emma grace: fifteen month

emma grace is fifteen months old.
she's walking, waves hello, touches her nose and pats her tummy.
we love bubble guppies, yogurt in any form, and our jelly shoes.

baby girl loves her veggie pouches, but only when she can hold them herself.
she especially loves eating off the floor, and doesn't really understand why every meal or snack can't be a picnic. worst mom ever. but sometimes (most of the time...) i give in.

she has the sweetest smile, the most expressive face, and the best giggle.
i just love her snuggles even if they only last 2 seconds.
she's walking, running-ish, falling, and rolling around like a mad woman.
i have a feeling she thinks if she stops moving, she might not ever be able to move again.

we have survived (knock on wood...) our first round of major sickies. two weeks of a tummy bug, fever and tears and snuggles and runny noses, but we made it, and we found our smiles again.

oh how i love this baby girl!

emma grace // one year old

it's time for a little game we like to call, "what is she thinking??"

emma grace is the smiliest, most expressive human on the planet. 

i swear she smiles 1000 times a day. maybe more.

and every now and again, if you're lucky, she'll even flash her scrunchy-scowl face, which is equally fantastic. :)

we finished off the year 17 lbs strong, 25 inches tall.
she loves blackbeans and blueberries.
she's a crawling and climbing machine.
still hates snoozing, but snuggles like a champ.
she's working on her pageant wave and is an expert clapper.
little miss independent loves feeding herself and always has crackers in each hand.
she has 4 little toothies, the best snarley grin, and a giggle that makes my heart explode.

i'm not gonna lie,
i'm kinda loving that she's so small.
it makes it a little easier to pretend she's growing up.

a little bit about the photo shoot:
as i mentioned in the cake smash post, i really wanted to keep everything simple.
we laid out one of the quilts my mama made for emma grace, prayed for sunshine, and baby girl did the rest. oh, and my new favorite decoration, balloons! the rag bunting is made from scraps left over from the quilt, which is also her nursery fabric.

the deets:
one piece - baby gap (not listed online)
floral headband - little winter shop

all photos by sarah carpenter photography. 

emma grace // a ten month update

oh sweet baby girl,

you're first little teeth made their appearance in a big way this month. i never knew a gummy, toothy grin could be so cute!

you're such a wiggle worm.  gone are the days where you stay anywhere for longer than one second.

you're starting to scoot a bit, and i have a feeling, you're going to be a crawling machine any day now.   i love watching your determination as you scoot over to grab your toys, or the little eeleaf that blew in from the back yard.

you're such the social butterfly.  you love going to walks and riding in the grocery cart. you've got a lot to say and can't wait to tell everyone you see.

you're my favorite baby girl. always and forever!

a bunny for my babe // felt headband diy

here it goes,,,,an attempt at a little easter bunny headband tutorial. :)

all for about a $1. can't beat that!

all you need for this little diddy is felt, glue, scissors and an alligator clip!

recently, i've been having a little too much fun with felt.  but is there such a thing? i haven't splurged on the good stuff yet...i stick with the 4/$1 sheets at hobby lobby.  i used white, navy and bright pink. and i'm not sure if hot glue is the best adhesive for this type of project, but it's what i have, and it gets the job done, so winner! :)

all you have to do is cut, glue and then glue some more.  easy right?

click here to download your template and the instructions!

oh, if you're not into DIYs but still want to snag your little one some easter headgear, check out one of these super adorable etsy shops!

gloria miller's creations
la la pop shop
homemade trends

don't forget to tag #ourlittlefamilydiy in the photos of your cute little bunnies!

emma grace // eight month update

dear sweet baby girl,

you're getting sillier by the day.  i don't know where you get all your smiles, but they are the most pure form of joy.  i'm so in love with your sweet hugs and kisses. you're such a little snuggle bug and i hope that never changes.

you're trying new foods...so far we love sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, blueberries, and you love your puffs! i think you'll be ready for fro-yo any day now!

this month, you took your first trip sitting up in the shopping cart and loved every minute.  you're little miss independent and love looking around and reaching for everything. your favorite grocery store toy is the bag of chocolate chips...someday i promise i'll let you try the real thing!

i think crawling is right around the corner, but let's be real, you're really ready to start running!  we've created a little machine in that walker, and i think it's going to be impossible to keep you down for long!  you're moving from room to room like a pro, following us around and showing off your skills.

my heart is growing more and more every day for you little one. i love you more than you'll ever know. 

love,

your mama

happy valentines from emma grace

i think valentines day is such a fun holiday.  hearts, pink, candy, hugs and kisses....what's not to love? 

i hope my family and friends know how much i love them every day of the year, but how great is it that we have a day specifically dedicated to appreciating our loved ones?

at our last mama/baby craft day, our host mama set up the most adorable baby photo booth. if that's not the cutest thing on the planet i'm not sure what is.  she used wrapping paper on the wall, foam board and chalk pens for the signs, and even made baby sized bunting. 

the babies were photobombing, i mean, helping each other out...providing advice on poses and the most effective way to get the best chewing angle on the sign. gotta help a baby friend out. 

we printed off these pictures and are going to incorporate them into a little valentines gift for the grandparents.  babies and grandbabies make gifting so easy. :)

this sweet little love bug of mine is the best valentine i could have ever asked for.

emma grace // seven month update

dear sweet baby girl,

oh how i love you so! your daddy and i are just head over heels for you.  we can't get enough of this little adventure that we are on with you.  you're so interactive and your little, and by little i mean HUGE, personality is shining through.

