Life with Emma

As a refresher, this is Emma Grace.

Ok it was really only three days, so I can't attest to what "life" is like with her, but boy do I have some stories to tell!  This past Sunday Phillip's mom and aunt came up for a visit.  I had asked Linda (Phillip's mom) if she would do me a favor and bring Emma up with them.  Emma had a free week in her schedule with no school, camp, or ballet.  So I figured we could give her mama and step-daddy a big, fat break!  They packed her up and made the trip.  We got so many goodies when they arrived, including more peaches than you could possibly imagine from our most favorite place, McLeod Farms.

Aunt Diane and Linda left that afternoon and Emma was ALL OURS!  Oh my goodness, I love little people.  The things that come out of their mouths: PRICELESS!  I will say that I totally understand why God starts parents out with newborns.  Phillip does not know what to do with a mini-human with that much energy.  Nor does he have any inclination of how to play with little girls (he told Emma's My Little Pony that it had nappy hair after he got the brush stuck).  Now, that's not to say that parents who adopt older children aren't good parents, if anything they are much, much stronger than those that take the conventional route (more on that later). 

Here's a few snippets/conversations/lessons learned during our time with Emma:

1) Do NOT leave reading material on the side of the bath tub.  Even if it is hidden by bathing products and you've had a firm conversation about not touching anything that wasn't already floating in the water, the ONE product that will prove most alluring is the one that is not waterproof.  I filled our garden tub with bubbles, threw all of her toys, some of Emory's, and a loofah or two in there, walked back into our bedroom to grab her pjs.  Within two minutes I returned with all necessary articles of clothing (couldn't do this prior to bathing as this child LOVES some bath and will strip and subsequently jump in to an empty tub).  When I walked back in, I saw my hardback book sitting on the side of the tub sopping wet and these two little eyes peering at me over the side of the tub.  She knew she was in trouble.  Now I will say that this was a perfect excuse for not finishing the book.  My apologies to Michael J. Fox (because I think he is a brilliant actor), but seriously Always Looking Up is dreafully boring during the "Politics" section in the middle (and I don't mind politics).  So, time out it was for Emma and the book was left in one of the double sinks to dry (now I can begin reading again...yippee).

Prior to the sinking of the late ALU.

2) Five year olds are infinitely more curious than George ever dreamed of being.  Emma saw my Medela pump bag and wanted to know what it was.  I totally did not want to have this conversation so I answered with as little elaboration as possible.

Emma: What's that?  It makes noise with you turn it.
(No worries, I didn't pump in front of her, but she danced to the pumping noise when she found the knob and turned it on.)
Me: It's a machine that helps give Baby Emory milk.
Emma: I can give him milk.  It can get it from my tummy.
(She had soy milk with her lunch not long before this conversation.)
Me: Well, Emory says "thank you" but he has to have a different kind of milk than Emma's soy milk.
Emma: Oh ok then!

3) "Bedtime" is a relative term, and Mason is the best babysitter in the world.  Emma didn't have a night light the first night, but was so tired from missing her nap that she passed right out with me in the room.  Her normal wake up time is between 7 and 7:30 AM, but she was up bright and early on her first morning here.  No one in this house likes to see 5:45, but Emma was bright eyed and bushy tailed.  I tried putting her back to bed several times.  The first time went something like this:

Me: Emma, it's not time to get up yet.  Let's go lie back down.
Emma: But it's dark in there.  I need a light.  Can Mason come?
(Normally Mason sleeps under our bed, but I didn't care where he slept as long as it meant she went back down.)
Me: Of course!  (Ushering Mason (who also wasn't thrilled with the morning wake up call) to Emma's room.)
Emma: (VERY perky voice) THE SUN IS NOT OUT YET!
Me:  You don't have to tell me!  I am WELL aware that the sun has yet to rise.  This means we shouldn't rise either.  Lie down.

After an hour of up and down, I digressed and we headed into the living room so at least Phillip could sleep (Mason joined him by retreating under our bed).  Later that day, Phillip got the grand responsibility of putting her down for a nap.  The Mason tactic worked well, so we sent him into the front lines again.  I was in the nursery with Emory when I heard the following exchange:

Emma: BUT Uncle Phillip, the sun IS out right now.
Phillip: (Very dry, very direct) Yeah and it will be out when you wake up after nap.  Go to sleep.
Emma: Oooookay!

I sat in Emory's nursery and died laughing.  Phillip is going to have to grow into caring for a little person because he doesn't have the patience for it yet.  After nap, I went in and found one of my college history books in the bed with Emma.  Apparently, little miss decided my book about the early history of African Americans in the United States was the PERFECT reading material for nap.

4) Our dogs are VERY patient (I'm sure this will bode well for Emory in the future).  Aside from Mason being a security blanket of sorts for Emma, Gracie was subjected to some special treatment all her own.

Emma said she was hugging her, but I'm pretty sure it felt like a headlock to Gracie.

Then she became Emma's baby while she took a phone call from her mama (where she told her mother with complete jubilation about how many times she had been in time out...and she wasn't a bit ashamed).

5) My house will never be clean when Emory gets older.  I thought it was hard keeping up with laundry and a 24/7 spitting-up child.  OH NO!  Emory doesn't hold a candle to Emma.  His toys are put up unless I get them out.  Her toys are out no matter what.  And everything but her toys makes for a better toy, especially our coffee table and my exercise ball.  The coffee table remained covered while she made Mason hide with her underneath.  I wish I had a picture, but in a way I am happy I don't have that kind of self-incriminating proof. 

She was such a good helper.  She loves taking care of the baby.  I got her out of the bathtub one night because she was finished and the baby was crying.  I WISH I had my camera because Emory was lying on his changing table and Emma (still just as naked as a jay bird) was facing the table on her tip toes trying to talk to Emory.  The cutest moment out of her visit BY FAR!  When she got bored with her toys, she would help me do chores.  She did such a good job listening during chore time.

She loved putting up the dishes with me.

On our way to meet Sarah and drop her off, she made the absolute best travel companion for Emory.  She kept popping that paci back in every time it fell out.  If he got fussy, she'd lean over and whisper "shhh shhh shhh" in his ear.  So precious!  She loves her some Baby Emory...and we love us some Emma!