Over the river and through the woods....

Hello from Minnesota!! Emersyn and I arrived safely last Saturday, the 18th. Emersyn did beautifully on the plane. I fed her right before we boarded so that she would be full and happy on the plane. Sure enough, she was perfect. She fussed for a second while I was getting settled and getting my seat belt buckled but after that I stuck her binky in and she was a happy camper. I had my iPod with me so I watched some videos on it and the time went by pretty quickly. I can't get over how expensive it is to fly these days, I had to pay $15 for my one suitcase and $25 for the second!! I was not expecting that but my parents were so generous as to reimburse me for my expenses since this trip was their treat. You don't even get peanuts on the plane anymore, you have to pay for it all!! You get a soft drink and that is it. Sheesh.

Anyways, Emersyn and I arrived and my mom managed to sweet talk her way past security to meet us at the gate which was really fun! I bought a snap'n'go stroller before we left and it was a LIFE SAVER!! Hauling her heavy car seat through an airport is not my idea of a fun time. We met my down at baggage claim and Emersyn woke up and realized that she was starving so my mom fed her a bottle while my dad and I got my bags. There is a tram that goes from the aiport to the Mall of America so before they picked us up, they had gone to "Build a Bear" and made a monkey for Emerysn that has their voices in it. When you squeeze the monkey, it says "Grammy and Grandpa love you!" with both of their voices. It is really special. My mom loves monkeys so she has started a little collection for Emersyn too which I think is really cute. Their guest rooms has cute little monkeys in it.

Emersyn's schedule has been really off here, I don't think we ever really adjusted to the time change. I have trouble falling asleep by myself too, I miss Brett too much. :) We have been having a lot of fun, both being out and about and just relaxing at their beautiful home. It is really crazy seeing my parents furniture in a different house now. I have loved seeing Emersyn in their home and watching my parents enjoy her so much. Thanks to my trusty Medela pump, both Grandma and Grandpa have been able to feed Emersyn and bond with her in that way. We went to the Mall of America a couple times, went downtown Minneapolis, and explored the local area too. My parents live southwest of Minneapolis in a little city called Jordan. It is pretty tiny but very quaint. The colors are SO pretty here. There are lots of trees and they are all bright yellow, reds and purples right now. The weather has been really nice too, lots of sunny days. Today though, it is snowing but not sticking. It is really windy too so we are having a fun relaxing day, watching movies and just enjoying the last full day I am here. I will be sad to go but excited to see my husband. Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. We are coming out here for Christmas next year and that will be exciting and fun.

Here are some pictures of our fun time!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38390&l=0c8c0&id=501322979

Happy Fall!

Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year. I love the transition from Summer to Fall with the rain and overcast days, I love all the colors of Fall (look at the color pallate of my house and you will see what I mean), the crunch leaves, the pumpkin patch trips, etc. It is all wonderful and just leading up to my second favorite season, Winter!!!

Life is good. Emersyn continues to grow and change daily it seems. She is just a doll and I love her so much. We have started to put her to bed in her crib, which was VERY hard for me at first but I know it is so much better for her. She gets much better quality of sleep when it is quiet and dark in her room, versus amidst the tv and conversation when Brett and I are up and she is sleeping. She is sleeping in longer segments as a result of this new plan.

We took her to the pumpkin patch on Friday. She slept through the whole thing. Next year she will be more into it, I imagine!

I am starting to get the hang of balancing the house and the baby. I really don't do much during the day and when Brett comes home and is having some Daddy time, I am able to get some things done. Same with when she goes to bed now, I am able to do laundry and stuff, although the downside to that is I get like a second wind and then have trouble winding down myself to go to sleep.

I leave for Minnesota on Saturday, I can't wait! It is going to be like a vacation, Emersyn and I will be well taken care of. Plus, my mom has a soaking tub, something I do not have, and I plan on taking a bath like every day. *sigh* It will be nice!!!

I know of 8 babies that have been born since Emersyn was born. She is going to have lots of little friends, that is for sure! I still have three friends that are expecting their babies this Fall too!

Getting the hang of it....

I feel like I am starting to get the hang of this mom gig. :) It sure is fun, I just adore Emersyn and every time I look at her, I just can't believe she is mine. I have made a conscious effort to enjoy my days home with her now, not to be so focussed on getting stuff done around the house. I don't want to look back on my leave and regret not taking advantage of bonding with my daughter, all for the sake of having a spotless house! I take time to get stuff done when Brett gets home and has daddy time with Emersyn. This is a fun chapter of life, that is for sure.

Friday we went and bought Emersyn her first pair of jeans. We have jeans for her to wear later as she gets older but none for right now. How cute (and pooped) does she look??

Her Daddy and I have so much fun shopping for her! These jeans were only $12 at the Carter's outlet. Too fun!