Post Christmas trip to DC

My sister Miranda and her family weren't able to make it to Utah this year for Christmas, so I decided last minute to go out and visit her! Josh convinced me that he would keep Leo with him since he had taken off work anyway. (I have the sweetest husband!) 

One thing Miranda and I definitely have in common is our love for good food. She made sure to take me to some of her favorite spots and they did not disappoint. We did a nighttime "tour" of the National Mall & some of the monuments there, while her boys were in bed. She showed me around Old Town Alexandria and Georgetown...both so charming! 

It was really fun to just hang out and catch up, but was a little weird without my baby! I couldn't believe how much I missed him. 

leo's first christmas

Leo has a new found love for paper after sucking on all of his presents before we opened them for him.

We slept over at my parent's house on Christmas Eve, so we could all be together in the morning. (Well, at least everyone who lives in Utah)

I love watching the kids excited over their goodies from Santa. Can't wait till Leo is old enough to understand!

We had my family's traditional breakfast of ebelskivers, then went home to relax!  

merry christmas!

Although Leo is too young to really understand what Christmas is about, this year was so much more fun having him around. Yeah, we made him sit on Santa's lap...he couldn't have cared less!

Two years...

A handsome husband, a warm home, a crazy dog, and one beautiful baby later…the past two years have been the most amazing years of my life.

 I thought I might as well post our engagement and wedding videos, since I don't think I ever did. I love watching these and reliving one of the happiest days of my life. 

 

Emmy + Josh: Polaroid Engagement from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

Josh + Emmy from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

Josh + Emmy: Temple from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.


Josh + Emmy: Reception from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

best little bud

nora update…our other child

 I cannot believe how amazingly well Nora has adjusted to her little brother joining us. She is the most protective and sweet big sister! Wherever he is, you'll find her there sitting next to or in front of him on the lookout. She is so gentle with him and I love that I can trust her with him. She is kinda like the other mama…even though she is still just a baby herself! It's so fun to see Leo watch Nora and giggle when she licks him. Most recently (with starting solids), Nora is right there at the high chair ready to lick his hand if he allows. It's too cute for me to stop it all the time! 

Side story: Last night when I got home from work, Nora was in bed with Josh. I told her to "go to bed" (which means go to her crate) so I could switch her places. Instead she moved right next to Josh and cuddled up while looking at me desperately. It was so cute…I was tempted to let her stay, but we haven't quite reached that point yet…if ever…

We love our Nora girl so much. We lucked out getting such a good dog.

we started rice cereal...

I think he liked it!

can't imagine life getting any better than this.

Love my two handsome men more than anything.

some iPhone pictures..

thank goodness for weekends

So…I started working at JetBlue a couple weeks ago. I couldn't have even fathomed how much I miss my baby while I'm gone. Luckily right now I work at night, so I still get to spend most of the day with him. In a few weeks I'll be able to work from home, which will be nice!

Anyway, I will never take weekends for granted again. I basically don't see Josh all week until Saturday and Sunday! We leave notes for each other…it's that sparse. It's a little crazy, but man I love the weekends now. I love this little family we have more than anything.

How is he 4 months already?

Everyone said it would go fast…but I had no idea HOW fast it really would go!

We are entirely 100% fully smitten and in love with this little man.

I can't believe how lucky we are to have this guy in our family. 

He is the most even tempered baby with the sweetest smile.

We joke that because Leo is much like Josh in looks and personality, our next will be a mini-me…which could mean we're in for one exciting ride…

Leo has been a naturally great sleeper (currently goes to bed at 9 or 10 and wakes at 7 or 8).

He loves sucking on everything and anything, especially his hands & drools constantly.

He wiggles his whole body and his eyes light up immediately when I read him books. I can't even tell you how much I love it.

He JUST barely grew out of newborn diapers! 

Weighs 12 lbs and has a serious double chin!

He has the cutest giggle and we are constantly trying to make him laugh so we can hear it.

He has the most "knowing" eyes…we think he's gonna be a genius! (but what parents don't think that about their kid?!)

Josh and I always talk about what we think he'll be like when he's older…we think he'll be friendly but not overly outgoing and that he'll become an inventor or an architect. We are excited to see what his passions really are!

 When he looks at something…he seems almost as if he is studying it. 

He loves anyone to hold him but is still a mama's boy.

He still isn't totally sturdy with his neck…which may be due to me never doing tummy time. Oops.

He still likes to be swaddled and sleeps much better when he is.

Unfortunately my body couldn't keep up with his needs, so he is now eating formula and is doing great with it so far.

We just got him a high chair and the doctor told us we could start rice cereal, but I don't think he's ready quite yet.

He still loves Nora and she loves him. She will full on lick his face and he doesn't mind one bit.

He is a water baby and loves kicking his legs and splashing around.

He has so much more interest in toys…grabs them and puts them straight in his mouth!

It is so much fun to get to know this sweet baby more and more every day. I can't even remember what we cared about before he came along. He makes everything have so much more meaning! 

leo's first trip to california!

One of Josh's High School friends got married this past weekend in CA. We flew down for the wedding and to introduce Leo to his dad's stomping grounds. It was his first flight, so I was pretty nervous. I read some tips online about feeding him or giving him a pacifier during take off and landing which must have helped because we had no problems at all. He was perfectly content. I think he might be made to travel like his mama…or at least I hope so! 

We spent the first day in San Diego with our niece Chelsea & her husband/one of Josh's best friends Chris. We walked around the Gas Lamp area and Pacific Beach pier. Later we met up with our friends Alex, Morgan, and their son Iver for dinner, dessert, and games. It was fun to see them and picture our boys as friends one day!

The next morning we drove to Zuma (the beach Josh grew up going to) near Malibu. Unfortunately we had awful traffic and basically had enough time to dip Leo's feet in the ocean before we had to rush off the get ready for the wedding. He HATED it! Poor kid had never experienced freezing cold water until that. I can't help but love the picture though! 

The wedding was in LA and we left Leo with Josh's sister Tracy. I thought it would be a few hours tops, but we ended up being there much longer. Although it was fun and a beautiful wedding, I missed the baby like crazy. It was my first real time away from him! 

The next day we went to Josh's old ward for sacrament, then to his favorite Mexican spot (we go every time we visit) El Pollo Norteno. After we went down to Rodeo Drive area, got some Sprinkles Ice Cream, and drove around looking at the crazy homes in Beverly Hills.

Leo was such a trooper on the trip. It actually made me excited to travel with him instead of scaring me away. It was so much fun to introduce him to things that we love, even though he doesn't quite get it yet.