...here's to you blog...for keeping distant friends a little closer! Luke gave Emmie a sweet hug before we left the park! Maybe someday they'll become great friends too!

I love the hat! So... most everyone says that Emmie looks like Matt (i'm not sure, myself...) but one thing's for sure...the girl's got my eye brows!

The best of friends

documenting...

This is the picture I was taking...

The video is funny...I remembered half way through that video's can't be turned like pictures. Emmie is more interested in the padding I put in the swing rather than the swing itself...figures! Heidi, I hope the reason for your next visit will be on more happier terms. From the pictures it looked like your father-in-law had a beautiful funeral service. I'm sending thoughts of comfort your way -love you!

We are still here!

Okay...so it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post - it's been CRAZY at the Coleman household. Between Matt and his end of the year projects/tests/concerts/private lessons/etc...Teaching for me has been - hummm, what's a good word - "zoo like" (spring fever...my student's have it bad!) and then to top it off Emmie has entered into a very needy stage where she does not want to be put down at all... I feel like I've been running a daily marathon! Hopefully life will slow down a little bit soon!

So...about this whole needy stage with Emmie...Some days are worse than others but for the most part she just loves to be held and be in the middle of what ever is going on. The second I put her down to even blow my nose she starts to freak out. Part of me eats it up and loves that she wants to be with me all the time not ever wanting to be put down (especially because I'm not with her all day due to work)...but the other part of me thinks that I could be starting a very bad trend - getting in the way of her learning that it's okay to play alone for a bit and be independent for a few moments while mommy does a few things. hummm...I don't know... I think that this is one of those child rearing topics that has no right answer....

Anyways...now for the good stuff! A few moments like these where we were able to slow down...and catch our breath for two seconds, making all the busyness not so bad!


This is pretty funny...The boys do this all the time for the dogs and cats... then they wanted to know if Emmie would go after it too...She did - Poor Emmie...just and innocent bystander!

A few days a go I was holding Emmie (surprise, surprise) and a bit of my pear dripped onto her mouth...she LOVED it and kept licking her lips - then went in search of the delicious fruit...when she found it she took if from me and shoved it in her mouth...she sucked on it for a good twenty minutes! Emmie's favorite toy is a plastic cup. She didn't put if up there to balance herself...but what talent huh?

This is a post all unto itself but here's a preview...Emmie not only had her first excursion to the park this weekend but we also met up with my best friend, Heidi and her son, Luke, who were in from Chicago for the weekend and were able to meet Emmie for the first time. We had a great time at the park - but it was too short! More pictures to come later!