Baby it's cold outside!

Here's Emmalyn all bundled up for the frigid cold weather! She actually seems to like the cold. She loves to see the snow on the ground first thing in the morning! However, I don't think she loves her new puffy coat! She gets mad if we leave it on her and strap her in the car seat! Nate says she looks like the kid in "The Christmas Story" with her coat on! It's so big, her arms get stuck out to the side and she can barely move! hahaha! It's so funny but soooo cute!

13 months!

Where did November go? Emmalyn is 13 months old today and is looking and acting more like a toddler everyday! She is becoming more ornery, silly, and rotten! Now with her new haircut, the baby look is fading. She is faster and sneakier than ever as well! She knows 100% what she is allowed to do and NOT allowed to do! She will become very quiet and you will hear a tussle in the Christmas tree from the other room! When I say "Em you better not be in that tree" I go and see that she is and she will be shaking her head no with a Christmas ornament in hand! This child keeps us laughing all day long! She is climbing the stairs but is not walking yet. She is cruising around things very quickly and standing on her own but as soon as she realizes it she plops right back down! She loves to be chased and tickled! She laughs all day long and has about 20 different facial expressions. She is now riding in her big girl car seat facing forward. It didn't seem to faze her in slightest. I thought maybe she would like it better and be excited but no, not so much. She still sleeps in the new car seat just as much as she did in the carrier. Nap time has become "chat for 45 minutes then crash" time. She is sleeping from 9pm to 8am lately and taking about a 3 hour nap. Her ear infections have finally cleared up so we are grateful for that! She is our tough little cookie.She never cries when she's hurt even if whatever it is gives her a goose egg! I think it hurts me more than it hurts her! Ha! She is just a pure joy! Selfish as it may make me sound this is the first Christmas that I have said "I have everything I could ever need or want" and actually MEANT it! Emmalyn has made our lives so wonderful! Ornery grin and all!

One snowy day

This was our first snowy day this year in Lancaster! We enjoyed it by doing some fun thing indoors. First, Nate went out to gather some snow for Em to eat! She enjoyed it very much! Then, Nate and Em took a 3 hour nap while I addressed our Christmas cards. Next came our favorite... taco night! Em actually did try some black bean and cheese quesadilla I made her! Yeah! After clean up we played and gave Em her very first haircut! I was so nervous to cut those curls (afraid she would lose them all) but as you can see her hair seems to be curlier now! Her bangs were in her eyes all the time and today she was constantly trying to push them off her face. We decided it was time!
She did not like her hair being cut at all! She was fighting us off and screaming the entire time! Nate eventually had to hold her head for me! It's not the most even haircut I've ever given but it sure looks cute! The Grinch just started about an hour ago and we let Em watch the first few minutes! She was smiling and laughing at the Grinch and wanted to kiss Ciny Lou Who (aka her twin)! It was a fun day at the Sharp house indeed!

"C" is for cookie

As we have mentioned in previous posts, Emmalyn is some what of a picky eater. She tends to gag and vomit many foods that we try to give her! It has become somewhat frustrating because it seems every other baby around us is practically eating just about everything! We have stuck with baby foods and anything that can be mushed up! If it has any kind of weird texture to Emmalyn, you better believe it's coming right back up! This being said... the other night Nate and I were having an after dinner treat. One that only comes out during the holidays at Trader Joe's. Joe Joe's candy cane chocolate cookies! If you haven't tried them I suggest you do! They're so good, and apparently we aren't the only one's who think so! Emmalyn snatched up a cookie so fast we had no time to stop her before it was in her mouth! I guess she has been playing Mommy and Daddy for a fool with her other foods because as crunchy as that cookie was, she had it down as quick as she grabbed it!

yule tree to be

Last Christmas the Sikora's got Emmalyn her very own Christmas tree! Not a grown Christmas tree but seeds to plant for one in the future! It was such a cool gift, I couldn't wait to plant it this year! We could've started it indoors but I took the easy route and waited until the conditions were right to plant directly outside!

So, today while Emmalyn took a long nap (just found out that she has yet another double ear infection)we did some fall yard clean up and planted her "yule tree to be!" We marked it so we would remember in the spring where it was.

Thanks again Sikora's for a great gift! I can't wait to see it grow (hopefully) and be able to tell Emmlayn that we planted it on the year she turned one! It will bring great memories each year we watch it grow!

to:Heather from:Heidi

Hope you have as much fun as we did "sweeping" out the old Christmas stuff! Happy decorating!

remodel cont.

In the midst of party planning and Em's birthday somehow we also found time to almost finish our office! Minus a few trim out pieces,painting the closet doors and attaching a mantle it is done! We are done remodeling ourselves for a very, very, very long time! The only part of the house that needs finished now is the bathroom in the basement! We will not be attempting that ourselves! Thank goodness!!!!! I have to say Nathan is really amazing and has surprised me every day with his handyman skills! Nathan did about 90% of the office all by himself (all I did was paint, decorate and assist when needed.) It is so nice to finally have things done and be able to sit back and enjoy our own little cozy home!

1 year old!!!

I am a little overdo on this post but we have been very busy! Our apologies!

Emmalyn is 1 year old! 1 year old... I still can't believe it! It in some ways has flown by and in others has seemed like forever. She is cruising around the furniture quickly but is still not ready to let go. She is still very tiny, weighing in at a whopping 17.5 lbs! She as you know has finally got some teeth (no more than two still) and wants nothing to do with "real food!" She gags herself and throws up most things we try to give her. She is still wants an afternoon nap bottle and a bedtime bottle. I don't think she is ready to let that go quit yet (or maybe I am not ready!) haha! The poor thing has been sick for about 10 days now so her birthday was filled with naps and a runny nose :(
Her big birthday party was yesterday. She got so many cool gifts! She is enjoying them all very much today! I do think the balloons are her favorite for now though... go figure! The party was great! All the aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins were there! Erin made two wonderful cakes for Emmalyn! Em had her own Elmo smash cake and we also had a sesame street sheet cake (my pic of that didn't turn out for some reason.)They were so cute and tasted even better! Thank you so much Erin!!! And thank you everyone for your generous gifts! She loves them all!!
Cold aside, Em is keeping us moving nonstop and is just so full of happiness and love! She kisses everything and I mean everything in sight!!! She is such a busy body but also loves to cozy up! There is just no greater blessing than her! She is pure sweetness and we say everyday that she proves that God's grace is real!