where is the PAUSE button

i have always been a bit of a procrastinator and always need a solid deadline to get me moving - well i have a very big deadline coming up and am starting to feel the pressure. brad and i are leaving for italy in less than 2 weeks and i am EXCITED and NERVOUS! i wish i could bring little emmy with us but the long plane ride and time change would put the 3 footer over the edge. so with that i have been trying to wean, and trying to get myself okay with the fact that i wont get to snuggle, smell her or kiss her for almost 10 days. am i going to make it? a part of me just wishes this was all over and we could get back to our regular schedule. i know she will be in GREAT hands with gma and gpa savage but oh IT'S GOING TO BE SO HARD! i just feel like i need a little more time - i'm sure it will be good for brad and i but it is especially hard that i havent even been away from her for a night. yikes! we are going to have to have a trial night away and see how that goes.
GG is back for the 2nd week and Emmy was so happy to see her. but of course as soon as i came home she was very crabby. but she is sleeping like a champ - let's hope it continues! last night i only went in once at 2am and she slept until 6:15 - tonight though she was exhausted and is already sleeping and it's only 6pm so i'm hoping that she is still going to make it until 6am. i'm not sure if she's teething, is having a growth spurt or doesn't feel well but she has been tired a lot lately!
we even went to the state fair and she fell asleep in the stroller. what a trooper! here are some pics from the other day -

i am so blessed

this week has really made me reflect for many reasons and i am so incredibly blessed to have the family and life that i have.

GG is down this week to help us out while our daycare is on a 2 week vacation. we were really in a bind and she drove down from Hibbing to take care of my sweet Emmy and Emmy couldn't be happier. she is just loving the attention - and GG is really showering her with lots of it, and love that only a grandma can give. we are so blessed and lucky that emmy got to spend some great quality time with her and get to know her GG better. i really need to get a picture of them so i can post it and remember this special time for them. GG - THANK YOU! you helped us out immensely this week and it has been so nice having you!

this week was also very memorable because emmy is sleeping through the night! it is wonderful! she has been going to sleep at about 6:30 and wakes usually at 9pm but then sleeps until 5am! and after a quick feeding is back down until a little after 6. SO wonderful! GG must be wearing her out!

but on the other end my heart is breaking for my doctor who delivered emmy only one year ago - she lost her 7 year old daughter to menangitis :
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/anniebahneman
Bridget is an amazing doctor and my thoughts and prayers go out to their family.

and also - brad's friends welcomed a little baby girl last week who also had to fight for her life but seems to be making huge strides in getting better:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vanessabarette

both of these stories put everything into perspective for me - nothing is more important than your family and loved ones - nothing else really matters. and i am truely blessed to have my family, my friends and my beautiful, healthly little girl. please say a prayer for annie's family to heal and for little baby vanessa who is just starting out in this world. take nothing for granted.

no longer a baby...

i think most mother's can relate but the other day when i looked over at emmy it just hit me like a ton of bricks. she is no longer a little helpless baby. she has grown into a little person and i dont even know when it happened. she is looking more and more grown up and i'm so enjoying every day the new things to discover about her -

now she tries to say up when she lifts up her hands to get picked up
she tries to say thank you (believe it or not) when she hands you things - because i always say thank you when she holds out stuff for me.
she gives open mouthed wet kisses if you ask her for one
as soon as you turn your head she races for the closest stairs to climb up
in the morning when she wakes up i bring her into my bed and we stretch together. she thinks its funny when i raise her hands above her head and pull her legs straight out too.
if she is bored or wants to go outside she will wave bye bye
she now also waves hello on occasion
when daddy and winston come home from work she starts laughing hysterically and tries to hide
she loves attention. she is a complete goofball.

and the good news is the next 2 weeks i will get to spend more time than ever with her because my daycare lady is taking the next 2 weeks off which she failed to tell me until monday which is also the bad news because it has completely stressed me out on how i'm going to get to my work meetings and still have her watched and getting her naps. but on the bright side, there is no one i would rather spend my days with.
here are some pictures from yesterday.

Birthday celebration part 2 - Hibbing

we took to the road for emmy's actual birthday - off to see great grandma GG and great grandpa and to spend sometime way up north. emmy had a great time and if it werent for the teething and not liking her pack and play - the trip would have went off without a hitch. but alas - it is good to be home where emmy has her crib and baby ibuprofin!
these pictures are out of order but here are some of my favorites.
emmy got a bitty baby from grandma paula. and dove right into her birthday cake. by her 2nd cake she was a pro

we celebrated at bimbos!

emmy had her first plum in great grandpa Pauls orchard

sweet kiss from daddy on her birthday

so happy to be sitting at her new table and wearing her new necklace from gg

and showing off her new teeth - she now has 4 but i think this last one was the worst!

and we found out that she is finnish - so emmy did as the finlanders do and took her first sauna in a little tin tub.

one very busy weekend!

it was a very busy weekend and i took loads of pictures of emmy and her cousins so i really had to narrow it down for the blog....but we had a wedding in st. cloud followed by her first birthday party with my side of the family... it was her first time spending the night in a hotel and she did very well, slept in the crib and didnt get up any more than normal. and she was in a great mood!

we had to tuck her dress into her bloomers so she could crawl

and here she is doing twinkle twinkle little star- she holds her hands up and wiggles her fingers

another shot of twinkle twinkle. i better record it before she outgrows it. super cute

playing in the little playhouse while we waited for the kiddie pool to open

all 3 cousins although anna wasnt pleased to share her floatie

time to sing happy birthday

wasnt really sure about the cake so daddy had to help her get started

my little princess

it was a fun weekend and her birthday week continues with her next birthday party up in Hibbing with the Savages. Fun stuff!

very first trip to the park!

well i made a spur of the moment trip to northfield this morning to see my sister and nieces...and she was both shocked and appalled that i had never taken emmy to the park....so off to the park we went. and emmy had a blast! she loved the tunnels but her favorite was going down the slide. of course she was in my lap but she would get the most scared look on her face but then when it was over get a huge smile. so looks like we will be making repeat trips to the park. but why is it that it always feels about 10 degrees hotter at the park?? thanks for the fun day girls but now i'm exhausted!! big day for the 2 footer.

we are heading to st. cloud in the morning for my cousins wedding. it's going to be a big weekend for this little one. and to cap it off we will be celebrating her first birthday a week early with my family followed by the savage family the following week. wow, time flies!

a breeze in the air finally!

it has been so hot and humid we have had all doors and windows shut for the last few days - which is not normal in the savage household. we hardly ever run the ac....but today when i opened the door this morning there was a little breeze finally - so emmy and i went on the porch to enjoy! she had a wonderful night, slept very well and was in a very good mood this morning - jabbering away. i cant wait until i understand what she is saying!
in other news - she has been really trying out her new chompers, last night she bit me on the back of my shoulder and of course i shreaked which gave her the giggles. i hope that doesnt catch on!

lake baby...just like her daddy

emmy loves the water and boat rides - she is a little lake girl just like her daddy. we had lots of fun last saturday at the anderson's -

hopefully next summer we will get to spend more time on the lake with family and friends - and emmy will be 2, i can only imagine what she will be like then!