I know I know...once again it's been too long before an update. Sorry! Since my last post, our Emma has turned three months old!! I can't believe she is three months old already. It seems like just yesterday I was packing my hospital bag completely oblivious to how our lives were going to change. I am actually on a short business trip as I write this entry and it was the first time that I have used my little suitcase since being in the hospital. I got incredibly sentimental when I pulled out my suitcase for the first time and saw the pink ribbon that I tied on the top to make sure I knew it was mine in the hospital. Even though it wasn't that long ago, it truly brought back so many memories of how Emma entered our lives and despite the pain during recovery, I wouldn't have changed any of it for the world.

As I sit here in my hotel room, I can't help but think about my little Tiny. Tonight is both Wes and my first night away from her as she is spending the night with her Mimi (because I am on travel and since Wes works in DC he can't easily drop her off or pick her up from daycare). Although we have NO DOUBT that she is being well taken care of with her Mimi (I mean look how good I turned out haha), I can't help but wonder if she is fussing, or if she went to bed okay, or how she is eating, or how long she is going to sleep tonight, or if her nose is still runny, or if she is wondering where Mommy and Daddy are and why we aren't there to kiss her goodnight. I miss her so much that I can barely type without breaking down into tears. It is truly amazing how, overnight, your entire life changes and how someone else now owns your whole heart. I can't thank God enough for the gift that he has given Wes and I and I can't wait to run home and pick her up tomorrow because I honestly feel like a piece of me is missing.

Updated Pics!

"I Think I Can...I Think I Can..."



"The Milkie Zone"



"Ummm...Mommy....I think this Binky is too big for me..."



"Ole!"



"Look What I Can Do!"



Emma with her new Godmother and Godfather!

SUPER BABY TO THE RESCUE!!!

Just some pretty roses Mommy bought Tiny for her Baptism.

Long Time No Blog!

Hi Everyone! It's been a while since I have updated the blog, it's been a crazy few weeks! Let's see if I can remember what has happened of the past few days ha!

Emma Kathryn was Baptized on Sunday, September 13th and did great! She lasted through most of the Mass but hadn't really napped all morning so by the time the Baptism came around and the big poofy white dress was on, she was getting a little fussy. She held it together until the Pastor actually poured the water over her head but I would have cried too...that water was freezing!! Poor thing haha!! After that, she was pretty good because she was distracted by the candle that Daddy was holding ha! After a few quick pictures with her new Godmother and Godfather she let us know that she had enough though! Poor thing was really upset when we were trying to change her back into her comfy clothes for the ride home! She again didn't sleep much on the way home and once everyone came back to the house, I guess she didn't want to miss her party because no napping then either! We had a great time with everyone over at the house and needless to say it was an early bed time for Tiny that night! I think she was passed out by 6:30PM!!

The following week she got to spend some special time with her Mimi because I had to attend a training class in Bethesda, so I had to leave earlier then when daycare opens so Mimi watched her for us for a few days. Emma loved it and I think Mimi loved everything too (except for the really early wake ups haha). Nothing too exciting has happened really, everyone is still doing well and Emma continues to grow and change by the day. She is reaching a lot now for her toys and constantly has her hands in her mouth. She also LOVES to sit up now!! If she is laying in your lap or on the floor she will grab onto a finger in each hand and you can feel her pull as if to say "Now Mommy Now!!" So you pull her up to a sitting position and it's like she is seeing a whole new world haha! She is still sleeping through the night and getting to sleep in longer and longer in the mornings. Today, I had to go in and wake her up at 6:30 because I had to get her ready for daycare! Emma now has two friends in daycare...with three more to come later this year. So far it's Emma, Ella and Emme! Ha! I guess the E-names were pretty popular this year!!

I have also started a scrapbook for Tiny that I have been meaning to start for MONTHS! I think I actually bought everything when I was about 6 months pregnant haha. I am including all of the posts from when we first found out we were expecting to her birth so one day she can look back and read all about how her life started. It's turning out to be really cute and it's been really fun to do so far. I love tying in all the sonogram pictures that we have, with the belly pictures with the posts and the pictures of the fruit and veggies as she was growing. I love going back to read the different posts, especially the ones that were just a few days before she was born. I had no idea what was about to happen and how much our lives were about to change!!!

Emma and I took a trip to Babies R Us this weekend too. We had a gift card from some of my good friends from back when I lived in Texas (thanks again Erin and Andy!!) so Tiny got three more winter/fall outfits (adorable), a bunch of socks (gotta keep those little tootsies warm), two pairs of cotton pants (she needed the 3 month size for her big chunky tummy), a baby Beethoven CD (she listens to music while napping at daycare) and an adorable little stuffed animal puppy dog!! I picked it up to show it to her and she got the biggest and brightest smile on her face so Mommy couldn't resist!! Our next goal is to find her a Halloween costume!!! Yeah!!!

