Emma has recently decided that she can make whatever type of face she wants for the camera. Here are a few of the most interesting!
"It's my birthday! I do what I want.""Really?!"

"Look ma! I'm a mannequin!"

Out of the Box

Matt & Stacy came over this evening for a little get-together before we all go away to for Christmas! Emma initially enjoyed the box that her new present came in more than the present itself. Enjoy!

Emma is one year old!

Reading about Sign Language....she's learning to be a lady. The infamous dog from Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Sluke. She has a love-hate relationship with him.

Caught mid-giggle. What a look, huh?

Look at me, I'm standing!!!

Still has those beautiful, big, blue eyes! We love you Emma!

Emma has had quite an eventful couple of days. She was out sick for a few days this past week and on Thursday, Auntie Jenn from Seattle arrived to spend some time with the family back in ND. Emma was lucky enough to stay home from daycarewith Auntie Jenn on Friday. Here are a few pictures from their adventure.

Emma has been working hard on walking and standing. She is standing alone without us prompting her much more frequently (with Auntie Jenn's expertise). She is also becoming very brave taking a step or 2 if we are lucky before she falls to the ground. Her legs are getting much stronger and she is moving around quite quickly. It won't be long until walking is her main mode of transportation.

Emma also had her one-year check up on Friday. She had 5 shots and one finger prick to test for lead and anemia. She was quite the champ! Here are her details from the appointment:

Height-28 3/4 (36%), Weight-19lb 14 oz (28%), and Head Circ.-45.6cm (65%). She is growing into a strong, healthy girl.

Emma is (almost) 1!!

Today we celebrated Emma's '1st' birthday with many friends and family members. Even though I got all teary eyed during the prayer and could not finish the blessing, it was a great day.

Looking back on the past year, we have so much to be thankful for. We would not be in the place we are today without all of the family and friends who surrounded us at our new house today.

Thank you:

Robin & Cheryl, for all of the great home cooked meals during weekends spent in Crookston;

Marcel & Lisa, for a place to call home for a few weeks before the apartment;

David & Mary, for coming down and watching Emma time and time again;

Jenn Steinbrink, for all the Emma-Auntie Jenn naps;

Jenn Sluke, for coming to visit your niece a bunch...I mean A LOT even though you live 20 + hours away;

Matt & Stacy, dinner, company, loyalty, conversation and friendship

Ryan & Kari, all the parenting support and prayer; and

Kayti, for watching Emma on crazy days.

There are so many more people and instances that we are thankful for and please know that your are continually in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for everything you do supporting us in our journey in marriage and parenthood.

God bless you all!

Emma had a great time when her cousin Sonja was here. Emma has finally caught up to Sonja in size so it is fun letting them wear each others clothes. It was a very rare occasion for us to be able to catch them both looking at the camera at the same time. We were lucky enough to catch them here... Emma thought that she could take off the hood of her sweater just like she does with her hat...

Needless to say, her efforts weren't successful!

Emma loves being in her high chair. She has been trying many new foods. She likes pizza, fruit, cooked carrots and cooked squash!

Instead of motioning to us that she is hungry, she has been waving her arms and screaming very loudly to tell us when she needs more to eat.

Here are a few pictures from Auntie Ashley and Uncle Brett's Wedding Reception in Crookston!

Emma & Sonja

Emma has found her new favorite hideout. When she is playing in the living room, she takes everything off the bottom shelf and climbs on into the bookshelf.

Emma and Sonja are definately 2 peas in a pod. here they are climbing over one another to get to their favorite toy--the baby laptop. As you can see, much of the bottom shelf is again pulled off the shelf!

Emma and Sonja @ the Buffalo River Pumpkin Patch

Today we were able to spend the day with both sets of grandparents along with Auntie Kari, Uncle Ryan and Cousin Sonja who were visiting from Seattle, WA.

****NEWS FLASH******

Emma is 10 months and 2 weeks old and she has her very first tooth!!!

Waiting for Sonja

We told Emma that her cousin Sonja was coming to visit. I pretended to knock on the balcony door and there she stood...licking and pounding on the window! Waiting ever so patiently for her cousin, auntie and uncle to arrive from Seattle!

Emma & Sonja with the great-grandparents!

