visit from grandma di

My mom rode back to Columbia with us to stay a few days. Emma Jane had a big time with her Grandma Di. We went to the zoo, Edventure, and Riverwalk and did a little shopping, too! We tried out Emma Jane's special ladybug backpack that helps us keep up with her a little better. She seemed to like the independence and didn't even realize that she was being "reined" in! I think she even likes wearing her "big girl backpack" and it came in handy to hold my cell phone and keys when we took her for a walk at Riverwalk!

spooning the pudding

Emma Jane can officially eat with a spoon all by herself. Of course, it has to be something like applesauce or pudding that will stick to the spoon. She then uses the spoon like a dipstick, dipping it in and licking off what sticks to it. It's a start! Believe it or not, she does this with very little mess! Here is a video of her spooning up vanilla pudding tonight. She loves being such a big girl!

fun in florida

Our trip to Panama City was a whirlwind! We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends. The best part of the trip was celebrating my grandparents' 70th anniversary. The party was held at a condo on the beach. It was the first time my grandparents had seen the gulf in a long time. They loved it! I took Emma Jane for a walk on the beach and she STILL is not thrilled about the sand! I took her shoes off at first and that was a BAD idea. I put a burp cloth on the sand for her (the only thing I had handy at the time) and she stood on it and cried! When I put her sandals back on, she timidly tiptoed through the sand until she realized that there were some cool things to see and do on the beach and then she suddenly forgot her sand phobia. Throughout the week Emma Jane had a great time playing with Grandma Di and Grandpa Ron and Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bill. We made a quick trip to Holy Nativity to see friends, so we had to get a picture together in front of the school. We also found time for swimming with Aunt Scott and Cecil at the Yacht Club, and we took a trip to Sand Destin to have some more swim time with Amanda, Mike, and little Kaitlyn. Even though we were both exhausted after this trip, we enjoyed every second of it! We only wish Paul had been able to go with us.

kaitlyn's barnyard birthday

Kaitlyn, the last of Emma Jane's good buddies, turned one this week. Emma Jane had a blast at Kaitlyn's barnyard themed party today. Amanda and Mike went all out with an amazing cardboard box barn they created and painted pink! The precious party hats were made to look like barnyard animals. Emma Jane was a whirlwind of discovery at this party! She got herself into a bit of trouble as she continuously tried to take ice out of the drink tub. Her favorite parts of the day were the yummy piggy cupcake she messily devoured and a wagon ride around the barn! What a wonderful way to celebrate yet another sweet friend's birthday!

zoo day

Emma Jane and Lily had fun exploring the zoo yesterday. Some of the highlights include...feeding a giraffe, riding the carousel, and kissing a gorilla! Okay, the gorilla kissing took place with protective glass in between Emma Jane's lips and the BIG furry gorilla, but she tried!

these boots are made for walking...

And crawling, and sliding, and shopping, and generally everything this little missy wants to do! I bought Emma Jane a cute new pair of boots for the fall. I put them on her yesterday to make sure they fit. She LOVED them! She's never really cared much about shoes. Actually, she seems to despise them and fusses when I put them on her. Not this time! This morning I asked her to get her shoes, and she went straight to the boots! I wasn't planning on having her wear them until the weather turned colder, but I couldn't say no. So, she wore her new boots (with a short dress, I might add) to the museum today. I have to say, she looked pretty darn cute!

happy birthday, addie!

Emma Jane enjoyed another wonderful party last Saturday to celebrate her good friend Addie's first birthday. The party was perfect and lots of fun was had by all. Of course, the balloons were Emma Jane's favorite part! She also thought the party favors were pretty cool...a ducky whistle and star shades made this girl feel very special! Taking a "test drive" in Addie's new golf cart was fun, too!

hair bow!

Emma Jane FINALLY kept a hair bow in her hair for more than a few seconds today. Although there still isn't a whole lot of hair on top of that cute little head, there is just enough to support one hair clip. She really seems to like wearing a clip, but is usually too tempted to pull it out. Then she tries to put it back in herself, but it just falls to the ground. Today she wore one the whole time we walked the gardens. Check out those curls in the back too!