TEAM ILNICKI: June 2010

Hello! We are just preparing for our (now delayed) trip to NY for the 4th of July, Laura Ilnicki's wedding, and lots of family visits. People have told me to record what Emmett is doing so that we can remember, and I've totally fallen off writing in his baby book. But I wanted to share what he's doing now because this is such a special time for us all!

Emmett is nearly 14 months old. He is curious, cautious, wonderfully sweet, intuitive, smart and loving. He's friendly, but not the life of the party; he likes to sit with someone he feels comfortable with and observe before socializing. He melts our hearts with his big smile when he sees one of us. When very excited, he pumps his arms and legs, and a few times, he's gotten so excited about something that he just tips over onto the floor and stares at us, like "uncle! too much to handle!!"

Vocabulary: Emmett said his first words at about 9 months: technically he first said Daddy, then Bottle, then Mama, then Dada. His vocabulary has grown and it is hysterical. Door, Dog, Cat, Car, Cup, Cracker, Uh-Oh! and Truck are his standbys. He makes a loud MMMM! sound when he wants more of something or wants to try something new to eat, and impresses us when he sometimes comes out with a new word or phrase that we didn't even know he had in him. For example, when in the Barnes and Noble Children's book section with Nana, he recently crawled over to one of his favorite books, "Good Night Gorilla", pulled it off the shelf, and said "Gorilla!" He also somehow learned 'turtle' and calls every green slimy looking thing, "Turtle." Last Friday, our friend Jess went with Teresa and Emmett to the grocery store. When Emmett dropped something from his car seat and Jess picked it up for him, he said "Tank you." Not only that, but he looked especially pleased when she said "you're welcome." Where do they get this stuff??

Mobility: Emmett started crawling at about 8 1/2 months, cruising at 10 months, and took his first independent steps right around his 1st birthday in the beginning of May. However, he has spent the last couple of months becoming comfortable with cruising, and it was only TODAY that he finally walked off on his own while at the pediatrician's office, and we're so happy for him! He's had the ability for awhile, but we're so happy that he has finally became confident. We'll say that he 'officially' became a toddler at 14 months.

Health: thus far, Emmett has been a 'big healthy baby' according to any pediatrician, grandmother, and stranger who has offered their opinion. His height and weight have consistently measured among the higher percentiles for his age group. We've been thankful for this over the past year, being exposed to various illnesses at day care - he's had the Flu, RSV, and a few viruses which seem so horrible at the time although we're assured it's nothing life threatening. Being a big boy with a healthy appetite, he handles everything so well -- but today, wondering aloud at the pediatrician, "when will we get a break?" she responded under her breath, "when he's 3." Love and appreciate the honesty!

Music: What is it about obnoxious childen's music that makes them truly love it?? We expose him to GOOD music everyday, but the cheesy baby stuff is the only thing that gets him going! His favorite song is "I've been working on the railroad." His favorite adult music: Jack Johnson, Eric Clapton (unplugged), Paul Engle, Ray LaMontagne, and the Talking Heads (squeals while watching mom and dad dance to it in the car.)

Interests: vehicles, animals, books and mechanical objects, picking things up and dropping them, sorting objects, and banging on things. He loves music and gets a kick out of dancing to the radio on his house. He recognizes and carries pictures of family members and we're working to increase our collection right now! Good thing we have a trip to NY in the immediate future.

Love to all and cannot wait to see our NY family very soon!

Our June "Baby Dinner Club" was at our house, and it was exactly what we pictured when Brooke first established "BDC" -- paper plates, chaos, cute kids wearing pastels, and an 'every man for themselves' kind of vibe. We loved the chaos, and what made the day extra special was meeting 4 week old baby Ged for the first time, as well as being joined by the Burns family. We met on a sweltering Sunday afternoon and after dinner, moved on to Forest Hill Park to listen to an Allman Bros tribute band. It was very hot but a fun end to a relaxed weekend.
Juddy, Sadie and Emmett. Sadie and Juddy are about 2 months younger than E, but both walking already!