me & emerson elaine

February Already?

2012-02-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

It’s easy to stick to blogging when it’s a fashion blog. Feel like shit? Post about popular colors for spring. Don’t feel like talking? Show your outfit for the day. Sick? Write about how to look great even when feeling sick. Don’t want to write? Share a quote from Pinterest. This is why the baby blog has been so very much neglected. I hate that the last post sorta sounds as though

Overstepping

2012-01-13T17:47:00.001-05:00

My husband raises Emerson. Yes, everyone says that both parents are involved, but he spends 50 hours a week with her and just her. I do not. He is making her into a thoughtful, caring, curious, brave child. The older she gets and the more she develops, the more I love him because I see how he is making her this fabulous human being. I trust him with her - to keep her safe, educate her, teach

She's No Baby

2012-01-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

My mom just sent pics from her recent day with Emerson and it still amazes me how quickly she has grown. She is no baby, she's quite the little girl! She never wanted to climb out of her crib, but for her 3rd birthday I switched it to a toddler bed. The first night in the bed, she had nightmares and twice fell out, but now we use her doll crib as a makeshift bedrail, which she really likes

Slowly But Surely

2011-12-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

We have been trying to potty train Emerson for about six months. Obviously we haven't put a ton of effort into it. A few months ago, we got hardcore. We had a Baby Bjorn potty in each bathroom, we got the Potty Power DVD, we talked it up. Emerson at first got super psyched about it, once even took off her pants and sat on the potty (though nothing came out). She carried the potty everywhere.

She Slays Me

2011-12-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

Emerson in her "princess dress" on Thanksgiving Since I don’t want the last post to be just about the state of my vagina I figured I better write. I never really liked babies, they squirmed, they pooped, they grunted, they were aliens. I always liked toddlers – they were curious and creative and funny and fun. Everyone said when I had a baby, I would feel differently about them. Well I had a

Well Hello There People!

2011-12-01T12:51:00.001-05:00

I never check the stats for this blog - I hardly write on it any more and am not trying to make a ton of money from it. So when I went to check the stats for my other blog this morning I couldn't believe over 800 people had look at this blog yesterday. WTF?!?! I usually have maybe 20 visitors on average. I was linked on GOMI. Apparently I am awesome for writing about my jacked-up vagina!

Emerson and Friends at Play

2011-11-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

Squeaky duck that Mommy has accidentally stepped on half a dozen times (eyes pop out and it quacks for hours) gets a ride on the swing Kitty can't be left out - she gets a ride on the bucket swing Kitty likes adventure - so she also takes a turn on the tire swing! I love how my mom takes pictures of their Wednesdays together - I usually get the photos around 4pm so I can see what they did during

Discerning Tastes (AKA a car ride with Emerson)

2011-10-25T14:33:00.001-04:00

“No Eddie, EVER! No Eddie Daddy, Please?!?!” How can this be my child? Our spawn doesn’t like Pearl Jam? Freaks out when we put one of their CDs on in the car or a concert DVD on the TV? “I want my Jimi Hendrix, and I want it now!” Okay, we can’t all have the same favorite bands, at least she still has good taste. “Daddy want Frenchy and the Punk. PLEASSSSEEEEE?!?!?!” This is a Gogol

Tinkerbell

2011-10-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

This Saturday Emerson went to our friends' son's 5th birthday party. As little W has his birthday so close to Halloween, they make it a costume party. This summer, my sister and I thought it would be fun to make E Tinkerbell for the holiday - she loves tutus and it's not your typical princess costume. My sister was the mastermind behind this costume - I helped cut tulle but she made the tutu,

So Utterly, Completely, Very Done.

2011-10-18T20:55:00.000-04:00

Woke up at 4:45. Brushed my teeth, toned my face, inserted my contacts took a shower. Dried my hair and curled the ends. Put on my makeup Got dressed – since I didn’t have to take my outfit photos, I just wore a pair of jeans with a merino sweater, a tank underneath. Ate my oatmeal while I checked email. Replied to two about ad rates on my other blog, four about people needing fashion advice, two

She Remembers

2011-09-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

Emerson is really curious about her body, which I think is great. “Whas this Mommy?” It’s a nipple. “Nipple?” Yes, a nipple. You have two. Everybody has nipples. Daddy has nipples, Mommy has nipples, even Cindy the dog has nipples. “See your nipple Mommy?” I don’t see anything wrong with this, I want her comfortable with the human body. I show her my nipple. She looks, then looks down

Creature of Habit

2011-09-01T07:05:00.000-04:00

I can’t be the only parent who can completely understand why her two-year old acts so crazy. Now that we have hit the “terrible twos” they make so much sense. How hard it must be to be a little person who is strong and nimble, but still can’t do everything. Who can talk and have conversations, but doesn’t always know how to say what she feels and isn’t always understood even if she does find

