Hayrides and Pumpkin Patches

Holding hands with my best buddy!

It was difficult to get a picture of everyone "having fun," but aren't they all so cute?

This was Em's first hayride. I couldn't believe how long her legs look in this picture.
A couple of days after we took this picture, Emily kept grabbing her feet and saying "Mommy, Oww!" I took her to see if just maybe she needed new shoes...in this pic she is wearing a 5 and three days later she was wearing a 7...WIDE!!!! Nice...good job Mom! No guilt feelings here:(

Thanks Uncle Sean!

Let me just begin by stating two things: #1 Em REALLY wanted to tuck the shirt in, #2 Em REALLY wanted to put this denim hat on with this outfit!

Okay, so with that out of the way...let me explain! Derek's brother was too sweet to send Emily her very first soccer uniform. He was living in Amman Jordan this Summer and on his travels, he picked this up for Emily. I think he bought the smallest one he could find but it is still too big. One day last week, I was going through Emily's clothes (nothing fits her legs anymore). As the pile of things that no longer fit grew and grew, I decided to see if this get-up would work as her Halloween costume. I mean how cute would that be with a pair of tiny cleets? Unfortunately we discovered that it was more than a bit too big. The shirt came down mid-calf length. But Emily decided that she wanted to play in it for awhile, so I let her have her wish. She ran around like crazy in her little uniform. It was so funny. That is when she found this random hat that she has never even worn and started dancing around saying "Mommy, hat, hat! Emmy, hat, hat!" I grabbed the camera and took a pic of her lovely outfit complete with healing-green-purple-stage-back-eye (see previous post). What a lovely sight she was!!! To top it off...I am fairly sure I had yet to comb her hair that morning as well!

Emily's First (and hopefully last) Black Eye

This is how it went down (literally)...Emily grabs the tray of her WOODEN high chair and pulls it over which results in the entire high chair crashing to the floor. The solid wooden tray hits the floor, pops off, and hits her square in the eye. All this while I am standing about 1 foot away. It was like it all happened in slow motion...I just couldn't get there fast enough! By the time I reached her, she was laying on the kitchen floor with the tray and chair somewhat on top of her. She cried and cried...I did too! We knew she really was hurting because she usually is pretty tough and doesn't cry when she falls...she gets up most of the time and literally brushes herself off. After lots of ice and some sweet time with Daddy holding her, she was okay. The worst was when she would scrunch up her eye and say "Ow, Owie." That pretty much made me feel like the worst mom in the world, but thankfully her eye is all healed now. It definitely looked a lot worse before it got better!

Pictures...Finally!!!!

Playing with water at the Discovery Center
Me and my best buddy Caleb!!
Eyes of Admiration:)
I love this picture of my little fireman-"woman"!

I forgot!

Because of our traveling, Emily's 18 month visit was about a month behind so I forgot to post about her appointment. She was much more aware of what the doc was doing, of course, which lead to some tears when we very first walked in the exam room. But, after she was weighed and measured, I think she actually had fun. Dr. Eastham is really terrific and let her play with the monkey on his stethescope and allowed her to use his pen which she loved. (She loves to write with pens these days!) She checked out well and weighed 25lbs 2oz and was 33 and 1/2 inches tall. We are very thankful for our healthy girl!

And...I don't know how I forgot this one, but Emily grabbed her diaper today, then went in the bathroom, picked up her potty seat, brought it to me, said something completely unintelligible and then put the seat on the toilet. Being the genius that I am, I took the hint. So...she peed in the potty for the second time. But then after getting completely soaked by the water hose at Laurie's today, I removed her pants and diaper for the stroll home and she peed in her stroller! So, I think I can hold off on the potty training for a bit longer!

Bummer...

I will be posting without pics for awhile. Unfortunately our computer is so full that I can't export any pics. I'm still going to try and figure out another way, but until we purchase another external hardrive, I think I am out of luck!

