Like Father, Like Daughter

Prompted by an email from my sister, I thought I'd share some pictures of Phillip and Emily. I wonder where Emily gets it!

Peasant Phillip

Peasant Emily

Sunflower Phillip

King Tut Emily

Phillip's Antlers

Cool Emily

Arab Phillip

Chef Emily

Another picture

We had Debbie take some more pictures Saturday afternoon. I'm sure they all turned out great, but check out the one of Emily on the pink blanket here. I can't wait to see the rest!!

Pictures

Last night we had pictures taken of our little family. Debbie did a wonderful job. Emily was great at the first site, but the wind and heat and her tiredness got the best of her in the end. We're planning to take some more of Emily this afternoon. Click here to see a sampling of last night's pictures.

6 Weeks

It has been a fast and furious six weeks. Here's a recap of Emily for you.

Our cutie at the hospital

Too big and a brag

I guess Emily isn't quite ready for this gown yet. This is how I found her this morning after I unwrapped her.

Also, I have to brag on my friend Gayla. She is an incredible artist and painted this for Emily.

Work

Today we worked in Emily's room. Or, rather, I worked while Phillip and Emily supervised. We bought a baby monitor (The First Years Digital) so I could hear Emily from our room. In a normal house, I would probably be able to hear her, but our air conditioner is as loud as a freight train! So, we had to get a monitor before we could move her into her room. (She's been sleeping in the Pack 'n Play in the living room up until now.) The picture below shows what she thinks of her new room! She fell asleep as soon as I put her in the Pack 'n Play.

For those of you who want to know, here is what Emily's room looks like for the time being. The crib was damaged in the move so we're waiting to get that fixed. And, there will be pictures on the walls at some point. Please ignore the fact that the walls are a very ugly yellow. We hope to remedy that in the coming months.

From the door

From the closet

From the Pack 'n Play

From the rocker

Apparently, she didn't think Phillip could hold her pacifier in her mouth good enough so she had to help!

Who could resist such a request?

Cloth diapers

Some of you may wonder what this picture is. Well, it's cloth diapers on a drying rack sitting outside drying. We decided to use cloth diapers at home because it would be cheaper. Some research shows that they may not actually be cheaper when you factor in the electricity and water cost to wash them. But, since we're not paying for the electricity or water, it really is cheaper for us! We bought Indian prefolds and Thirsties covers from Babies Bottoms and More and they have worked out well so far. I do a load a day and, starting today, hang them outside to dry. Once I find a container to put our cloth wipes in (with a mild cleaning solution of baby oil, water and baby wash), we'll start using those too. Our $140 investment will really pay off in time!

5 weeks

Taking the cue from Phillip here, I made Chef Emily last night.


I can't believe it's been five weeks! The time has really flown, but seems to be slowing down a little now that we're getting into a routine. After Emily has breakfast, I dress her then read to her. We read Peter Rabbit this morning and she just stared at me the whole time. What a great feeling!!!


A close-up of Emily's shirt...thanks, Aunt Jenni!

Lots of doings

This week has been busy!

Tuesday and Wednesday, my mom came down to help me continue unpacking. We got a LOT accomplished! All the rooms are mostly unpacked and settling is going well.

Yesterday was a big day. Phillip worked in the morning, as usual. (His hours during the summer are 7-1.) I got Emily up and fed and got everything together for our big outing. Emily had an appointment with the doctor in Brownwood at 1 so we left about 11:45 to get there. Even though she had a check up with the pediatrician in Dallas, we wanted to see someone here just to get established before her two-month check up. Dr. Scot Morris is an ACU grad and was highly recommended by several people so we chose to see him. He was great and really took his time with us and Emily. I think we're really going to like him.

After the appointment, we went to Wal-Mart. I fed Emily in the parking lot before we went in then we began our hour and a half-long journey. I forgot how much it costs to restock a kitchen after you move! We spent $350. That did include some things for the house that weren't just groceries, but we were also stocking up on things so we don't have to go as often. It takes a little more planning when you have to drive 45 minutes to get to a good grocery store!

This is what you get when you have a silly daddy! "King Tut" Emily

Today was a "finishing" day. I finished our bathroom and bedroom (excluding hanging pictures). It feels good to have it done, but I think I worked too much and didn't take enough time to sit and enjoy Emily. Actually, I've been doing a lot of that the past two weeks and I feel really bad for it. Maybe today will teach me that it's okay to just work for two or three hours a day and not kill myself trying to get the house settled NOW.

The other big thing is that today Emily is one month old. When we took these pictures, I didn't think to have a sign made that said she was one month old, but I'll try to remember that for next month.

Hanging with Mr. Snuggles

Riding the bull

Enjoying my new wrist rattles...okay, so Emily really doesn't have a clue that they're even on her wrists!

Chillin' in my new hat and shades

A special thank you to Aunt Jenni for all the props in these pictures! Emily loves them!

4 weeks

Yes, it's been four weeks! It's been a busy four weeks for all of us. Sometimes, Phillip and I feel like Emily should be older because so much has happened since she was born. But, enough talk...you want pictures!

3 Weeks and the Car Seat

First, for the picture you've all been waiting for.

3 Weeks

The Car Seat

Before

After

Now, for the story. Yesterday, we went to church in Ballinger. The church was fine, but smaller than we were expecting or hoping. We're going to try one in Coleman next week, I think. After church, we went to Phillip's parents' house for lunch. Just before we left, I fed Emily. She didn't really burp, but I didn't think too much of it because she doesn't always burp right away. We were 10 or 15 minutes down the road when we heard a sound from the backseat (yes, we make her ride by herself back there) that wasn't too good. I looked and she had just thrown up all over herself and her car seat. It was bound to happen one of these days! I didn't have an extra burp cloth (it got left at Phillip & Martha's by accident) and I didn't have an extra outfit for Emily to wear (she'd already had a leaky diaper so she was wearing the extra one I had in the diaper bag). She was a pretty good sport about sitting in a wet car seat in a wet onesie for the rest of the 45 minutes drive and didn't start crying until we were about 15 minutes from home. Car seat makers knew what they were doing when they made all the covers machine washable!!

Our new house, by Emily

Mommy's been pretty busy lately with moving and taking care of me so she asked me to show you our new house. Daddy, Pearlie and Grandpa (and Grandma & Grandpa Ratliff) have been busy settling us in our new house while Mommy's been taking care of me. Here are some pictures of our new house, in the process of settling.

Our new house

Our front porch

Our living room

The bar that will soon be a place for all of Mommy's recipes and cookbooks and the dining room. I can't wait until I can eat her good cooking!

The kitchen and laundry room

The guest bathroom

The office...I think Mommy will spend a lot of time here on the computer

The guest room...yes, we have room for you!!

My room!!! I'm really excited about this one. Maybe by the time it's ready for me, I'll be ready for it!

Mommy and Daddy's room

Mommy & Daddy's bathroom

Our back porch

Our back yard...Oso will love it once he gets used to it. He has lots of room to run...

...and a place to hide from the rain!

Our carport and the fence Daddy, Grandpa Ratliff and Lupe put up for Oso

That's it. Thanks for joining me on the tour. Let us know if you're ever out our way...we've got a place you can stay!