Over It

2011-08-26T20:05:00.001-04:00

I grew up mainly a cat person. We always had at least one cat in our family, usually two. We did have dogs on occasion, an Airedale named Daisy that outgrew our home and we gave to a family who had a big farm. Years later we adopted Zachary, a dog abused, neglected and given to us with a major guilt trip. Zach had serious psychological issues – was obsessed with my mom, constantly tried any

Poor Poor Neglected Baby Blog

2011-08-24T17:21:00.000-04:00

This picture has nothing to do with the blog post. It's just a picture of my daughter and her stuffed dog in a tote bag, in her stroller from this past Sunday. I think it's funny. Sorry I have been MIA around here. It’s just that there are only so many hours in the day and I prefer to spend them with Emerson rather than writing about Emerson. Yesterday there was an earthquake in our area. My

Selling My Newborn Cloth Diaper Stash

2011-07-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

Hey there folks, selling my newborn cloth diaper stash. I have a couple folks interested in individual pieces from the stash but anyone who wants the whole stash will get preference. I am willing to ship anywhere in the US, let me know if interested and I can check out shipping costs. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/bab/2511765363.html Thanks!

Is My Baby NORMAL?!?!?!

2011-07-22T16:29:00.000-04:00

When I was pregnant and the first year of Emerson’s life, I needed a lot of reassurance that she was normal, what we were doing with her was normal. I loved The Eco-Friendly Family on The Bump for help with nursing, cloth diapers, and more healthy choices for toys and such. I went to The Bump’s Attachment Parenting board for info on babywearing, dealing with nursing past one year, and baby-led

Baby Drunk?

2011-07-20T19:25:00.000-04:00

I have been blogging for like 50 years, and I keep in touch with/occasionally read the blogs of some of my original blogging buddies like Candi, Morgan, Elena, Bobbi, and Jules. Well Jules had a baby a few months ago and recently wrote a post with the title, "Baby Drunk." The title reminded me of a time with my mom where my husband and I were having a conversation about Emerson when she was

My Little Rock Star

2011-07-20T10:03:00.000-04:00

Emerson patiently waiting for her adult meal and "cocktail" Dear Emerson, You are a rock star. A total awesome rock star. Saturday after playing at the beach, we went to have lunch. You were sandy and tired and had a soggy diaper but you were game for a new experience. We walked to the Back Porch Café – your Aunt Debbie and I wanted to check this place out after reading many rave reviews and

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2011-07-20T09:47:00.002-04:00

We all know this is a given, your children will be parrots and repeat the absolute worst things you say. Many a sitcom has received cheap laughter from a skit involving a toddler and a four-letter word. However, when it happens to you, it’s still just as jarring, embarrassing, and utterly hysterical. A couple months ago, we were at an intersection and the light turned green. Right as we were

Emerson's Beach Vacation Part 1

2011-07-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

(these pictures are from my mom's camera, I haven't had a chance to upload the ones from my camera yet) This weekend my mom, sister, Emerson, and I went on our annual Girls Getaway to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It's just for two nights, but it's usually the only time during the year that Emerson gets to see the ocean. This year I was excited to take her because she is now at an age where she

Weaning My Toddler

2011-07-06T15:30:00.001-04:00

Me & Emerson (and coffee!) Last Week I decided that when I went to Bonnaroo in June, it would when I would wean Emerson. We would be away almost a week, and anyway beforehand we had been nursing only a night, and for less than a minute. When I came back from Bonnaroo, she didn’t even ask for milk that first night. But she did the second. I offered her a sippy cup of water, which seemed to

Baby's First Bug

2011-07-06T12:16:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my husband picked me up from the Metro, Emerson in the back seat. We were leaving the parking lot and Emerson went from singing to making a choking sound. I whip off my seatbelt and turn around and Emerson is puking big gobs of strawberries. She’s trying to keep it in and not be “messy” which is causing the choking sound. So as any good mom would do, I cup my hand under her mouth

Emerson's First Time on a Carousel

2011-06-22T08:43:00.000-04:00

When Emerson stays with my mom when we go away for Bonnaroo, she works hard to provide Emerson with fun-filled days full of new activities. Last year they went to an outdoor concert, a petting zoo, a lake and more. This year they spent a day at Watkins Park in Maryland where they went on a train, saw animals, and Emerson enjoyed her first carousel ride. I love this video because you can see

What Brings You Here?

2011-06-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

From my StatCounter page for this blog I hope it's not because you think it sucks to have a vagina... And I hope you can put MilkMates in the Medela microwave steam bag because I did that often when I was still pumping. As for toddler-tinted drool, I don't know how to help you with that search...

Good Boy

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

Emerson has gotten really attached to the dogs in the past couple of months. When she came home from a week's stay at Grandma's while we were at Bonnaroo she raced right past us to hug Cindy, Alfie, and Ruckus hello (Alfie ran away, but the other two seemed really happy to have her back home with them). She likes to pretend to feed Alfie and Ruckus "soup" and "juice" from her play kitchen and