I have several pictures to update so stay tuned for some new Tiny pics!!

See What Happens...

See what happens when you open your mouth too soon!?! Of course since I just posted yesterday about how Emma was sleeping through the night, she wakes up at 4:00AM this morning. Ha! I should have known!

Luckily she went back to sleep until 6:30AM but I just knew that was going to happen!

Slept Through The Night Again!

I think we may be on to something here! I think it's been every night this week that Emma has slept through the night! That's my girl! Even after a long morning nap and an almost 4 hour afternoon nap at daycare yesterday she still slept until 5:00AM. She ended up going to bed a little later but was in her crib asleep by 9:00PM. My rule is that if she sleeps until 5:00AM or later, it's considered through the night. Ideally, it will get later and later as she gets older and gains more weight but I sure can't complain!!

Two and a half months old and sleeping through the night! Woo hoo!

Of course now that I just said that, she will probably wake up three times tonight to prove me wrong. :::knock on wood:::

Ready for Fall!

Emma is ready for fall in her super cute pink elephant hoodie! We just had to share a few pictures!! Can she get any cuter?!?! I don't think so!!

Sleepy McSleepy Pants!!

Guess who has been sleeping through the night more and more each week! That's right! Little Sleepy McSleepy Pants! Every morning I wake up and thank the good Lord that he blessed Wes and I with a baby that is really good at sleeping! For several nights in a row now she has gone to bed right at 8:30PM and sleeps through the night until about 5:00 or 5:30AM! Today, she even let Mommy get up, shower, get makeup and hair done and even get dressed, all before she was ready to come out of her crib at 6:15! She doesn't really tend to cry in her crib much either. Normally we awake to hear "rutsing" over the monitor which she usually does with her eyes still closed. Last night we heard her rutsing at about 4:30 in the morning but the next thing I knew, she was right back to her peaceful sleep! Shew!

Emma is also starting to get the hang of napping at daycare. The first week she would have some pretty inconsistent naps, but she is getting better and better by the day. It's going to be a busy week this week, but we are really looking forward to Emma's Baptism on Sunday!!

I started thinking the other day about some of my favorite times of the day now that Emma is in our lives and here is what I came up with...in no particular order.

1. Bath Time: E loves bath time and loves to splash all over the place. It is just a really fun 30 minutes that we get to spend with her at night.
   
2. Milkies Time: I absolutely love to feed Tiny and I don't think it will ever get old. I just can't get enough of those baby blues as she just looks at you completely peaceful and happy as a clam.
   
3. Snuggle Time: Emma is definitely a snugly baby. She loves to be held, especially when she is sleepy and when she falls asleep in my arms, it is so hard to actually get up and put her down!



4. Wake Up Time: I have yet to wake up in a bad mood since Emma was born because it absolutely fills my heart with joy to walk into her room and see her all warm and snugly in her crib. When she finally opens her eyes and Mommy whispers "Good Morning My Love", she just lights up the room with the biggest and most beautiful smiles!


5. Chatting Time: Many afternoons after daycare, Emma loves to just lay and stretch out on the floor and tell you about her day! It's almost like we are having a real conversation because I will say things like "So, what did you and Miss Holly do today?" and she will make her little tiny squeaky noises and smile and I will respond with "No! You didn't! I bet that was fun!!" then she responds with some more squeaks and a smile...



6. Smile Time: Although these aren't listed in any particular order...I think my all time favorite time of the day is when Emma just smiles from ear to ear! Her cheeks are so chubby that when she gives a big smile, her eyes actually close because they get pushed closed from her chubby cheeks! Example below!

Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk®

Wes and I have decided to participate (through my company) in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® on Saturday, October 31st. As many readers of this blog know, our family has been personally touched by this disease. My grandmother, who passed away June 1st of 2008 was a victim of Alzheimer's. By participating in this walk, we are committing to raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer research, care and support.

Currently more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and 78 million baby boomers are at risk – unless we find a way to change the course of the disease. We want to do our part to fight this disease, but we need to ask for your support! Please make a donation to help the Alzheimer's Association advance research into prevention, treatments and a cure for Alzheimer's. For the millions already affected by the disease, the Association offers care, education, support and resources in communities nationwide. On behalf of my grandmother, Julia, and the millions of Americans who are living with this disease, thank you for supporting our efforts. We're on the MOVE to end Alzheimer’s!