We have had a really great last couple of weeks. Emily had her first trip to Chucky Cheese's and she had a ball. I got to go to the Discovery Center for the first time with her (she went with her daddy a few weeks ago). We have had lots of visitors, which is why I haven't blogged as frequently. Emily spent some really sweet time with her Halmi and Grandpa and one of my dearest friends, Judy, spent last weekend with us. We also had some awesome overnight hang time with some of the youth girls. One of them is Ana whom Em dearly adores. Her name is actually the first name besides Momma, Daddy, and grandparent's titles that she has uttered. It is so cute...it sounds like "Ano".

Speaking of talking, she is talking up a storm. I wonder where that gene came from!!:) Haha!!! She is saying all kinds of things. It has really been so fun to see her speech developing. Even though we definitely have our moments of frustration (i.e. screaming at the top of her lungs) and drama (i.e. throwing herself onto the floor and crying), we have an immense amount of fun in our home. One of my favorite things is when we eat dinner together at night. Emily absolutely is mesmerized by anything her sweet daddy does. She laughs so hard sometimes that I think she will get sick! I just love watching them play with each other. I really feel so blessed by her little spirit. She is so independant and so sweet.

Today we played with Laurie's boys outside and just had a blast. There were tons of interruptions of course, but who cares when the time is filled with beautiful sun, bubbles, water, and sweet friendship. I love knowing that these friendships are not only mine, but Em's too. I hope she will still know these boys ten years from now, no matter where life takes us! If her affection for Owen endures, we might be seeing them for a long time!:)

On another note, two sets of friends had their babies and we are so thankful that the Lord blessed them with healthy little ones that are thriving! What an exciting time for them! We went to the hospital on Tuesday night to see Karleigh Hope and she is beautiful!! She has been desired for a long time and it is so sweet to see her finally here with her mommy and daddy! Emily was very well behaved at the hospital. I had tried to prep her about not touching the baby, but hello, she is 20 months old...what could I expect? She surprised me and actually listened and obeyed. She was very curious about Karleigh as she was when we visited little Baker at the hospital last week. I am so thrilled for our friends!

That's about all I've got for now. I am going to try to post some pics...we'll see what becomes of that attempt!

And...She Slept!

Emily slept all night last night! It seems yesterday was what I expected...a pesky and stubborn little canine tooth that won't push through. The other 3 are in, but this one was taking its sweet time to surface.

On another very, very exciting note...CONGRATULATIONS to our friends, The Baker's, on the birth of their new son, Brock Nicholas. I'm sure his two big brothers are ecstatic as well.

Today I get to prepare for another sweet friend's baby shower that we are hosting here at our home....babies are all over the place in the 'Boro! I'm super excited and with her permission will post pics. I can't give up what exactly we are doing, but I think it will be such an intimate and sweet time.

So...so long for now! I'm going to go and do all of the things I couldn't do yesterday!:)

Ahhh...Perspective!

Some mornings Emily gets to watch a little bit of PBS. In between 2 of the shows there is this short commercial type thing with a kid that is playing music on pots and pans followed by the voice of a child saying, "It's all how you look at it!" It gets on my nerves sometimes, but it does stick in your mind once you hear it a time or two.

Why did my sweet girl decide to wake up at the lovely 4am hour?...I have no idea. Why did she refuse to eat most of her breakfast and none of her lunch?...clueless again. And, why did she wake up after napping for only 45 minutes, only to leave me with the frustration of now choosing to console her and lose any chance that she will fall asleep again before tonight(even though she is pooped) or leaving her to cry herself back to sleep?...once again, I'm at a loss.

But, what I do know is that I was reminded of that silly PBS Kids thing this morning and it turned my I-am-so-exhausted-you-all-need-to-hear-about-it-blog into I am so thankful that I get to go to my child's side in the middle of the night and have her lay on my shoulder! I am so incredibly blessed that I have had almost 20 months to enjoy her!

I don't know God's plan for our family and we never know what obstacles are before us. But as I was thinking and praying for some dear friends this morning, I cried as I talked to the Lord about the road ahead for their family and the uncertainty of what is down the road for their little one. How could I complain about having to comfort my little girl in the middle of the night? It really is ALL about perspective and knowing that for the moment I will truly cherish these difficult but very sweet and tender times with Emily Paige!

I am thankful for the sweet Spirit of the Lord that gives us energy, strength, and such tender mercies for our children...I am reminded today that it is not by my strength, but His!!!

