Woody, Woodnut, Woody Dean.

We had to put Woody to sleep today.  It was the best decision, honestly.  In his eight years, that sweet dog had his fair share of health issues:  weight gain, seizures, thyroid issues, rectal issues (gross!), a fatty tumor on his chest, a brain that was most likely waaaaay too small for his body...

You name it, he most likely suffered from it.

When we took him to the vet this summer, we discovered what we had suspected all along to be true:  every single organ in the dog's body was the incorrect size.  I guess that's what happens when a beagle and an italian greyhound mix.

I chose Woody from a PetSmart adoption Saturday in 2004, right before moving into our current home.  He was the only pitiful little puppy left from his litter.  His name was "Dogwood," which we shortened immediately, and  I thought I'd never get that dog house broken!  He learned eventually, and fit right into our crazy family.

It's amazing to think what all I've been through with this dog.  It's even more amazing to think that Harris (and Hadley, too) hasn't known a time when Woody wasn't around.

Harry cried last night as we prepared to mourn the loss of Woody.  He took lots of pictures and even made a few videos on his LeapPad, and he sobbed in Ben's arms right before bed and teared up again with me this morning.  Hadley simply asked for a piece of gum. :)

Things are going to be different around here, that's for sure.   But I'm so thankful Harris had the opportunity to learn to love Woody, and I hope that his experience grieving that dog will teach my sweet boy lessons that he'll hang on to for the rest of his life.

We love you, Woodnut.

Cheese.

Just a little taste of what we've been getting the last couple of weeks.

Can't wait to catch her big, toothless grins on camera.

Pinterest.

I'm Heather, and I'm an addict.

There.  I said it.  I am totally addicted to Pinterest.  I spend about half an hour a day (thank you, maternity leave!) exploring the site, looking for new and exciting things to "pin" to my boards.

Except I only ever pin recipes.  Seriously. 

And I actually make them.  Here's proof:

So far, I've made buffalo chicken sandwiches, cheesy chicken and rice, enchilada casserole, and the spinach lasagna rolls pictured above.  And that's just in the last two weeks!

Ben's decided that it's nice to have food in the house, and I agree.  I can't, however, believe how often I have to run the dishwasher now that we're eating at home so much!!! 

Oh, well. 

Check out my "I Think I Can Cook" Pinterest board if you're looking for some great (and easy!) recipes.   I never pin anything that has ingredients I can't pronounce.

A Beautiful Mind.

Hadley has a rock star imagination.  I love, love, love listening to her play! 

On this day, she wanted Emmy to join her for a ride in her "one horse open sleigh."

And today, at Dax's birthday party, in the middle of a sword fight with Ben, she said, "You can't kill me, Daddy.  I'm the pretty pirate!"

Makes me smile.

100 Days.

Evidently, today is the 100th day of school. 

And evidently, this is a big deal.

Harry's class is celebrating today with a "100th Day Party!"  I'm not quite sure exactly what it is they'll be doing, but we had to send in $3 and 100 items divided into groups of fives or tens.

Harris wanted to bring one hundred dollar bills.

I talked him to marshmallows.

We divided them into groups of five, and then into groups of ten.  I'm blown away by the things this boy is learning in Kindergarten Math.  In addition to counting by 2s, and 5s, and 10s, he's adding, subtracting, and has an excellent grasp of the greater than/less than/equal to concept...including those crazy little signs you put between the two numbers. 

I distinctly remember learning those little symbols in Ms. Meyer's second grade class.  It was the same year I cheated on a spelling quiz by hiding my list of words underneath my wrapping paper fundraiser packet.

I think it was also the same year I had to grasp the concept of syllables.  Not easy for me.

Anyway, Happy 100 Days!

I Have Talented Friends.

His Heart.

His heart is so tender.  He loves hard, scares easily, feels deeply, and has the ability to be quite compassionate.

And he wants nothing more than to help with Emmy.  Well, to help with Emmy and play Wii.  For that, I am so appreciative.

Favorites.

A few days ago, I asked Hadley about her favorite food.

Her answer:

"My favorite food is beans.  But not your beans.  Your beans are disgusting.  I like Ms. Ginnell's beans."

Her Hair.

She has none in the front, but a party in the back. :)

Cheeeeeeeks.

I swear those cheeks weigh a pound a piece. 

This girl LOVES the bath.  She loves the feel of the water, loves having her hair washed, and loves checking herself out in the mirror while being bathed.

She, like the big kids, gets a bath every other day in the winter time.  Sometimes I'll plop the "biggies" in the bath in the evenings and let them play while I bathe Emmy, but sometimes I prefer to bathe the Em-ster during the daytime when it's just the two of us.

She's happy either way.

Because Sometimes She Can Be Really Sweet.

Quick Comparison.

