The Higgins Family: Embry: 29 Weeks

Sign Language

The biggest thing this week is that Embry used sign language! Since Embry has been born Jacob has been doing the sign for Dad basically every time he sees Embry. Yes he would do the sign to newborn Embry! Haha.

Sign for Dad

Early one morning Jacob was playing with Embry and was doing the Daddy sign saying "Dada". We thought she did the sign back. We both were stunned, but agreed it was probably coincidence. A few hours later the same thing happened. We tried to capture it on camera, but were too late. We were shocked. Right after, we said- could this have been another coincidence... Well that evening Jacob came into the house and said "Hi Embry!" (without signing) and Embry grinned and OBVIOUSLY did the Dad sign! Sooo cool!

We totally plan on doing some sign language with her and even have the Baby Signing Time DVDs that she's watched 3 times, but I had no clue that at 6.5 months she'd be doing a sign! I have started doing the more sign and milk sign with her, but not all the time. Definitely starting more signing this week... (and hopefully we'll get Embry signing on video)

For good measure here's an adorable video of Embry and Daddy...

Embry's Tree

Last Sunday after I posted we were all hanging in the background and had an impromptu "photo shoot" with Embry and her tree.

The week Embry was born Jacob collected acorns from our Red Oak tree (my favorite of our trees) and has planted them. Well for months they were in our fridge in a drawer wrapped in wet cloth. I can't believe how big her tree is already! So cool! Wish we would have been talking more pictures of her and the tree over the past few months...we'll definitely do annual shots. We will keep the tree in a pot since this isn't our forever home.

As usual, the session ended with Embry eating grass NON stop. Confession, I kind of just let her eat it and on Wednesday I found fully intact blades of grass in her poopy diaper. Haha.

Friends

Sunday night we went to a cookout down the street with friends. Embry got to see her "boyfriend" Eliot =) Don't they make a cute couple?

Thursday our playgroup met again and we saw some old friends and made some new friends! Embry and I both had a great time. The only pictures I snapped were of 14 month old Harper and Embry.

Mobile Baby

No, she's not crawling yet, still! Haha! But she's mobile. Cruisin in her walker, rolling, scooting, etc...

I had a SCARE this week when I was working in the kitchen and had Embry in the walker near me. I looked over a few feet away and she was up against our bakers rack with a wine rack. She had a bottle of wine out of the rack in her hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ran to her and grabbed it. Looks like we need to baby proof!!

Trying to get into things already!

Food

Embry's appetite amazes me! There is not anything I can think of that we've given her that she doesn't like. The first time I gave her avocado, green beans, and prunes she shuttered and refused to eat them. I think even the second time around with each of them she didn't want them. Well this week she had avocado and prunes and basically inhaled them (and I think I mentioned last week that she loves green beans now). E-Pa was here for two days and saw her eat breakfast each day. He couldn't believe how much avocado and sweet potato she was eating!

She also tried "Skinny Sticks" this week. What's a Skinny Stick? Bought them at Costco...they're very similar to veggie stick chips. Anyway, I was needing to keep her occupied while I ate lunch and gave her one and she loved them. Kept her busy for awhile! They basically dissolve in her mouth, but she loves em!

We have made another change to Embry's eating this week.... She now is eating "solids" three times a day. Not a change I was thrilled to start, but early in the week I put her in her highchair while I was making and eating lunch and ended up giving her more and more food and she kept eating. I decided to commit and she definitely wants the food then. I kinda had a "moment" about it Wednesday night with Jacob. It's not that easy to feed her and (main issue) clean her up afterwards. Also, the time between naps is usually my errand time and a lot of the time I grab a Cliff bar for lunch on the go. Now we have another thing to add to the 'ole schedule. Okay, I'm done complaining now!

I made my first batch of pureed chicken. Kinda grossed me out but E LOVEDDDD it!! I baked one chicken breast and cubed it up. I froze half of it and pureed the other half. I'm not sure how many servings it will make yet...probably about 4 (so one chicken breast will make 8?). I hear if you freeze the already pureed chicken and thaw it's grainy.

Before I had the chance to buy organic chicken and make the puree we used the last of the jarred baby food we were given. So I bought a few jars for back up. Turns out I bought the stage three chicken and noodle dinner that has full on chunks of chicken, noodles, carrots, etc. and the jar is 6 oz. Well she CHOWED down on it. The night I gave it to her I already had given her some other veggies and she ate at least 2/3 of the jar. I think next week I'll make stew and grind it up but not puree it all the way and see how she likes it.

Babbling

The babbling continues. I swear she just loves to hear her own voice...and spit! Hah!

The Remote Control...

I think most babies are like this, but oh man...Embry has an OBSESSION with remote controls. I took this video earlier in the week....

Finally we decided to "give" Embry her own remote control. We had an old one that Jacob cleaned up with Clorox Wipes and now it's all hers and SHE.LOVES.IT.

Visit From Justin

Our good friend Justin (Jacob's best friend) came to Dallas on some time off from the Marines. He had not yet met Embry, so it was awesome to introduce her to him. Justin and Jacob have been friends for like 15 years and me for 13! He was so sweet and brought Embry a Marine Bear all the way from where he's stationed in Jacksonville, NC. Needless to say she loved it! (And has loved playing with it every day since then!)

Three Bummers....

This week E had her first "black eye". Okay, so it is a teeny tinnnny bruise, but right when it happened it puffed up and had a knot immediately She was on her tummy and tugging at a toy and it toppled over and bumped her eye. Poor baby! She cried like it hurt big time, but was fine immediately after. By the time she got up from her nap you could barely see anything.

The second bummer...well I'm pretty sure Embry had her first tantrum. Is that possible? Haha. During lunch on Friday I gave her an apple slice to chew on. She often times gets small pieces off and eats them, but this apple was too soft and she got a HUGE chunk in her mouth. I took it from her hand and swiped the piece out of her mouth and she was NOT happy about it. Kinda feel bad posting the video, it's so pitiful...

She had taken a not so great morning nap, so once I got her out of the highchair we went straight to her room and I nursed her and she went diving for her crib, 30 minutes before actual "nap-time".

The third...Embry had two more bad nights this week and ironically they were the two nights E-Pa was here again! One of the nights I got about 4.5 hours of sleep thanks to a fussy baby and my cough! I'm sure it was a fluke that she slept great until Mark got here, but we had to give him a hard time about it! Hah! I may be starting to sound crazy, but I'm sure it's teething! (Isn't it a Mom's right to blame any and all bad behaviors on teething?!?!)