Christmas kickoff!

Emmie's first Christmas tree

This is Christmas week and I am due for a good post. We have been full of Christmas spirit around here. Visiting Santa, Christmas breakfasts, riding the Pink Pig, and some other big news. So this may be a long post, but hopefully full of pictures and good news!

Caught in the act

How cute is this.. another darling outfit from brownie-goose.

First, we went to ride the Pink Pig the other day. Emmie loved it. She loved all the PINK and probably enjoyed the "gift shop" more than the ride, but for 3 bucks fairly entertaining. It was just Emmie and me, so thanks to the man who sat behind us for taking our picture.

Hanging out in the gift shop

Getting ready for the ride

Mommy and Emmie after the ride

We visited Santa at Phipps. For all the moms to be this is a hard appointment to get. We scheduled it this past October. The slots filled up in a few days time. It is such a pleasant experience. You walk up, barely any wait and the Santa is really good. Once again, Emmie not a huge fan, so of course she has a big frown in the picture. But she was in and out. She didn't have a list for Santa this year, but maybe next.

If only this was more close up

Loving my candy cane

Hanging out with daddy after meeting Santa

We had a Christmas breakfast at Emmie's school. It was great, but pouring rain outside. I was so frazzled I forgot my camera. Terrible. I contemplated going out to my car to get it, but I had to park a ways away and the rain was miserable and cold. So I get a bad mom award for no camera at the breakfast.

Today we went to see Santa in Meadowbrook. Brent owns a house here and our friends, the Hinsons, live there. So we joined them and watched Santa arrive on the fire truck from the Sandy Springs fire department. He brought gifts for all the kids, even Emmie. It was freezing, so after about 1 hour we had to bolt. Emmie was toasty in her hat and under her "new Christmas blanket". If you think it is really cute, well... thank you. I am going to toot my own horn and tell you that I made it. And I really did. It is so soft and snuggly. I am pretty proud of it.

Santa makes his entrance

Family shot

Emmie and her friend Fannie Bradley

She has her paci in but you can make out the big smile after she got her gift!

Opening my gift

So happy with her new cell phone

My, I mean... Emmie's Christmas blanket

We have much more to come this month. There are some big birthdays in the Kirley family. There is a big party for Uncle Tom and Aunt Bema this week. Emmie met them for the first time this weekend. It is hard to believe they left last January 5th to go back to Bangkok, Thailand and Emmie arrived on the 8th. So... a whole year has gone by before they have had a chance to meet. On top of it all, Emmie became an official walker this week and we already have our first boo-boo. Kind of a big one, or could have been even bigger. This is why I don't shop at Wal-Mart, only kidding. Really though, Emmie was walking in Wally world and fell on a metal shelf and hit her face as you can see. Right in between the eyes. Scary!

Uh, Oh! First walking boo-boo. Clearly, not bothering her in this picture

Right in between the eyes

She may be almost a year old, but still such a sweet baby!

Don't let me forget a special furry friend who is in the Christmas spirit as well. He wants to be in every picture, but I found him posing next to the Christmas tree.

And last, but certainly not least, a big announcement. Emmie is going to be a big sister. Yes, rub your eyes, you read that right! July 10, 2010 is our tentative due date. After going 2 weeks over my due date with Emmie I don't believe much in "due dates." But that is what they say. I had an ultrasound and heard the heart beat to prove it! The Bean is 11 weeks along. This pregnancy is treating me totally different than the last. I have been fairly sick so far, but making it through. I have faith it will go away as I remember how great the 2nd trimester was last time. I am so busy that I have a hard time remembering sometimes that I am actually pregnant. I am not sure Emmie is actually looking forward to this new addition. Champ on the other hand has this baby thing down pat. Brent and I are both very excited and can't wait to find out what we are having. Stay tuned!

The Bean

Big change

Many may know, but I have made a big change in my life. I have resigned from my job at a private practice internal medicine group. There are many reasons for the change and of course one being Emmie. I was a RN before I completed my Masters and became a Nurse Practitioner. I was used to working 3 days a week- 3 long days 7a-7p, but still that makes 4 days off. And actually you can manipulate your schedule to where you have 5-7 days off in a row. It is a great system. You work hard, but what a flexible schedule. Somewhere along the line 5 days a week and getting home before dark started to sound good. That is until Emmie came into my life. 5 days became tough. I was tired of only seeing her for a hour or two a day. And crazy thought, but working 2-4 days and having more time off started sounding pretty good. More money for my time and better benefits don't hurt either, but I wont go there.

Well, I had 1 week off, did some training last week and tomorrow I start my new position with The Minute Clinic. This is me marketing! Convenient, non-urgent healthcare, staffed by NPs, open 7 days a week and 10 hours a day. I am excited, but change is always nerve racking. Wish me luck!

11 months

Emmie is on her way to 1 year old! Unbelievable. I will keep this months update short and sweet because I have much to update about Christmas and want to make the 1 year post super special.

I wish I had a video, but the little monster is about to take off walking. She has been taking steps here and there. She took 7 steps yesterday. I almost died. She walks most when she isn't thinking about it.

She LOVES to talk. A short list of her favorites words besides gibber jabber: 'mama' (of course, and any variation of it really. She actually said 'mommy' the other day), 'da-da' (sounds more like 'gan-ga', but we know what she means), 'papa' (...and probably the cutest sound ever), 'baba' (which clearly means 'bottle'), and newest is 'no-no' (sounds more like 'na-na' or 'ne-ne') and she shakes her head at the same time. Pretty funny. Side note- We try not to say "no" so much, but they still learn this word and its probably a good thing in the long run. There are many theories out there about this, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

These are the 2 most exciting things so far this month. Like I said, December is a big month for us so there will be more to come. I am trying to keep this post about the star!

( The super cute outfit she is wearing is a product of brownie-goose. This is clothing line my old college roommate and dear friend "little Amy" made. Amy if you are reading, I need to send you some pictures of the squirt in her outfits)