3 Year Stats - Emmy

Emmy had her 3 year check up last month.  She weighs 33 lbs and is 36 1/2 inches tall.  Her height is in the 25-50% and her weight is in the 50-75%.  Her BMI is 75-80%.

She's developing very well for her age.  She can do all of the things that are typical for someone three years of age. 

• Kicks a ball
• Stands briefly on one foot and jumps in place
• Opens doors
• Pedals a tricycle
• Builds a tower of small blocks
• Knows name, age & sex
• Understands, cold, tired, hungry, on and under
• Knows bigger and smaller
• Can explain the use of a ball, scissors, key and pencil
• Can draw a circle
• Describes actions in pictures
• Puts on her own clothing and shoes (on the right feet too)
• Feeds self

 Her behavior is typical and can go from one extreme to another.  She gets disciplined for bad behavior such as a three minute time out on her naughty chair (aka "Corky's Corner).
She gets rewarded for good behavior as well - with a toy, a treat or just a plain old hug or high five.  We try to be consistent and set limits.

I always ask her how her day went when I pick her up from day care.  She likes to discuss what went on during the day's events. 
She likes to share and is good at taking turns.  However, she does have her moments like any other child her age.  Her and Erin get along really well.
She takes naps almost every day, but is starting to fight us on it a bit.  Some days she just doesn't want to. 
She likes to pretend a lot and has quite the imagination.  Earlier today she was "baking" something in her Country Kitchen.  She baked something in her little microwave and brought me a little white dish with a plastic piece of hamburger.  :) 
She is still a very loving young girl.  She loves to show affection and if I pretend to be sad, she immediately drops what she is doing to run over to me and give me a hug, pats me on the back and says "It's okay mommy." 
She loves randomly telling us "I love you."
Her favorite foods are pretty much everything.  She really likes asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cantaloupe, strawberries, bread, all meat except fish and she LOVES milk.  She can't get enough milk.  Sometimes she will bring me the gallon jug from the fridge and say "It's heavy, It's heavy!!"
I call her my little computer brain.  She has such a good memory.  I can't believe what she remembers sometimes.  She knows directions around town better than Brad!!  ha ha
She remembers where Erin got sick the night we were out looking at fireworks even though we have only been down that street one time.  Amazing.  As we were driving home from Dar's one day, I passed the street where Erin had gotten sick.  Emmy yells, "Hey mommy, that's where Erin puked!"  Crazy kid!

Emmy's doctor said she is right on track for her age and to continue doing what we are doing.  We had one concern about a lump on Emmy's face right outside her left ear.  It happened out of the blue a couple of months ago.  It's about the size of a dime.  I initially thought that it was a big mosquito bite.  Emmy wouldn't let me put any "After Bite" on it so I just let it be.  About a week and a half later, the lump was still there.  So when we had the doctor look at it, she said it looked like a lymph node.  She told us to watch it for two weeks and then gave us a referral to see a surgeon. 

It's hard to believe she's already three.  She amazes us everyday with her smarts, charm, wits & humor.

Elm Creek Park

The day after Emmy's birthday party we went to Elm Creek Park Reserve.  This is the park where we were going to have Emmy's party, but due to the rain we had to find a different location.  It was really hot that day, so we just let the kids play on the equipment for an hour or so.  We've spent a lot of time up at the park this summer.  There is a swimming pond nearby too.  This girls love going to the beach.  The man-made swimming pond at Elm Creek offers filtered, chlorinated water, a sand beach, changing shelter, concessions and bathroom facilities.  The season pass is only $5 per person.  The playground is free.  Awesome deal!

 This summer I took the kids to the beach.  There was a reptile petting zoo here this day.  The kids got to see turtles, leeches, & snakes. 

 Emmy was brave enough to touch the snake!!!!!  I'm sure she will never do it again.

Emmy's 3rd Birthday

Our summer has been so busy.  My posts on here have been few and far between.  I have so much to update, so please enjoy the 15 posts that are about to follow...

Emmy turned three on July 23rd.  We had plans to celebrate her birthday at a nearby park that had just been updated with new play equipment.  This park is amazing!  Brad and I went to the park the morning of her birthday to set up the picnic tables, etc.  As we were leaving the park, it started to rain...and rain...and rain.  It poured for what seemed like forever.  We got home and started to think of different options.  Initially, on the birthday invitiation I had said, "In case of rain, we'll have the party at our house."  Well, we decided to check out the community center to see if they had a room available because our house is just too small for such a large group.  It turned out that the community center had a room for us and they supplied all of the plates, silverware, drinks & decorations.  We had to do a lot of calling that morning to make sure that people knew where to go for the party.

Everyone made it and it turned out to be a fabulous location. The rain stopped just as we were starting the party!  Go figure. 
Emmy had nine little friends who attended her party. Max, Elivia, Marilynn, Anne, Jordan, Madi, Maya, Shelby & Erin along with grandmas & grandpas, aunts & uncles, cousins & a few friends. We had an Elmo theme along with the other decorations that the community center supplied. The kids got to run around, play in the arcade, we had a little lunch and then Emmy opened her gifts.  After gift opening, the kids broke open the pinata!  Candy for EVERYONE!  After that, we all went swimming. 