you're a reaching and chewing machine! your toys, my hair, anything on the table (uhh....the table), and sometimes even sweet potatoes.  oh, and now your stickers! :)  i think you're starting to teethe, so anything that can fit in your mouth is fair game for chewing!

we're finally getting to wear some of your 6m clothes.  it's been so fun to see you grow, and i can't get enough of your arm and thigh rolls!

you've discovered your voice and are giggling and squealing up a storm. you LOVE your walker and are becoming a pro at moving from room to room.  you've started rolling from your back to your tummy, and sometimes even back again.  we haven't quite started crawling, but we are pretty good at wiggling around in a circle! you're also becoming quite the expert at sitting and reaching. you know what you want, and you go for it!

you have the biggest and best smiles. i can't get enough. thank you for bringing the sunshine. :)

love,

your mama

fun with felt // baby girl DIY

i've recently entered the world of baby girl bow mania.

i know...i'm a little late to the game. but i'm making up for lost time.

my new obsession combined with an audit of my craft closet resulted in....valentine felt bows for eg!

i've been getting so many questions about them, i decided to take a stab at a tutorial. #marthawannabe

i'm not a tutorial expert, but here it goes.

what you need:

felt

scissors 

embroidery thread

large-ish needle (that's the technical term)

hot glue gun

pencil

elastic (mine is 1/8 inch wide...ish) and/or alligator clips 

what you do:

first, decide what shape you want to cut out, and trace it with a pencil.  i did a few circles and a few hearts in different sizes, and then i'd decided to get a little crazy and did a little "e". :)

next, carefully glue the pieces together.  i think it's best to have two layers, but it probably just depends on the quality of felt you end up with.  oh, and don't go too crazy with the glue.  if you're going to add stitching, it's harder to stitch through the portions that have been glued, so plan accordingly. 

then, if you want to add a little extra pizzaz, you can stitch around the edges with the embroidery thread.  i chose a lilac purple, because that's what i had left in my craft drawer, and surprisingly, it turned out pretty great! 

lastly, carefully glue the alligator clip to the back of the felt cut out. or, if you're using elastic, space out your pieces and glue them on accordingly.  i added an extra piece of felt on the back to smooth out the portion that would be on baby girl's head. 

oh, the actual last step is really putting the bow on the babe and snapping a bazillion and one photos so you can overshare on instagram :) 

pretty sure this is going to be my new favorite holiday tradition.  

watch out president's day....it's about to get cray. 

a little life update

this week, we enjoyed warm sunny days in our jorts, and cold rainy days in our jammies. i'm really not complaining about this roller coaster though.  i'm getting extra wears out of her baby jorts and her reindeer christmas footie pajamas.   

each day is becoming more fun than the day before.  baby girl's personality is definitely starting to shine and it's quite entertaining.  

this week, eg helped her daddy win a few rounds of bananagrams, entertained us on her piano, and helped her juju sew up some new pillows for our couch.  #busybee

oh, and we're seven months old now. is this real life??

 

our happy place // adventures with eg

ingredients for a perfect day: me with a book and giant chai latte, baby girl with her best buddy george the giraffe, just hanging in the sunshine. 

since day one, sweet baby girl has loved the sunshine. nothing calms her down quite like being outside. it's quite the magic trick. maybe i watched frozen one too many times when i was pregnant. when the sky is awake, this baby girl is awake. then again...she's pretty much always awake.

lucky for us, we've had a bit of a warm winter, and with that comes many happy days. as much as i love cold snuggly sweater weather, i'm thankful for these few 60 degree sunny january days.


hopefully our neighbors don't mind the veggie tale sing along songs playing on the speakers.

gotta get that Jesus music.

instagram // etsy // pinterest // twitter

emma grace: six months

dear sweet emma grace, 

you're a growing machine at 15 lbs, 15 oz and 23 1/2 inches long! 

this month, you discovered your voice, and boy, do you love to hear it! i can't even begin to imagine what opinions and stories you're trying to tell us. you're sleeping a little better, but it's still one of your least favorite things to do. you're a little giggle box and the smiliest baby on the block. even when you're a little fussy, you somehow manage to have a smile on your face. you bring so much joy to everyone you meet! you're a expert in pushing backwards in your walker, and you flipped from your back to your tummy! you had a fantastic first christmas and were spoiled rotten. you have a giant family that loves you more than you know. 

love, your mama

emma grace: five months

sweet baby girl,
we are so thankful for you.
i love watching your curiosity and just love watching your little brain discover new things.
your sweet smile lights up a room and you charm everyone you meet.
and even though you're still not a huge fan of naps or bed time, i really don't mind. more snuggle time for me! :)

Emma Grace: Two Months

sweet baby girl is two months old. 

i'm completely addicted to her little coos, snorts and almost-giggles.

her smiles and snarles melt my heart, even at 3:30 am. #soworthit

she never stops squirming, even in her sleep.

morning stretches are serious business and require at least 30 different facial expressions. 

she's stubborn and strong and i love every single tiny inch of her. 

month 1

Emma Grace: One Month

and just like that, our baby girl is one month old.

sleep has been replaced with snuggles and diaper changes, and my target gift cards are spent on diapers and pacifiers instead of cute shoes and maxi dresses.  i'm not complaining though...she's pretty darn adorable. even at 2 and 3 and 4 am...

inspired by @gusandrubyletterpress