Emme's 12 Month Well Check

Emme had her 12 month well check last Thursday (6/17/10). She got 3 shots and had to have the routine blood work, which I was blindsided by with Jackson so came with reinforcements for Emme. My aunt, Christie was still in town and Aaron met us there also.


Dr. P was very pleased with Emme's development. He was impressed that she was standing on her own from sitting and that she was walking behind push toys. She is also taking one step towards someone, but then leans too much and falls into us. I think she will be walking within the month. I mentioned that Emme wasn't really pointing as much as Jackson did and he wasn't concerned. Of course, after the appointment we went to the zoo and she pointed up a storm! Emme's current words are mama & dada, but she has also been trying to say Jackson lately. She did it at the zoo a bunch, appropriately enough while watching the orangutans! Ha! Emme is also starting to "talk" on the phone. She will hold my cell phone to her ear or her hand or the remote or even one of Jackson's cars and then start jabbering on. It's really cute!


Eating: Dr. P was glad Emme had been weaned to cow's milk and that she was enjoying it! Dr. P said to ignore her preferences for food and to just put the food infront of her. She'll eat it if she is hungry. He is also not an advocate of sippy cups, but we don't have an option. They use them at school - 14 toddlers with open mouth cups is just not feasible! I also asked Dr. P about Emme's teeth. She has 4 already and 2 coming in, but the top 2 teeth have a large gap and the connective tissue between the lip and the gum comes way down. I just wanted to know if we should start budgeting for braces down the road (once she gets her permanent teeth) - those things are expensive! Dr. P said she may or may not have the gap in her permanent teeth and once the rest of the baby teeth come in, they may even shift over. We'll see. My mom makes fun of me for being concerned about it (well not concerned, but you know).


Stats: Weight: 20 lbs 1 oz (15%)
Height: 28 inches (30%)
Again, we have a thin, shrimpy baby! I hope she starts growing more length wise at least!


Her bloodwork (CBC, iron, lead, etc) all came back normal, but boy was it tough getting there! One phlebotomist poked around on her trying over & over to get blood, all while Aaron is holding her, she is screaming and we are waiting in the waiting room able to hear the whole thing. Jackson was getting a little rambunctious so we decided to take a walk. I could still hear her in the hallway! Finally, when the lady said she was going to try the other arm, Aaron said he wasn't going to let them keep sticking her over & over again. They brought in another lady who got it on the first try in the other arm. Poor pumpkin! Thank the Lord for Aaron - he is the best daddy & husband. He will do whatever I ask him to do for the kids - baths, diaper changes, change crib sheets, hold them down for procedures when I can't bear it! It's been almost a week and so far no reactions to the shots like with Jackson!

Emme's 1st Birthday!

One year ago today, my baby girl was born at 9:45am after a little more than 12 hours of labor (not intense labor, but labor nonetheless). We could not be more thankful for our precious angel! This has been our best year so far! She brings an energy to our little family that we just adore! Saturday we celebrated our baby's 1st birthday with a watermelon picnic themed party. It was so much fun celebrating with all our sweet friends & family!

After our cake lady bailed last minute, Aaron's coworker, Gabriel stepped up to the plate and made this absolutely perfect cake for Emme FREE.OF.CHARGE! Love him! He is forever our cake guy now! If anyone in Houston is interested in using him, let me know.

The kids played in the backyard. Jackson loved having his buddies over!
We missed Hailey though! ;( Hope she's better!


This is my friend, Brianna's little man, Sam. Sam is 3 hours older than Emme and Bri & I were next door neighbors in the hospital when they were born. We only discovered this after a mutual friend came to visit both of us. Small world!

Sweet Abigail's first bouncy house experience!

My dad, one arm BBQing 3 weeks out of shoulder surgery! What a Pops!

The Birthday Girl!

From the front you could not tell how much of the smash cake she had eaten, but from the back...

Emme LOVES her marachas! Thanks Yaya & Pops!

Ami, Ashley & Me

Emme trying to put the baby's papi back in so it will stop crying.

Ashley & J-man

Today, Emme's actual birthday was spent swimming and later followed by dinner at Lupe Tortilla's! I didn't get any swim pictures though but I took her chair pics and some from dinner.

12 Month chair pic

(Stay tuned for A Year in Pictures post)

Yea! It's my birthday!

Nana & Jackson

My dad & my aunt, Christie

La nina en el sombrero!

Notice the stuffed mouth!

4 Generations

Nana, Clay & Emme (again, full mouth)

Happy Birthday, sweet Emme Kate! We love you SO SO much!

Update on the 12 month shots

So not only was the 12 month visit traumatic with the blood draw & shots, but the fun continues.... Apparently, it is not uncommon for a child to run a high fever after getting the MMR immunization. This is exactly what happened to Wacko! Thursday night he spent the evening with my parents so that Aaron & I could go to his office Christmas party. My parents said Jackson was not acting like himself - not playing as much as he normally does, but of course ate normally. He started running a fever that night & when we woke up in the morning, he was burning up. I called in a sub & stayed home with him (twist my arm, right!?). He was relatively fever free all day, but then that evening his started getting worse. At 6:30 I gave him some Motrin, but at 7:30pm we took his temp and it was 103.5. OMG! He had never run a fever that high and of course we were freaking out. I called the on call Dr. and she said to give him lots of cool liquids to drink, give him a bath and then at 10:30 give him Tylenol. This is what we did, but we didn't sleep much that night. I was worried sick. She said to take him to the ER if he acts listless even when the fever was down, if he's so sleepy he can't be awakened, or if he is inconsolably crying. Luckily, none of these things occurred and he woke up in the morning sans a fever. When he woke up, it was clear his fever had broken sometime in the night because this is what he looked like:

This was short lived. He began running a 102 fever yesterday afternoon and refused to nap. He did lay on my chest on the couch just watching TV with me for like 2 hours. That is so unlike him to be still for that long. Again came the worry. Finally, about 5pm the fever seemed to subside and he has been fever free since. We did give preventative Tylenol/Motrin throughout the night just in case, but he hasn't been warm today yet and this is what he is currently doing:

12 month check up

Jackson had his 12 month check up yesterday. Dr. Pielop said he was on schedule developmentally, so we were happy! He was impressed that he can say "hi" & "bye-bye" and that he has taken a handful of unassisted steps. Oh, how we love to brag!
These are his current stats:

30" tall - 55th percentile
19 lbs 15 oz - 10th percentile
46cm head circumference - 50th percentile

I do not know where this skinny baby came from -- Lord knows his dad & I do not have the "skinny" gene. And many of you have witnessed the boy eat. It seems almost gluttonous! But, Dr. Pielop said feed him until he's full. Sometimes I feel that isn't possible, but we'll do it!

Jackson also got 3 shots, which was bad enough, but then....he had to have blood taken. Mommies with little ones take note: I did not know this was going to happen & so I was not prepared. It is totally routine -- CBC and lead count, but still. It was horrible! Luckily, Aaron was there and could hold Jackson while he screamed and the phlebotomist did her thing. He kept reaching for me with his free hand. I almost had to leave. God forbid something serious ever happen to him. I won't be able to take it. I think about those parents who watch their kids struggle with cancer or other horrible diseases and see them in pain or scared everyday -- breaks my heart and makes me thankful God has kept my child safe and healthy!

Overall, the appointment went really well and we don't have to go back until 15 months. Yea!