The Higgins Family: Everything Embry: December 8

Just a warning, this is a very, very picture heavy post =)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We've made it a tradition to come home from Austin Saturday after Thanksgiving (to avoid the Sunday traffic) and we decorate for Christmas on Sunday. Well, I had already decorated the inside of the house, but we got our Christmas tree and Jacob decorated the outside of the house this year!

Arriving at Home Depot!

What a difference a year makes!!!

Looking thrilled both years.....hahah

Watching Daddy in the tree!

Pretty girl, watching Daddy!

Daddy's little helper.

Before Chicago

Embry and I flew out early on Tuesday morning to go to Chicago to see lots and lots of extended family! We spent Monday playing and running lots of errands to get ready for our trip!

Just chillin in the kids recliner at Costco....hahah

Little girl and a big tree! (This is the tree where the acorn came from of "Embry's tree" that Jacob planted for her)

Smiley eyed baby

Helping Mommy pack for Chicago

Travel

We had the best trip to Chicago, but our travel was less than desirable. Due to the (stupid) Wright Amendment, we didn't have a direct flight either way and actually flew through the tiny airport in Branson, MO each way.

Our flight to Chicago was planned perfectly for E's nap and eating schedule and due to weather in Branson, our flight was TWO full hours late from taking off from Dallas. Luckily we were stuck in the airport, and not the plane, but still... We eventually made it, just a little later than planned. Embry was a rockstar on both flights, slept the first leg and played quietly in an open seat the next leg.

Mommy PSA- While delayed in the Dallas airport, it was past naptime, Embry started screaming bloody murder crying. I couldn't do anything to soothe her. I brushed it off as a sleepy bad mood, but after 15 minutes of real tears, pushing me away, but wanting me to hold her, I started getting worried. She has never, ever cried like this. At one point I saw her grab at her foot that was in her Robeez moccasin style shoes. I ripped the shoes off and one of her toes was sticking up and swollen twice as big as normal, hot to the touch and bright red. I still have no clue how it happened, but she calmed down immediately and after an hour or so the swelling went down. I felt SOOOOOO bad. She was obviously in horrible pain for twenty minutes. I can literally cry thinking about it.

Our flight home was even more eventful. Shockingly, the weather in Chicago was fine, but Icepocalypse hit Dallas Thursday night and quite honestly is still in full affect! We left a tad late from Chicago because of bad weather in Branson again, and when we were there and at the gate, they announced everyone needed to get off because of a mechanical problem. At this point we were already 30 min late and weather in Dallas was getting worse. I tried to hold it together. Once we got into the airport, it was literally the size of my house, there's one gate, one runway, etc... They announced there wasn't even a mechanic on site so they would try to get one or a new plane, but it might not happen. I went and talked to an officer to start planning being stuck in Branson for the night and since they had crazy snow that day, he said no hotels were running shuttles. After being stuck for almost 2 hours (and shedding lots of tears) we got back on the plane and made it to Dallas. Luckily, Jacob skated our car through the icy roads to get us and we made it home safely. It was a huge ordeal, but we finally got home around 10:30 pm. Embry was quite the trooper, and the only baby on the plane, so everyone stopped me in the Branson airport and again at baggage claim in Dallas applauding her! She gets gold wings for her great disposition even while Mommy flipped out!

Splitting a bagel at the airport

Watching the planes

Slept from take off to touch down on the first leg!

Just reading a good book

Yay! Made it to Chicago!

We were greeted by Great Papa and Aunt Jamie at the airport!

Flying home, or attempting to at least!

Our first leg of the flight home was only half full! So nice to have a row to ourselves

Midair wonder =)

Right before she fell asleep....poor tired baby... Mommy forgot lovey!!

Mommy fail...no lovey on the flight home....

So sweet, clutching my necklace the whole time

Snowy runway in Branson

Finally headed home!

Fun with Family!

Our time in Chicago was absolutely perfect!!! We had our "home base" set at the Runds house (my aunt and uncles) where they had spare rooms for each of us and my two cousins still in school there, so it was fun to be up early with Embry and get to see them off to school each morning! We went to our other aunt and uncles house, the Blakes, twice and lastly played at Grandma and Papa's before we left Friday. All three houses were set gobs of toys (all three families were so great about saving so many toys!), pack-n-plays set up at each house, food for us all, etc. Needless to say, we were spoiled on our trip! Multiple cousins of mine took off days of work and school and made hour long trips to come see us. I've said this before, Embry (and me!!) is so, so lucky to have so many people who love her!

I was a tad worried about how Embry would do with meeting tons of new people after Thanksgiving week being in such a mommy mode, but I'm starting to think she was like that because she was sick. Embry was quite the social butterfly, loved meeting all the family, played with everyone, wasn't shy at all! Made me so happy! Overall, everyone adored Embry (of course, hah!) and everyone thought she was much smaller in person than pictures make her look.

Playing at the Runds house

Meeting Aunt Tracey

Meeting cousin Lindsay, who drove in from the city to see us!

Playing with cousin Nickie before school one morning

Playing at the Blakes house

Nothing beats a baby doll in a barbie jeep!

More fun toys down in the basement! (oh how we wish we had a basement!!!!)

Playing with the Little People farm !

Maracas to play with! So fun.

A fun day with Fanning Women! Hillary, Jessica, me, E, Grandma, Erin and Lindsay!

Embry and Jess!

The Blakes have my great-grandma's old piano at their house...which makes it E's great-great grandparents piano.

Me, Embry and the Blake girls!

Jessica and Embry =)

Embry's first trip to Portillo's!! Famous restaurant in the Chicago Burbs!

Eating with Papa

Great Aunt Jamie =)

Uncle Jim showing me my choices for dessert ;)

Putting her two dollies to bed

Playing with Aunt Jamie

We were treated to one of Papa's famous homemade Chinese dinners!

More piano playing

Being silly with Aunt Tracey

Having fun with cousin Josie

Climbing upstairs to go to bed

Naked baby with Mallie (we're pretty sure she thought Mallie was Athena)

Checking out her toy selection at Grandpa and Papa's house

Big girl eating lunch!

Embry and her great grands!

Children's Museum in Naperville

On Thursday, Josie took a half day of school and Jamie, Josie, Embry and I headed to the Naperville Children's Museum. It was fabulous!!! We all had a ball and it was so fun watching Embry run from activity to activity. She sure knows what she wants!

BUBBLES!

Busy in the water!

Laughing at Josie

She LOVED the wind tunnel there!!

Blowing in the wind

Driving like a big girl

She loved crawling through the tunnels up high with Josie

The music room

Dress up!

Fun, fun day with some of the Suzanne Gang! Cori Suzanne, Jamie Suzanne, Embry Suzanne and Josie Suzanne! (Missing Lindsay and Grandma!)

Home Sweet Home

As I said above, we barely made it home in "Icemageddon 2013". We've been couped up ever since we (barely) got home Friday night and have no plans to leave the house anytime soon. We have lost a lot of limbs on some of our favorite trees, but luckily no damage to our home and we still have power.

We spent Saturday finally decorating our tree! After putting up a few ornaments, we decided to put up about 20% of them this year. She's already taken down lots of them! We went to our neighbors house for dinner and it was nice to get out and get a change of scenery after being stuck inside. And of course, Embry loved getting to see Eliot!