The Reason No One Should Ever Turn Their Back on a Toddler...or Wear This Shade of Lipstick!

She finds the lipstick...

She applies the lipstick...

And Mommy ruins the fun by confiscating the lipstick!


Wow, I know it must be a surprise. I disappear from the blogging world and then I mysteriously appear twice in one day! Of all the photo sorting and uploading I had going on, I forgot to post these lovely little shots of Emily and my lipstick (no I don't actually wear that color out...it was part of my redneck Halloween costume). Seriously, let this be a warning to all of you new moms, especially those of you with an affinity for bright red lipstick...BEWARE OF TINY FINGERS THAT OPEN ZIPPERS, SNAPS, OR VARIOUS OTHER DEVICES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CLOSURE AND SAFETY OF YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS...THEY ARE FUTILE EFFORTS AGAINST THE MASTERMIND OF AN EXPLORING AND CURIOUS TODDLER! There, well you have been warned. Incidentally, this nasty stuff actually came out of my bathroom rug...it was EVERYHWHERE!! The hardest part was getting it off of Emily's skin. Oh, the joys yet to come my way!

We've Been So Busy!!

This past month has flown by. I honestly do not know where the days have gone. I just completed the uploads of all of the photos and videos from the last month and while sorting through them, I realized how much we had been doing. We have had so much fun with family and friends doing lots of fun things. We've celebrated birthdays, rejoiced at news of a new little cousin, held baby showers, said 'temporary' good-byes to dear friends, laughed hysterically with the FSM crew, took first plane trips across the country, visited grandparents, liberated various river animals, made some awesome memories with family, and accepted new jobs. That is definitely the short of it all!

I am so thankful for the fun that we have had over the last few weeks. It has been busy, but the memories make it so worthwhile! Our trip to Cali was awesome and filled with lots of firsts and sweet moments. I was nervous about Em's first flight, but she did so great. It was preceded by a visit w/ 2 of my brothers, my sister-in-law and their kids. We went canoeing, hiked, watched movies, ate yummy dinners, celebrated Derek's b'day, and laughed so hard...in the words of my sweet niece, "...Ham's a present!" Only a few of you will get that!! In the midst of all of this, Derek accepted a position with Nissan. So, we have lots to praise God for!! He has been so gracious to us. Even down to the smallest details, I have really felt the Lord's grace and concern for me and my family.

So, for those of you that thought I abandoned my blog....I'm back! If you want to check out all we have been doing, you can check the photo and video gallery. After this post, I really am going to try and keep up...Judy, would you hold me to that please!!:)

For now...Emily is sleeping and I am enjoying a moment to myself. Everything else is going well here at the Kramer's. We will keep you all posted on new happenings! Until then...

It's Old but so Good!

I just watched this over and over again the other night...it was stangely the only time she ever sucked her thumb. It almost makes me want to do the baby thing again!:):) (Make sure your sound is turned up!)

Where Have We Been?

I can't really use it as an excuse because we have been back for almost 2 weeks now, but I have good reasons for not posting for so long! At least they sound good in my mind:) We had a great time seeing family in Virginia. And we got to take some sweet pictures of Emily with her cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents. It was definitely worth the drive up there. Derek and his cousin Kory were troopers. Derek drove all night on the way up and back...Kory stayed awake talking to him almost the whole time. Overall the drive went well and little Ems was a trooper as well!

We had lots of fun and "firsts" while we were there and have had lots going on since we returned home. Emily went on the beach for the first time and got into a real pool and "swam" for the first time. Then when we got back, she got to see her first fireworks. Thankfully she didn't get freaked out. She just laid back on Derek's lap and watched the sky like she had done it a million times before. Unfortunately we forgot our camera on the 4th, so I can't post pics now, but hopefully I can bum pictures off of Nicole or Kolby.

Another fun time that we had was getting to see our sweet friends, the Baker's. We got to meet precious little Caroline Kesi and hear all about their new lives in Dallas. It was bittersweet since they had to go back to the Big D, but we so enjoyed every minute of their visit.