Even with our lack of baby-proofing in our home Emma has been able to find her way around everything! She crawls as fast as lightning and climbs on everything. Grandpa David even caught her trying to pull out the 3rd shelf our bookshelf!

You can see the sweat in Emma's hair because she was playing so hard. She loves this glass table because she can see through it at some angles but also can see her reflection in it! It also makes really loud noises when you pound things on it!

Emma (on the left) and Sonja (on the right) with their Great-Grandmother Sylvia and their Great-Grandfather Ervin in Spokane, WA.

Emma loves playing peek-a-boo even with nothing to hide her face.

Emma in a high chair while mommy and daddy were out to eat with her Uncle Brett, Aunt Ashley, Godmother Stacy and Godfather Matt. She was so tired. I tried to capture her half asleep but as soon as she saw the camera and heard my voice she perked up a little.

Here are the girls again with Great-Grandma Sylvia and Great-Grandpa Ervin.

Emma and Sonja with Great-Grandpa Ervin!

Emma and Sonja eating like big girls!

Here are a few pictures from late August with Emma and Sonja with their Great-Grandparents Ervin and Sylvia. Sorry it has been so long since my last post but a lot has happened in the past month.

As many of you know I started teaching in late August and have found myself loving it more than I can imagine. The English Langauge Learners (immigrants, native americans & refugees) that I teach everyday are such a blessing. They often make me take a step back and realize how lucky we are and appreciate everything that we have. They also are so thankful and eager to learn that it has made my first year of teaching fun! I keep challenging myself by coming up with new strategies and techniques to help them learn! :)

On another note, Elliot and I have spent the last few months building our home with a Custom Home Builder in town. Nevertheless a current (as in 8 am this morning) but ongoing discussion about Minnesota building code left us terminating our contract with them this morning and we are again in limbo. We are still deciding whether to stay in the apartment for awhile longer or buy a home before mortgage rates go through the roof again. Luckily enough we were able to return the lumber for the porch and all of the appliances with no penalty, but now we have quite a large amount of kitchen and bathrom cupboards/vanities, trim, and interior doors and knobs with no home....

Don't worry, I am sure that Elliot will find something to do with them with his handy-man expertise!

New House & Little Emma

9 month check up

I know it has been a while since we last posted and a lot has happened during that time!

1) Emma turned 9 months old and had her 9 month check up. She is still growing steadily, even though she is still in the smaller range for her age. Emma is in the 12% for height coming in at 26.25". She is in the 24% for weight coming in at 17lb 7.2oz. Her head is very big though-- 17.6" (71%)!

2) Emma's terrible rash is finally starting to clear up now after trying many new lotions, taking fragrance and fabric softener out of the wash (both laundry & bath), and getting drenched in Aveeno lotion before bed! Even with all of th fuss, she is enjoying every minute of it!

3) Emma has attended 2 weddings--her Uncle Brett and Auntie Ashley Steinbrink out in Spokane, WA and friends of daddy's--Amanda and Coty Wangen.

4) Emma had her first plane ride: actually 4 of them. Fargo to Denver to Spokane. Spokane to Salt Lake City to Fargo! She was a champ on all 4 of them. She slept nearly the entire time on the 2nd and last fligh. During the other two she couldn't get enough of everything that was going on around her.

5) She rode in her first gondola--over Beautiful Downtown Spokane with her great grandmother and great grandfather Overlund (Mommy's grandparents on her mom's side).

6) She rode her first Carousel! Mommy rode with her to ensure that she didn't scoot off. She rode on a stationary giraffe and had a blast. The carousel went VERY fast--much faster than mommy expected while standing!!

7) Emma, Mommy and Daddy visited a new in-home daycare. We decided that the Center she was at was getting too crowded and found a daycare close to the school (across the street) that Mommy teaches at in the afternoons! What a blessing in disguise!

8) Our house is getting closer and closer to being finished as well. Today when we drove by the framing materials were all over the yard and there was a trailer parked in the driveway. Elliot talked to the home builders and they should start tomorrow morning with the framing. Our estimated closing date is still October 31, 2009.

9) Emma's auntie Ashley and uncle Brett moved to Minot, ND, so we will get to visit with them more often!

10) Emma still has no teeth---we are working on one as we speak though. It should be any day that it pops through.

11) Mommy and Daddy celebrated their one year anniversary! (AND WE DIDN'T KILL EACH OTHER! HAHA)