Emma's 10 Months!

To say this month has been busy would be an understatement.  As some of you already know, Emma had her first encounter with the law earlier this month when I accidentally locked her in the car.  Of course this happened on the one 12 degree day in the most unseasonably warm winter I can recall.  It was highly traumatic for both Emma and myself with nothing but a pane of glass separating her from me.  It took 35 minutes for the tow truck to come and pick the lock, but in the meantime the nice police officer kept reassuring me that this kind of thing happens all the time while he tried opening the door with an old wire hanger.  And although Emma was choking on her own tears, I think the crying kept her warm.  When I finally heard the click of the door unlock, I ripped open the door and unbuckled her faster than you can say "Mom Guilt" and found that she was actually sweating.  What a relief!  I wish that was the end of our drama for the month, but it turns out that was only the beginning.

Last week I ended up in the ER for a serious infection in my toes.  I had minor toe surgery on both of my feet the week prior and for some reason, the pain and infection seemed to get worse with each passing day.  Finally, after a week of no sleep and severe pain, I allowed my mom to take me in to the ER.  My worst fears came true when they told me that they were going to have to admit me and put me on IV antibiotics.  Emma doesn't take a bottle and we are still on a regimented nursing schedule for her weight gain issues.  How would I feed Emma?  And what kind of disease was going around in the ER that had everyone wearing face masks? To make a long story short, the Rotovirus was filling up the hospital with patients and the head of the hospital was able to get me a private room on the pediatrics floor to accommodate my crazy feeding schedule for Emma.  I was there a total of four days, and Emma adapted very well.  By the end of the first 24 hours, it felt like we had a normal routine down and Will was such a trooper transporting her back and forth for feedings.  Fortunately, the hospital I was at is so close you can see it from our house, but it was still difficult for Will with bundling Emma up, parking the car and the 10 minute walk to my room with a hungry baby.  I think Will should be awarded not only Dad of the Year, but Husband of the Year as well.  Because of his calm and fortitude, along with both of our families helping out at our house, it turned an otherwise impossible situation into something we got through.  Lucy ended up catching the Rotovirus, and as difficult as it was to not be with her when she was sick, at least I knew she was in good hands.  Words cannot express how hard it was to have Emma taken from my arms after she fell asleep nursing and listen to her screams as Will carried her away, but she seems no worse for the wear now.  Here Emma is below in my hospital room.  She loved the pictures in my room and would point and chat at them repeatedly.  She also loved the iv tubes going into my arm, as well as the iv pole and all of it's buttons which made feeding time quite stressful.

While I was gone for four days, Emma said "Mama" for the first time and popped her first top tooth.  She also learned the word "Fish", inspired by her fascination with the fish tank on the pediatric floor.  Now she points at any living thing - cat, bird, etc. and says "Fish!"  She also has become quite adept at telling us "yes" or "no" through head nods or head shakes and does baby sign language for "all done", "more", "ceiling fan" and "read a book".  She loves to point and says "see" at everything she sees and also waves while saying "Hi" whether someone is coming or going.  Emma loves music and claps her hands and bobs her head whenever she hears it.  We like to play the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It" and sit back in amazement as she claps her hands.  Here she is below playing the piano, one of her favorite things to do.  She walks up and down on her tip toes hitting the high notes, then the low notes, and then the ones in between.

Another favorite activity, new this month is clearing off the bookcase.  Here she is looking quite proud.

And here she is, taking her job of book throwing very seriously.

 Emma is still having texture issues with her food and besides store bought baby food, will only eat bananas, prunes, avocado and oatmeal without gagging.  She comes crawling lightning fast though when she hears the spoon mashing the food in the little glass bowl we serve it in.  Lucy has introduced her to the world of processed carbs (we caught her feeding Cheerios and crackers to Emma under the table).  Emma is a nutcase whenever she sees Lucy eating Cheerios for breakfast and demands to eat them too, even though they cause her to gag.  She recognizes the box on top of the fridge and pumps her legs up and down while bobbing her head to indicate she wants some.  When we walk away without fufilling her wish, she throws a fit like she is dying.

 Emma loves pushing around her little alligators and is very agile on her feet.

 She goes super fast and it is hard to keep a step ahead of her - especially with my injured toes!

Sibling rivalry continues to build here at the Timmerman house.  Lucy and Emma can't stand to be apart, but when they are together, their fighting is constant.  This past month Emma has leveled the playing field though and Will and I have caught her instigating some of the drama by poking Lucy and then when Lucy pokes her back, Emma screams like she's been shot.  Here they are below riding in a shopping cart built for two at Lowe's.

 And here they are riding the wooden duck at the library.

 And finally, here they are playing in the tunnel Aunt Denise gave Lucy for Christmas.

This past month, Emma has resembled more of a toddler than a baby to me.  She now understands what she should and should not do and enjoys testing the limits.  Her favorite game is to crawl over to the stairs, look back at us over her shoulder, laugh, and then begin climbing.  Another favorite game is to get my cell phone the second I take my eyes off of it, and pull the blankets off of Lucy's dolls.  Each of these activities are forbidden, and you can totally see the thrill it gives her to break the rules.

There is nothing like emergencies, toddlers and 10 month olds to help make a Michigan winter fly by.  In just a couple of days we will be celebrating Luke's fourth birthday.  I can hardly believe it has been four years since we said hello and goodbye to our firstborn and I am hoping for a peaceful and meaningful celebration on Sunday.  Until then, I will be living through memories of my hospital stay four years ago and my last memories of Luke on earth with us.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we journey through the most difficult time of the year for us.