Harris:

Hadley (she was a beast!):

Emmy:

I think she's a mix of Ben and Harris.  Lots of Ben, a little Harris.

Settling In.

We've developed a bit of a routine here over the last couple of weeks.  Of course, I'm sure once I actually put it in print something will change, but I'm willing to take the risk.  I've got to give some credit to my super fancy phone app, too...I am amazed with what that thing can do!!!  It has made keeping track of sleeping and eating an absolute breeze and spits out the most incredible stats at the end of the day.  Baby ESP.  Totally worth the $4.99.

Anyway...

I'm learning to treasure the time I get to spend with Emmy one-on-one and I know I'll miss it like crazy when it's time to return to work, even though my BWF (best work friend) withdrawals are starting to kick in.

Anyway, here's how our days have been looking lately:

-7:30ish:  Emmy's ready to get up, regardless of when she last nursed.  Works for me.

-7:45:  Ben and Harris leave for work and school.

-8:00-8:15ish:  Nurse Emmy and pump.

-8:15-8:45:  Get dressed, get Babe dressed, change Emmy's diaper, and out the door to drop Hadley off at Ginnell's.

-9:00-10:00:  Walk the mall.  I'm loving this part of my day!!! :)  Emmy naps.

-10:00-3:00:  Lots of napping for Emmy.  Some nursing.  I eat lunch, do laundry, work on church stuff, watch my DVR'd "Ellen" from the day before, shower, run errands...you name it, I get it done!

-3:00-3:30ish:  Pick up Harry and Babe.  Come home, snack, play Wii with the big kids, awake time for Emmy, wait for Daddy to get home!

-5:30ish:  Daddy's home!  Emmy goes back to sleep.  Dinner, hanging out.

7:30ish:  Emmy's up again!  Baths for all kiddos every other night.  Songs, prayers, and bedtime for the biggies.  Daddy, Emmy, and I hang out and catch up with each other, watch tv, and chill, most of the time in our bedroom.

9:00ish:  Bedtime for Emmy.  And we start all over again the next day. :)

During the day, Emmy's nursing about every 3 hours.  We're getting better and better at night, too!  Last night she even had a 5-hour stretch, which was heavenly. 

I have learned that when napping, she much prefers to be in her pack and play.  She's not a fan of sleeping in the swing or her bouncy seat or really even in anyone's arms...I just lay her down and she's good to go.  The car seat's a good sleeping place, too, of course...she still can't fight the movement of the car or stroller.

What fun it is to discover new things about her personality every day. 

I love being a Mom.  Even when I'm really tired.

Addict.

The LeapPad. 

It's going to be our most effective discipline tool yet.

One Month!!

Happy One Month Birthday, Baby Girl!!!

At one month old, you weigh 9 lbs. 1/2 oz. (47%) and are 21 inches long (47%).  You also have a HUGE head like your Daddy and received your second dose of the Hepatits B vaccine today.

You nurse for about ten minutes every two and a half to three hours, and last night you actually slept in a four hour stretch!!  You moved out of the pack and play and into your own room about a week or so ago after Daddy had had enough of your grunts and groans. :-)  He actually woke me up one night and said, "she's in her room."  So that was that.  Your doing great down there, though!  You sleep all swaddled up, with your pacifier, and look absolutely adorable in that big ol' bed.  One of these days I'll remember to get a picture.

You celebrated your first holiday, Christmas, and even celebrated New Year's Eve at Taco Bell with us.  You've been to church and Chick-fil-a on a regular basis.  You've also had your first cold (a cough and runny nose).  And you are loved, loved, loved by your brother and sister.

We have all kinds of nicknames for you:  Em-nut, Em-ster, Little Scunch (given to you by Babe), Wide Eye (when you're awake) and Dookey Queen.  You've slowed down in the last week or so, but for a while there it seemed like all you did was poop!

You and I have a song:  Van Morrison's "Crazy Love."  I sing it and you calm down immediately.  You've got good taste.  You like being held in the Moby Wrap, LOVE being bathed, and don't object too much to tummy time. 

I am so in love with you.

NYE.

We had a sweet, low-key New Year's Eve this year.  While Ben and I are adjusting to Emmy's schedule better and better every day, sleep is still a precious commodity around here, so neither of us actually made it until midnight, which means the kiddos didn't, either.

We've spent most of the Christmas break hanging out at home, playing with new toys and LeapPads and watching football and challenging each other on the Wii, but by New Year's Eve we were ready to get out of the house.  We had our heart set on dinner at Sam's (and yes, I mean Sam's Club) but were sorely disappointed to find it closed.  So, we loaded up and drove around for half an hour in hopes of finding the perfect spot for our last family dinner of 2011.

We settled on Taco Bell.  Followed by FroYo.

And then came home to enjoy a little bubbly and a game of Sorry before calling it a night.

Bring it on, 2012.