To make donations or to join the walk, please visit my personal page at http://memorywalk09.kintera.org/baltimore/lauraodom.

Alzheimer's disease is not only difficult for the patient, but also extremely difficult for the families. It changes a person right before your eyes and can be very frustrating at the same time as extraordinarily heartbreaking. Things like this have only become more important to me since Emma was born. Doing anything we can, even things as little as participating in a walk and hoping to raise $100, to hopefully make sure that Emma never has to go through that kind of pain of seeing a family member affected by such a horrible disease. I NEVER want to cause my daughter the kind of pain, where she walks into a room, and I have no idea who she is. So please, help us to raise money to support this incredibly important cause.

Binky Bashing? Not Really...

I got a recent comment from a blog reader (Anonymous) that I should do my research before "Binky bashing". I just wanted to make a quick post and say that in no way was I trying to bash anyone for using a Binky. I know that for many children it does wonders and for parents too for that matter. I was simply just trying to say that it ideally isn't for us. Each mother or parent has different opinion and when it comes to motherhood, you will find some very opinionated people! Breast feeding vs. bottle feeding, swaddling vs. not swaddling, letting a baby "cry it out" vs. not letting a baby cry, co-sleeping vs. crib sleeping, and clearly...Binky vs. no Binky.

Please keep this in mind as it applies to pretty much my entire blog...what is included in these posts is what I find to be right for my child and my family, which may not be the same as yours. That's okay! Anyone is certainly welcome to comment and leave their opinions (I welcome them) but I am certainly not trying to influence anyone else on how to raise their child. So telling me to do my research before I make a decision, seems a little one sided because there is a REASON why I choose not to have Emma "addicted" to her Binky. Because I have seen the later effects that it can have on a child is one of those reasons. Again..that's not to say that she doesn't use it because we do give it to her, but only as a last resort. And, you will also find that when you do research on things like this, there are always two sides to every story. Although someone may find a study that shows Binky's may be found to help prevent SIDS , in other studies the are shown to lead to 40% more ear infections. So again, there are always two sides to every story.

Slept Through The Night Again!

That's my girl!! Emma definitely got Mommy's ability to sleep!! I am pretty surprised that she slept through the night again, especially after an almost four hour nap at daycare yesterday!! We had our normal bath around 7:30 and then it was time for some milkies at 8:00PM. By 8:30PM she was asleep! We tried to wake her up before going to bed for a quick diaper change and some more milkies and we got through the diaper change but I don't think she opened her eyes once ha! So back to bed it was and then she woke up about 5:00/5:15AM this morning!

She had another good day at daycare yesterday. I think she was fussy in the mornings but because she just couldn't fall asleep. She took about three 10 - 20 minute naps but sure did make up for it in the afternoon. She slept from 1:30 to 4:50PM and clearly had no trouble going back to bed that night! Her "Tiny Tidbit" which is the report that we get everyday said "Emma had a good day! She was holding a wire ball, and was smiling when her teacher sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She also watched herself in the mirror." So all in all, I think she is doing really well at daycare!

I really like her teachers, Ms. Holly and Ms. Mona. Both teachers, but Ms. Holly especially, have very similar ideas and preferences as I do which is nice. I ended up caving in when Emma was "little" and giving her a pacifier but I really didn't want to. We give it to her occasionally but more so of a last resort if nothing else is working with soothing her. I have just heard way too many horror stories about children who get so attached to them that when you end up taking them away, it can be pretty miserable (for both the child and the parent). Ms. Holly feels the same way, so I like the fact that she will only use the pacifier as a last resort as well. The same thing goes with thumb sucking. Although it is super adorable now when Emma does it, I am hoping to avoid her getting in that habit because again, it's just something else that later down the line will be hard to break. I certainly have no problems with her sucking on her hands or fingers when playing (it keeps her occupied for a while actually) but both Ms. Holly and I agree thumb sucking is a no-no. Can you tell that I am going to be a strict parent?!? Ha! Poor Emma...Daddy is definitely going to be the fun one ha!

