Emma: 14 Months

We have been so incredibly busy with Emma that I keep forgetting to update on what is new with her.

Sleeping: She is still taking two naps a day with her first being at 9:00 and lasting anywhere from an hour to two hours. Her afternoon nap starts between 12:45-1:30 and lasting another hour or two. Of course she sleeps the longest at daycare and never like that at home. She is still going to bed at 7:00 like clockwork, maybe stretching it to 7:15, but that is rare. Our little sleeper then sleeps until about 6:30-7:00. Emma needs her sleep, just like her mama.

Eating: What isn't Emma eating? This girl can eat and everyone comments on how much she eats and yet is still petite. She's drinking whole milk at all meals and water throughout the day. She doesn't really have any food she doesn't like other than leftover meat and veggies, she must like things fresh. We have also learned not to give her fruit until after she eats her regular meal because she will just eat the fruit and nothing else. She eats really well with a fork and usually switches between her fork and hand to eat. A treat after lunch and dinner is one vanilla wafer. Thanks Nana for starting that tradition :)

Development: Talking, talking, talking! I feel like Matt and I look at each other and say "Did she just say ________?" on a weekly basis. Some of the new things she says are "uh oh", "hi", "bye" (sounds like die),  "no" (while shaking her head), "mooo" (for cow) and "meow" (for kitty). She still says the usual "dada"and "mama" along with her regular babble talk. She loves music and "dancing". By dancing, we mean clapping her hands while maybe moving her upper body back and forth. She seems to finally understand her toys, how they work and be imaginative with them. Same with books, something she has always been interested in. Emma loves books and can often be found back in her room surrounded with them.

Likes/Dislikes: She loves her new daycare and the little friends she has there. We drop her off everyday and she could care less that we are leaving her. Dogs are still a favorite too, she sees on in person, in a book or on tv and she immediately starts panting to the point it looks like she could pass out. Emma still loves being outside and has started crying when it is time to leave the park or come inside. Another like Emma has is going to grab her little pacifier/blanket combo from her crib when she is ready to settle down and snuggle before a nap or bedtime (mom and dad love this). Emma's dislikes these days are definitely the camera: phone or real thing. She could be doing the cutest thing and we get our camera out and she's over it. She hates to sit still and it is near impossible to get a picture of her unless she isn't looking. (Note the lack of pictures, I'm just not going to deal with it) Emma also doesn't like me doing her hair, so we compromise and do it while she eats a morning snack in her highchair before going to daycare. As of this week, Emma hates baths! That used to be the thing that calms her down and she loved the most. Not sure where that is coming from all of a sudden.

Mom and Dad Update: We are doing well, but seemingly more exhausted now than what we were a year ago. Or maybe it is a different kind of tired? I think she is just busy and going through a bit of an ornery stage of whining to get what she wants or getting into things just to get our attention. We are definitely heading towards the territory of needing to start discipline and frankly, it's scary. It is a fine line of saying she is just a baby, she doesn't understand or reminding ourselves she does get it and knows how to get her way. It isn't that Emma is bad by any means, but we need to start setting boundaries so that she realizes right from wrong and that the world doesn't in fact revolve around her. Emma is such a fun, loving and silly girl and we absolutely love being her parents and this time of our lives.