Emskyrooney

(Welcome if you've arrived here from Laurie Schultz's blog !)  Over the years the definition of Home for me has changed.  Growing up it was, of course, the house I lived in with my parents and my brothers.   Even after college when I moved to another state “home” was still back in that house.   Although my apartments were homey and some of my roommates became like family to me, Home was always back in my hometown in the house I grew up in. Even after moving in with Paul, getting married, and buying our own house, a small part of me still felt like home was back in Pennsylvania.  We were creating our own newlywed version of home but I always referred to going to my parents’ house as “going home.”  This has changed since having children though.  Now home is here- where my heart is, figuratively and literally.  It’s wonderful and exhausting and messy and crazy- usually all at once.  And I wouldn't change any of i...

Today LP had his very first dentist appointment (I know, I know- he should have gone earlier!)…  He did SOOO well- made his mama very proud!  LP doesn't cooperate very well when it comes to brushing his teeth (he happily brushes them but is not so good at opening his mouth very wide or standing still while we brush) and I was expecting much of the same at the dentist.  Instead he did everything the hygienist and dentist asked him to do, spoke politely and nicely to everyone, and asked plenty of curious questions (of course!).  In fact, he enjoyed himself so much that he asked if he could go back next week! This is part of PAIL’s Monday Snapshot! Check out more entries here !

It’s hard to believe that Eliza is more than halfway through her first year.  The time really has flown by (even the days that seemed like they’d NEVER end!)… At 7 months Eliza weighs 13 lbs., 13 oz. and is 26 inches long.  She’s the same length as LP at this age but is 2 pounds heavier (considering all the stress we had a couple of months ago about her losing weight I’m very happy about this!).  She’s still only in the 6th percentile for weight but hey, we make little kids!  She’s just recently outgrown most of her 3 month sized clothing and is fitting pretty well into the 6 month stuff… Eliza LOVES to eat.  She gets very excited when we put her in her highchair and gets mad very quickly if you haven’t already prepared her food.  In other words, we have to get her meals ready and on the tray before we sit her down or be prepared for some yelling!  So far she’s eaten everything we’ve put in front of her- and she particularly loves carrots (steamed ...

Eliza is cutting some more teeth, apparently.  She got two in a matter of days a few weeks ago and is chewing and drooling like crazy so we’re pretty sure more are coming.  LP had a full set of teeth by the time he was 1 so we’re not surprised that Eliza is getting so many teeth so quickly… With the drooling though, she’s a soggy mess.   You can’t hold her without getting soaked and we go through about 5 shirts a day.  So I decided to make her some cute drool bibs using a couple of free patterns and tutorials I found online. The first one I made is called the “Bapron.”  I found the pattern and tutorial on “ Craftiness is not Optional .”  It’s sooooo stinkin’ cute!   I used flannel for the top and backed it with some PUL I had on hand from my cloth diaper making escapades… (PUL is waterproof fabric).   I trimmed it out in some bias tape I had on hand (it ties behind the neck) and it took me about half an hour start to finish… Here...

In honor of my brother’s birthday (LP and Eliza’s Uncle Nelson), I’m dedicating this snapshot to him!  Enjoy a few photos of Nel with some of his nieces and nephews!    This is part of PAIL’s Monday Snapshot! Check out more entries here !  

Today my mother-in-law, LP and Eliza’s Grammy came over to say goodbye as she’s moving to Las Vegas tomorrow..  Papa is staying behind to sell the house before he joins her in a couple of months. LP and Grammy are very close.  Grammy and Papa live in the next town over so LP has been able to have many sleepovers at Grammy and Papa’s house.   We weren’t sure if LP really understood that Grammy was leaving and that it would be a long time until he gets to see her again.   We’ve been telling him that she’s leaving to go live near his cousins in Las Vegas and that we’d have to fly to see her.  Today I explained that we wouldn’t be able to see Grammy all the time, that she’d live far away just like Nana and Pappy do and we looked at the map but I wasn’t sure how much he really understood- every time Grammy has gone to Las Vegas before she’s come back after a week or so. The goodbyes went well until he wanted to go with Grammy and Papa and we had to hold ...

10 on 10: Ten photos taken during one day or event, documenting that day or event, and posted on the tenth of the month . For March’s 10 on 10 project I decided to just focus on a regular evening during the week.  Paul gets home from work around 5 p.m. and then we have the usual dinner, bath, bedtime routines of everyday life…. Paul needs about half an hour to decompress from work when he gets home: Then it's time for dinner. LP loves to help give Eliza her bath: And of course we have to spend some time admiring the cute baby in the mirror afterwards: Once Eliza is tucked in it's time for LP to head to bed.  First we brush teeth: Then it's story time.  Lately he's into the "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" stories which are a favorite from my childhood.  (In fact, this might surprise my mother but I remember walking to Lafayette College with her when we were little and buying the book in the campus bookstore......

So those wild and crazy ladies over at PAIL (the Pregnant and/or Parenting through Adoption/Infertility/Loss blog/support group I’m part of for anyone not in the know) are doing another “get to know each other” activity.  Last time it was sharing vlogs , this time it’s answering 20 questions.  Here goes! What was the last thing you threw in the garbage/recycling? Um.  Gross. I just checked and it was a pair of LP’s, ahem, used underwear that even after washing were still crusty and nasty.  Oh and a diaper. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? Hmm… I don’t think I’ve used my iPod in years!  I use my iPhone to listen to podcasts- so today it was the latest Manic Mommies podcast while I was at the gym.  In the car we listen to either the country music station or one of LP’s CDs- today’s choice was a Disney mix including songs from the Lion King and Toy Story.  I really must start playing more (and better!) music around the house!  Wh...

  Since Monday’s Snapshot is usually a photo of Eliza or LP I thought I’d share one of my partner in crime this week instead.   He’s my own personal handyman (seen here through our kitchen window taking apart and fixing our wood chipper), my other half, my solid rock, my main man.   He’s not the most demonstrative when it comes to how he feels- there’s little to no cuddling or sappy talk but he shows me every day how much he loves us by taking such good care of the kids, the dogs, our house, our cars, and me.  I consider myself a lucky, lucky lady.   This is part of PAIL’s Monday Snapshot! Check out more entries here!