Learning....

There may be a ton of pictures on this post. But, I enjoy sharing the people I love with all of you!

What have Emma & I been learning lately?

Sewing! I tried to make Emma some shoes. They turned out, but they are too small for her feet. Sew/So, (haha, I'm turning into my mother) they'll make a good gift!

Jay's parents came into town yesterday to enjoy a few hours with us. After lunch, we went to the mall and they bought Emma her first pair of real shoes!!!! We've only heard great things about Stride Rite's. So far, they've stayed on her feet! And, look at how excited she is to wear them!

Daddy putting shoes on. Look at the concentration in Emma's eyebrows!

Emma got a few other new things from Grandma & Grandpa Udey including a walker, some cute tops, toys, and adorable headbands. Here she is showing them off.

Standing! Emma is working on standing!!! She's getting better and better especially with her new shoes.

Don't worry, I stood her up like this. She can't do it on her own yet.

So excited!

Deals! I'm always looking for good deals here and there. Check out this good deal that was sitting in my cart today.

Mom = A chair! (among other things) She just looks so comfy!

Rest is good! This may be one of the only pictures I'll get of her sleeping. So, I'm in love with it. 

Last, for the good stuff: Messes are OKAY!!!!

Could this be Emma's "you-caught-me" look????

As the West Town moms, we read a book together and discuss it on Thursdays. It's been so amazing to discuss being a wife, mother, daughter of the King, etc with these women. Here's a little snip that I enjoyed from today's reading:

"Young moms live in the perpetual state of "what's next?" We are constantly looking ahead to the next stage of our kids' development: nursing -> rolling over -> teething -> sitting up -> baby food -> crawling -> finger food -> pulling up -> walking -> talking (sort of) -> getting rid of the pacifier -> two naps to one nap -> really talking (your ear off)  -> potty training -> etc. .......... If I can just make it to ____________, this will get so much easier. We mentally live in tomorrow while simply managing today. We forget to relish the charms of the present, allowing them to be overshadowed by our daily challenges........ You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they'll be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Breathe and notice. Smell and touch them; study their faces and little feet and pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today, mama. It will be over before you know it."

This book, "Out of the Spin Cycle" by Jen Hatmaker, has been so good for me! Every time I go to Target or Hy-Vee, an older woman will walk up to me and tell me to enjoy each stage my daughter is in. I'm working on it and this devotion reinforced my efforts. Somedays I'm so worried about getting my house super clean and getting this done and getting that done that Emma and I never even get time to sit and play together. Today, as you can see from the pictures above, we've had a blast. I think every toy we own was out on the floor. It was amazing to just watch her study each toy she pulled out and move it around in her tiny, little fingers. I think I'll focus on today and just wait for tomorrow and the next stage of Emma's life to come :)