8 months!

Hard to believe we're 3/4 of the way through her first year - Emerson is still my awesome little buddy. Feisty and stubborn at times (wonder where she gets that?) but oh so cute and playful.  Although right now she's cursing my name because we're still having issues willingly taking naps during the day.  It's a good thing we don't live in an apartment or condo with close neighbors, because this mom isn't afraid to make her cry it out.

On the subject of sleep, she's gotten wayyyyyyy better.  I've alluded to it numerous times on Instagram but perhaps not a lot on the blog.  Emerson decided a few months ago that she'd prefer sleeping like she did when she was about 5 days old.  Up every few hours wanting to nurse.  At first I blamed it on teething (which it probably was), but then it turned to habit and my fear of keeping the girls and Grant up at night so it was just easier to give in and get her (she falls right back asleep).  Then we went to Colorado, so I didn't want to start any sleep training deal prior to leaving knowing full well vacation would just screw everything back up again.  Then she had a cold so clearly I wasn't going to start then.  You get the picture....1,0001 excuses (least of which including the mere fact that 'she's my last little baby!').  Finally enough was enough.  Mama needed some real sleep.  So we took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend and let her cry it out two nights in a row.  Wasn't all that bad - I'd say we broke her after 30 minutes the first night and only 10 the second.  I wanted to hit my head against the wall it was that easy....why oh why did I wait so long?  Since then she's been awesome - normally sleeping from 7:30/8pm - 6:30/7am.   The last two nights she's been up at 5am, but I'm suspecting another tooth to pop through any second.  But if girlfriend starts creeping into the 4am wakeup calls, we'll have to turn on the waterworks again.  Naps still suck.  She seriously just fought one for 25 minutes, tired as hell but putting up a fight nonetheless.
Predictable, scheduled naps mom?   Ha.  I'll show you who's boss.  Sweet revenge for making me live out of my carseat all summer.

 She's a crawling machine....only took her a few days to master that and now she's all over the place.

 Happy as a clam and a big fan of peek-a-boo and clapping.  Just like Grant.

 Loves her sisters....and now that Ryan is gone during the day, she and the Reesers have become even better buds.  But, don't tell Reese, Ryan and Emerson are still pretty darn tight.

 Used to living in a jungle full of crazy people.

 Two bottom teeth, of which she likes to use to nibble on my arms, legs, stomach....ever been bitten on the stomach?  Holy hell.

The girl also eats like a horse.  She can feed herself now (with her little pinchers obviously, we don't have some fine china prodigy on our hands) and she truly does eat what we do.  I made a few purees that I froze in ice cube trays so I can pop one out when need be but really I just give her bits of whatever the rest of us are having.  She's a big fan of cheerios, eggs, oatmeal and/or fruit in the morning, pieces of bread, turkey, avocado for lunch and chicken, pulled pork (seriously she could win pulled pork eating contests), green beans, corn, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, whatever....for dinner. And Grandpa is ensuring she has a sweet tooth as he likes to sneak her cinnamon rolls, muffins, ice cream, you name it.   There is honestly not a food she doesn't like (knock on wood), except of course for the one thing that would be nice every now and then - a bottle of formula.  I can't complain since I did it to myself but Reese and I tried to get her to take one the other day and it was like chasing around a goat who was full and wanted nothing to do with the bottle.  Only four more months till sippy cup time, right?  Then I can go out again for longer than 3 hours....