We are doing pretty good with our morning routine as well. Today we made it out of the house right at 7:00AM on the dot! It really helps to have as much as possible done the night before. Before I go to bed I make sure to wash all her bottles, make 5 bottles of formula for daycare, lay out her clothes for the next day, get her car seat and blanket ready (I usually have my hands full when coming downstairs so having the car seat all ready to go is pretty helpful) and get together anything additional I have to take to daycare (like extra blankets or outfits or sheets, etc). She has her bath at night right before bedtime and I also make sure to pack my lunch and pack up anything else that I possible can. In the mornings, our routine depends on Miss Emma. If she wakes up at night, which is usually about 3:30 or 4:00AM, she gets a bottle, new diaper and is usually back down for the count. This allows Mommy to get up at 5:30 and hop in the shower before Daddy needs it at 6:00AM. I can usually get showered, makeup on and hair done by the time Emma wakes up about 6:15 - 6:30. Then its a new diaper, I put her in her clothes for the day and its probably another bottle. If she sleeps through the night, she usually wakes up about 5:00AM of 5:30AM in which case she gets a new diaper, gets put in her daycare outfit and has a bottle and either goes back to sleep or comes in the bathroom with Mommy and plays in her little activity chair. Once I am done in the shower, I usually move the activity chair onto the bed so she can see the TV and watch her Baby Einstein video. She usually watches about half and falls back to sleep, then I rush to get dressed, get my lunch and bottles out, and if I have my hands full I take a load of stuff to the car and then its up to get peanut and head out on the road! I think the hardest part of the whole thing is having to hand wash all her bottles the night before because we need to have two filled with water ready for her night time feedings and then 5 prepared with formula for daycare. Add in the bottle or two she uses in the evenings and that's a lot of bottles to wash! Somewhere in between all of that, I squeeze in going to work, cooking dinner, playing with Tiny, sweeping/vacuuming the floor, cleaning the kitchen and picking out my clothes for the next day. This being a parent thing is hard work! Shew! Welcome to a day in the life of The Odoms!

We Survived Daycare Day #1!

Well, I think Emma had a much better time then I did ha! I just couldn't concentrate at all yesterday! All I could do was stare at her cute little picture on my desk and wonder what she was up to! I ended up leaving about 15 minutes early to go pick her up because I just couldn't take it anymore ha! I think overall though I did pretty good, no tears which I was fully expecting.

When I got to The Young School last night she was in the arms of one of her teachers, Ms. Mona. She had just had her last bottle of milkies so she was in the "milky zone" as Wes and I like to call it. She was absolutely exhausted! She took several small naps yesterday, 20 minutes here, 15 minutes there, so she was extremely tired when we got home, which basically means she was super cranky! But after a good poo (eww haha) and an early bath, Tiny was in bed and fast asleep by 7:30PM. Since she ate at 5:00 it was just about time to feed her before she went to sleep but of course, she drank all of one ounce and completely passed out! Fast forward to 9:30PM when we tried to wake her up to have some more milkies and a quick diaper change. Well, that lasted for all of another 1/2 ounce and once again...passed out! She slept all the way until 4:30 this morning and boy was she hungry! She drank her full 4 ounces in no time flat and then...guess what....passed out ha! But luckily she slept all the way until 6:45 when Mommy had to get her up to change her and to leave for day number 2 at daycare! It was a nice morning though since Mommy got to get ready without rushing and had plenty of time to get everything ready and in the care before Emma woke up.

We are still getting the hang of the drop off and pick up routine. Right now it takes a little less then an hour from the time I leave home or work, drop off or pick up and then get back. Its about 15-20 minute drive each way and then it's taken another 15-20 minutes at daycare because of having to drop off "stuff", like diapers, formula (which I have to color code with tape), new sheets, put the car seat away...etc. I am sure as we (mainly Mommy) gets used to the routine we will get a little faster.

Emma had a great report from her first day though, she played and was trying to grab the toys and even learned how to hold keys! She would also smile when Ms. Holly and Ms. Mona were playing with her. Every day we get to take home a "report card" for the day which lists all the times she was fed, changed, if they are low on any supplies, any problems or issues and just a few notes about how the day went. Just like doggie daycare! Ha! I can't wait though to look back and read those when Emma is older!

So we are now on to day number 2 at daycare! Hopefully Mommy will be able to concentrate a bit more on work today and actually get something done!

Oh yeah, and Emma is now MUCH better with her hands! There really has been a big difference over the past two days that it amazes me. Every time she is playing on the floor or waking up or going to sleep in her crib, her hands are in her mouth! She finally has figured out not only how to suck her thumb (which she only does on occasion) but how to get it back in her mouth after it falls out ha! Normally though, its the whole fist that is in the mouth and not just the thumb! She tends to freak Mommy out though because she will put her hand in her mouth, then extend all her fingers and gag herself a couple of times a day! She is also starting to laugh just a little bit. I wouldn't say its her "full" laugh, or the one that you would record in the baby book, but she is working on it! It only comes out maybe once or twice a day and its only a matter of time before she figures out how to do her big girl laugh!