She received so many special gifts. We are having so much fun with all of them.  Brad and I gave her jewelry and a jewelry box along with Wally the Whale, a Dora doll for the bath tub & a little Handy Manny car.  She loves her necklaces and rings!
She also received an adorable pink knit dress & leggings, a song book with six CDs, a couple of M&M dispensers along with a giant bag of M&Ms, a Jesus loves me bear, walkie-talkies, a photo frame with a picture of her & Erin in her Buzz Lightyear car, a miniature table & chairs set w/umbrella, an M&M shirt, a Go-Fish game (she finds the number 4 & yells "that's daddy's hockey number"), books, Dora swimsuit, Cars toys, bubbles, a Crayola Easel, an alphabet & numbers puzzle, a hoodie towel, a dragonfly barrett, a Barbie Corvette, a purse, 3-D sidewalk chalk, foamies, Teletubbies puzzle, and $10.

She's not deprived one bit!

currently

loving:  my three day work week.
pondering:  doing more physical therapy or should I just join the gym instead.
reading:  online tabloids.
anticipating:  Emmy's 1st dentist appointment next week. 
cursing:  the lady who stopped at a yellow light today.
wearing:  jeans & a black dress shirt.
deciding:  to go back to school...or not.
hoping:  to find three center caps for my car at the junk yard tonight.
eating:  just a coke.
planning:  our trip to the Dells & our Caribbean cruise.
dreading:  grocery shopping.
sorting out:  a bunch of emails from work.
wishing:  someone would invent something that folded clothes.

No More Pull-Ups

Emmy has gone a full week & a half without wearing Pull-Ups at night.  She has woke up dry each morning!  I think she finally got sick of being wet.  We are so proud!  WooHoo!
Erin is even getting in on the potty training thing too.  She knows when she needs to be changed.  She either tugs at her diaper or squats down on the floor in the bathroom.  Time to get the potty chair out again.  I still think it's way too early for her though.  She's not even 18 months yet.  But it doesn't hurt to introduce it I guess.

Shoes

When we get ready for the day, I tell Erin to go get her shoes.  She runs to find them and then comes back to me and places them in my hands and says "Shus."  This is pretty much her first big word.  The only shoes that she keeps on her feet right now are Robeez. 

She really only says Dada, Uh Oh & Mama.  If I ask her to say mama, she says dada a lot and laughs. 
She understands what we are talking about all the time.  I ask her questions about searching for things and she responds well by going to find them, etc.  She knows where her nose & belly button are on her body when asked.  We're working on other body parts and still trying to get her to talk more.
If I tell her it's nap time, she grabs her woobie and walks up to her crib - with no fuss. 

So far, she's still an easy baby...aside from her occasional tantrums she throws on the floor. 

Swimming & Gymnastics Progress

Emmy had her swimming evaluations last Thursday.  She moved up four levels to the Little's I class.  She will be in a class with other three year olds.  I don't have to get in the water with her anymore! 

I think we initially signed her up for the wrong class.  I signed her up for the beginner class because the information stated that if your child is hesitant of the water or doesn't like getting his/her face wet, then they would need to be in the beginner class.  When I talked to the person on the phone about it, they agreed.  The class that she's currently in is fine and Emmy really loves it, but they don't learn anything new.  Every week is the same thing - Singing and patting their hands on the water.  I asked if they would learn anything different and I was told that they strive on repetition and focus on "zooms" and "humpty dumpty's." 
Zooms are basically when Emmy zooms under the water from me to the instructor.  Humpty Dumpty is falling in the water as you sing Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great faaaaaaall. 
She has learned some new things and conquered her fear of the water.  I'm pleased but still a little frustrated that they don't learn anything more for how much we paid for the class. 
When I was a kid, my brothers pushed me in the pool and said start kicking. 

I'm looking forward to her next class.  I've been watching this class the whole season and wished that Emmy was in it.  It looks like it's more geared toward her age, etc.

We've been teaching Erin the things that we learned during Emmy's swimming class.  She's catching on really quick. 

Brad is usually the one who takes Emmy to gymnastics class each Thursday.  Last Thursday he had a hockey game at the same time, so I took Emmy to class and we got a babysitter for Erin.  I was really amazed at how much Emmy has learned during the last six weeks.  I took her to her first class, but Brad has taken her to all of the other ones.  She really has progressed and catches on to things pretty quickly.  The trampoline continues to be her favorite.  She loves to jump and she loves to do "Seat Drops."  (Jump up - land on your butt and then back up to your feet).
The class has helped her with getting her colors right.  I think she knows her colors.  If I say go find the green one etc, she does.  But, if I pick up a green color and say what color is this, she says red or purple, etc.  Sometimes I think she's playing with me. 
She'll be starting fall gymnastics next month.  I'm hoping that she can get into the evening class.  All of the other classes for her age group are during the mornings while I'm at work. 

5 Year Anniversary

Brad and I celebrated our five year anniversary on July 15th. We didn't have much planned and tried all week to get a babysitter, but everyone that we knew was busy. We ended up just bringing the girls with us out to eat and then spent the evening at home as a family. It's hard to believe that five years have already come and gone.  It's been an amazing five years & we are so blessed with our two adorable girls. 

When thinking back to our wedding day, we both said that the best part of the day was seeing each other for the first time.  How special.  :)


The five year tradition is "wood."  So I stuck with tradition and bought him a bird house.  Sadly, no birds have made a nest yet.  Brad got me a bracelet that matches my wedding jewelry.  It's so beautiful.  I always try to wear my wedding jewelry on our anniversary.  Now I have the complete set. 

We are also planning on taking our first cruise this winter as an anniversary gift to ourselves.  We are thinking of going to the southern or eastern Caribbean.  We just don't know which cruise line to go on yet.  We're still in the planning stages and soooooooooo looking forward to it!