Two months...how did that happen?

As I write this Emory is sleeping on my lap. While we do follow the "back to sleep" recommendation of the AAP, Emory's preferred method of getting to sleep is to lay on his tummy atop the
Boppy pillow. He is usually wrapped up in a miracle blanket if we are trying for nap or night time sleep rather than just helping to ease a tummy ache and sucking away on his paci. After he is good and asleep I transfer him to his bed...the trouble is today, every time I try to move him in there he cries after only 3-5 minutes of being in his bed...oh well, at least I will get some blogging in.


Admittedly, I have not held up my end of the bargain being a blogging mommy. You see, I did not anticipate the amount of effort involved in keeping a little precious boy happy ON TOP OF going back to work.


Things are going well on that front. On Mondays until Blake is out of school for the summer my Mom is watching him. He stays in the nursery at the Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays where he is the only baby. On Fridays we do not have children but only staff on site, so I have the privilege of caring for Emory myself while we have our meeting and discuss the children's programming etc. On Wednesdays I stay home with him, hence my opportunity to blog!


I was also hesitant to blog much after we first got back home because I was dealing with lots of emotions...both rational and irrational ones. My Momma Bear instincts really came out once Emory was with us. While I wanted to give Lori all the information she wanted and need to feel secure, the amount of contact we were receiving from her made me feel less authentic as Emory's Mommy (I told you it wasn't all rational). I tried to talk to Blake about this but he just didn't get it. I told him that Emory doesn't have another father (for all intents and purposes that individual is just a sperm donor) but he does have another mother who cares very much for him. Lori loves him so much that she found the perfect Mommy and Daddy for him!


Now when we don't hear from her I miss her but want to give her the space and privacy she needs to grieve and move forward .


She is doing well. She completed her school semester with excellent grades even with the distraction of being pregnant and giving birth to Emory and all that came with that. She will spend her Summer working and taking a class. She is currently in the process of purchasing her first home where she will live with her boyfriend Justin and their pups. We are very excited for her!!


Speaking of pups, sadly we had to make the decision to say goodbye to our forever friend DJ doggie. He had a tumor in the sinus passages that had grown almost to the size of a golf ball and was spreading for one side of his snout to the other. We had been taking him to the vet once a month and had missed a month while out of town for Emory's birth and the finalization of the adoption. He had lost more than a quarter of his body weight during that time simply because it was too difficult for him to eat. The vet said he was probably hungry (very sad) and he was tired all the time because he had such a hard time sleeping as he couldn't find a comfortable position in which to sleep. Sam seems to be doing okay with the transition. At first he looked for him a bit but now other than being more upset when we leave he seems to be fine but I know he must miss him. Blake had a very difficult time with it and was the saddest I have ever seen him. DJ was his dog before we met and Blake had been with him for almost 11 years...since DJ was six weeks old. I know we will see him again someday.


As for Emory he is doing wonderfully! He is gaining weight and growing as he should. At his 2 month Dr appointment he weighed 11 lbs. 12 oz. and was 22.5 inches long! I actually heard him squeal with laughter for the first time this morning! Here is a video I posted on face book recently for those of you who have not seen it. It was taken on May 23rd, 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPzHImSJTk

Emory is hitting his milestones. You could see from that video he is cooing and "talking" away. He will track us as we walk and smiles all the time at Mommy and Daddy (and other people too but we are the important ones). He is batting at toys and grabbing and holding on to them occasionally. He loves to kick toys and we think he may end up being a lefty. Emory is VERY aware of his environment and looking around ALL THE TIME. He is doing really well holding his head up but still needs practice. He likes to ride in the car, but becomes displeased rather quickly if we stop for too long or have to slow down for traffic. He does not appreciate the need to be snugly secured in his car seat, so that's big fun...usually he can be distracted with music (he loves classical) or white noise or rocking his carrier so his "friends" the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Mr Lion will shake and jingle. His swing he inherited from future girlfriend Christina (who is also adopted) is his absolute fave! We fed him rice cereal for the first time this past Monday night...he actually ended up with more of it in his tummy than on his face or Mommy! What a fun Memorial Day! Not quite like the old days (huh Anne??).

Oh well...we are loving parenthood and EVERYTHING that come along with it!!