Long Overdue Update on Emi and the Rest of Us

It's hard to believe the Emi came home almost 9 weeks ago. Where has the time gone? In that short 2 months that she's been home so much has happened and she has changed so much.

So here's what's new with Emi:
- She is "talking" more. Because of her open palate she still can't form letter sounds but the good thing is that she is making more and more sounds. It's not the same babbling all the time. We can tell that she's trying to talk but the words just aren't forming yet.
- She likes to stick her finger up her nose. Yup, that's right, up her nose. No idea why this started a few weeks ago. But when we tell her yucky, she smiles at us.
- She is starting to learn to climb the stairs in our house. Not wnat I wanted yet. That menas I have to keep a closer eye on her.
- She picks up her baby dolls and kisses them, but still isn't really keen on kissing us. It's been weeks since she's given me a kiss. When she's ready, she'll do it. But I'm glad she's at least kissing her baby dolls.
- She's starting to run and she's fast!!
- She likes to stand in her crib and jump up and down. It's actually more bouncing but it's funny as all get out.
- She tries to climb over the back of the pew at church. She was doing this on Sunday and I just took her foot down and she put it right back up. The lady behind us thought this was so funny she actually started snorting while laughing. Eriks after church said she sounded like a pig.
- Emi loves to dance! She just shakes that little booty of hers back and forth. It's so stinkin' cute!
- Not only is she dancing, she's turning her self in circles. Usually with her hands up in the air. With football season upon us, I think it's her version of the Colts/Hoosiers/Longhorns victory dance :-)
- She loves baths. So much so that when it's time to get out she throws a HUGE tantrum. She likes to stand up in the tub and we're constantly telling her to sit back down. Then there's also the splashing of water everywhere. She laughs the entire time she's splashing!
- She loves having her teeth brushed. If she sees you with a toothbrush in hand, she wants hers. I'm thinking if I allowed it, she'd walk around with it in her mouth all day long.
- She's into anything and everything. Definitely a toddler.

We're working on getting her surgery/surgeries (not sure which yet) scheduled as well as some tests but the healthcare system here in Atlanta frustrates me to no end. We're working with the craniofacial team at Children's and some of the doctors take our insurance and others don't so we're stuck trying to find another doctor who will not only take our insurance but also work with the other doctors. Plus then there's Emi's microtia (the ear deformity) and trying to find a pediatric ENT that specializes in microtia has been a nightmare. Still not sure if Lane has weeded through that or not. I could scream. I had hoped we would had her surgery to fix her palate over and done with already. I've got to call the Dr's office today and get it scheduled.

Now the update on the rest of us. I'm studying to take a final for one of my classes. Then keeping up with all the other stuff. Lane's busy with work. He left for Germany this morning and will be back Friday afternoon.

Eriks is a busy beaver. He loves school. When I picked him up at school yesterday he said, "I never want school to end." Sounds good to me. He's busy with gymnastics & karate. He also lost his 2nd tooth last weekend at my parents house. It was really loose and I told him to just give it a yank. He did and it came out. He's looking forward to more of them falling out.

Well, that's it for now.