happy father's day

we have had a wonderful father's day. it was simple. but it was special. it was adam's first father's day as a dad. last year we had just learned i was pregnant, so it had special meaning. this year we have our emmy in the world with us. last year i could only imagine what a good dad adam was going to be. i needed a lot of nurturing this time last year as i was terribly sick with morning (all day) sickness. adam was constantly running out to find things to either help me feel better or that i could possibly eat. mashed potatoes were a favorite as was ginger ale, saltine crackers and plain white toast. with four whole months of parenthood under our belts, i can now attest that adam is a better father than i could have even imagined. and being a great father has made him an even better husband. through all the trials and complications we've encountered he has only grown and stretched as a man. his strength, faith and support build me up and keep me going. and the love he oozes for our sweet emmy makes me love him even more. he is my perfect partner and he is the perfect dad for emmy. so with that, i say happy first father's day adam. and here's to a lifetime more in our future together.

emmy goes to the park

Please enjoy this nine-part docudrama miniseries featuring:
-rising young starlet "Emmy G"
-spunky furball "Daisy Mae Alligator"

With guest appearances by:
-firey rockstar dad
-severely-in-need-of-a-cut-and-color mom

the emmy bear

not much time for writing. our little emmy continues to progress. however, it is quite apparent as she gets older (she's 16 weeks as of this past saturday!) and begins missing milestones that she has a brain injury. she does not smile yet, except in her sleep. it is so cute when it flickers across her face and i can't wait for the day when she flashes a real one. she also has very low muscle tone. this means that while most babies are kicking their legs and reaching and grasping, she mostly just lays there. her neck and trunk are also very weak and we are working hard on tummy time (which she absolutely hates!) to get her little neck strong enough to hold her head. she's not doing much visually either, although we have seen some progress in her eyes and feel like she's starting to see more. she has an appointment with an opthamologist later this month. she also will see an ENT later this month about her ears, which we were told have fluid, which could be affecting her hearing. only four months in and she's already seen four neurologists, two urologists, two pediatricians, many neonatologists, and a pediatric surgeon. she has occupational therapy on tuesdays, developmental therapy on wednesdays and feeding therapy on thursdays. she will soon add physical therapy and vision therapy to her weekly appointments. it's not what we signed up for, but it's what we do for our little angel. and once again, here is the sweet face that keeps us going.

a little sunshine

well it's been a bit since i've posted and i really have no good excuse. . .other than being a very busy mama. we have been nonstop for the last several weeks. the first week of may, i was down south working at a surf contest. it was my first time away as a new mother. i'm very thankful for my awesome mom who came to stay with adam and emmy in my absence. g-ma and dad did an amazing job of caring for em while i was away. g-ma even kept me updated each day with pictures.

the following week was a little rough. we went in to see a new neurologist on monday to investigate further what we suspected to be seizures in our sweet little emmy. little did we know that we'd end up admitting her to the hospital where she and i stayed for the whole week to undergo various tests. on the bright side, they aren't diagnosing seizures at this point. but we are still looking for answers for some of her various issues, which is frustrating.

on the heels of that long week in the hospital, we had a much needed visit from two of my oldest dearest girlfriends. when e and i arrived home from the hospital, autumn and berit were already here and we spent the next few days just relaxing, reminiscing and letting them get to know miss e! we even got to sneak away for a sushi lunch and pedicures while dear old dad watched the emster.

and this past weekend brought the first visit from g-pa. he's been chomping at the bit to come see emerson and we finally both had a weekend that worked. fortunately, the sun broke through and we spent some quality time just lounging out back by the pool.

and here are some recent photos. . .

once again in the swing

sad face after two shots at the doctor :(

g-pa has arrived

g-pa and e lounging

lazy sunday. . .e and me

dad and e

daisy wanted her picture taken too

swinger

bathing beauty

sweet face

our emmy has been home for three weeks now. i wish i could say it were easy, but it's been very, very hard. my mom was here for the first two weeks and that was so helpful. but alas, she has a life and had to get back to it for awhile. i can't wait until she comes back though! and adam and i are settling into learning how to care for this complex child of ours. we've already had two visits to the emergency room! what keeps us going though, is this sweet face.

her first nap by the pool on a beautiful day