I also found out this past month that I am going to be Aunt Karen yet again!!!! I am soooo excited for my brother Brandon and his wife Lorri. It will be a joy to see what God has in store for them through the gift of this precious new life! They are actually coming in town tomorrow so we will get to enjoy more fun with them over the next week...we can't wait!

I wish that I had the time to write about everything over the past month and a half b/c it has been super busy but I think I am going to let some of the pictures that we have taken speak for themselves. Besides the pics that you see below, I uploaded a bunch more to our Photo Album. You can get there be clicking the link to the left of this post! Enjoy the pics!

Fun w/ Family in VA

Em is obviously excited by her first time in the sand!

Having tons of fun!

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of us together

Reading Time!

Over the past couple of weeks, Emily will disappear for a few minutes and we don't hear her at all. This is what we find upon entering her room... Em intently "reading" by herself. It is hilarious because she sits on her little lamb rug and gets comfy. Then she pulls out a book, reads it for a minute or two and then pulls out another. Occassionally I hear her actually "talking" to herself as she flips the pages. We caught these pictures as we were spying on her because it seems inevitable that whatever cute thing she does, she immediately stops when she is being photographed or video.

I just keep hoping that this means she will be a lover of books and even more so of the Word of God. What a blessing it will be if she finds such solace and comfort in time with the Lord someday. For now, we'll keep encouraging her to read and and be intrigued by all the things books can teach us.

Catching her spending time in this way has been teaching me that it is not only okay to take time out each day, to be still and quiet and enjoy God's presence, but that He desires that I do this every day. Since Mother's Day, I have read 2 books and am on my 3rd and I am halfway through the Book of John. I say this not to boast, but to encourage anyone reading that God designed us to need this kind of time. It refreshes us and fuels us.

I am amazed at how a child of only 16 months can teach me so much...makes me understand why Christ loved children so dearly: "Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.' And He laid His hands on them and went away." (Matthew 19:13-15)

Computers, IPods, Telephones...

These are Emily's favorite things these days...I am so scared for what's to come!

I'm training her well...

Emily's new fun thing is to "help" out around the house. She loves to help me put the clothes in the dryer. It is really funny how proud she is of herself when she completes a task. Of course our insane clapping routine makes it much more exciting for her! It definitely makes me think that more children could be an asset...haha!

Curly Top!

Speaking of hair (see blog below), she may look like her daddy, but Judy is sooo right, that is her mommy's hair. Yessss!!!!! She is my child! I was begining to think that whole pregnancy and labor & delivery thing was a figment of my imagination, or that I was actually on the island with Sun, Kate, and Juliette and something weird was going on that noone could figure out with my baby...sorry non-LOST watchers, you're missing out! All is well at the Kramer's! Emily is an independant little comedy routine that wanders around our house.

New Video and Pics are up and running...peace out!!

And.........Off it Goes!!!!

This past Tuesday night I washed my bajillion inches of hair and stuck the "Chewbacca-like" remnants that I combed through on the shower wall for the last time (at least until I grow it out again)!! As much as I had been loving my neck always being at least 15 degrees hotter than the rest of my body, the headaches from ponytails, and the 3o minute showers due to daily cleansing, conditioning, comb-throughs...oh yeah and the 4 bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and "activator" (as Derek calls it) that I purchased monthly, the time had come for the hair to come off, and off it came...all 14 inches of it!! For those of you that have known me for awhile, this has been my pattern for the last few years, grow it, donate, grow it, donate. So this past Wednesday, I did it again. Hooray for Locks of Love!

In times past, I always would get at least a little nervous before the big cut, but not this time. It wasn't nearly as scary as I remember. Obviously, my hair is straightened in these pics, but I will wear it curly most of the time. You can check out our photo album to see pics of the actual cutting off process. Melissa is the girl cutting my hair...she is AMAZING!! I always go to her for the big cuts (I would go more often if I could afford her) but she is worth every stinkin' penny. How many stylists do you know that spend almost a full 2 hours making sure they have done a great job and that you are happy? The 2 of us have a big joke that if you aren't careful, she'll follow to your car with her scissors b/c she is such a perfectionist!!! So, big-time shout out to Melissa!!! I love you...you are awesome!

I am loving having my hair short! Emily did react a little when I arrived home. She smiled, which was reassuring, but she could tell a difference. The morning after "the cut" I took a shower and just smiled as it took me all of 1 minute to fully wash and condition my hair! Most of all, I love having something new, a change. And after all, it's just hair and I'm sure I will began the grow-it out stage at the end of Summer again. But for now, I am happy with the newness of this cut!

I am sending my hair to Locks of Love this week and would encourage anyone reading that ever decides on a major chop to always donate your hair if you have 10 inches to spare. They are non-profit, working totally off of donations, and their hairpiece recipients never pay a dime!! How incredible! I can't imagine being in middle school and not having hair, like those years weren't tough enough!! So, if you ever get time, check out their website at www.locksoflove.org . I am going to try to send my pics in, maybe they will make it to their website. For now...I am going to wash my hair and enjoy the ease!!

Lovin' these warm days

It has finally been warm enough to play outside a little bit. We got to enjoy it for a few minutes the other day. Unfortunately, Emily's nose was dripping like a faucet and she wasn't napping well nor was she in much of a mood for us to snap pictures.

Em had her 15 month check-up last week and she is doing well. We are so grateful for her good health and growth. She is a whopping 22lbs. and 31 inches tall. She got shots, which totally stunk, but I think her Daddy has recovered. Hah! The shots are always harder on us. Like clockwork, the doc said she might have symptoms from one of the shots and exactly one week later...surprise!!!...fever and runny nose. Who knows, it could be teething or a cold. I just know she's not her normal self. Otherwise, healthy as a horse!

She is still a bit clingy when I leave her, but it is so much better. For the first time, since she has became more aware of my disappearing acts, she didn't so much as sigh when I dropped her off at her MOPS class or at church this past week. I was so proud of her!

That is pretty much it on the Emily front these days. She runs around like I have laced her yogurt with crack and she makes us laugh hysterically. One thing that she isn't lacking is personality! Hope all is well with everyone...thanks for checking in on us!

~Oh yeah...we got some cute video finally up on the blog! And, I added some new pics. Just click on the link to the left! Make sure your sound is turned up b/c she is trying to talk and it is too funny!~

Easter was "Egg"cellent!

As told by the cheesy title of this post, we did have a terrific Easter! I can't pass up the opportunity for a pun when I get the chance. Our Sunday morning worship was amazing and then we were blessed to hear an awesome teaching on forgiveness out of the book of John. As we were getting ready Sunday morning, Derek reminded me that we should really focus that morning on what that day celebrated. While that seems obvious, I admit that it is so easy to get caught up in what you are going to wear on that first-dressy-colorful-as-an-Easter-egg-dress(or skirt)-that-you-would-normally-never-wear-and-probably-won't-again-until-next-Easter-outfit. But, I really heeded the advice of my wise husband and began to focus of what we really were celebrating. I am so thankful for the forgiveness that Christ has extended to me. I have done nothing to deserve it and never could earn it on my own. So, the question on my heart and mind the last few days is "do I forgive freely?" I would encourage anyone reading to ask themselves the same thing. And then if you want to hear an AWESOME sermon, you can click on my link to Fellowship Bible Church. You can listen to it online and I promise it is so worth it!

The rest of the day was filled with fun. We went to my mom's house where she had prepared her usual amazing dinner followed by an egg hunt for Emily. I am pretty sure that Em had no clue of what she was doing, but it is a sweet memory, nonetheless! We also got to hang out with my uncle and his wife and two twin little cousins who are getting so big. AND......................I believe some of the sweetest news that we received on Sunday is that a new little girl was welcomed into the world on Sunday....no, I did not secretly have baby #2!!! Caroline Kesi Baker was born on Easter. WOOT! WOOT! for Benji and Rebekah...we miss our sweet friends and are thrilled for them! We praise God for His miracle of life! You can check out pics of their new baby girl by clicking on Rebekah's link. She is a cutie pie!

I have also updated our photo gallery and will update again soon with some video of the little munchkin. She is doing some hilarious things these days. Be sure to check back frequently! We love everyone.........

Easter Sunday

Emily with her daddy...I love this picture!