Piggy Tails

Emma Claire and Baby

Water Day

Emma Claire had a blast at water day. Her class didn't participate so I let her go out with my class. She had such a wonderful time. At first she wasn't sure if it was okay to get all wet, but after she started she was a wild woman. She got to play in a sprinkler, play on a slip-n-slide, play at the water table, swim in a pool, play bubbles, and write with side walk chalk. She had so much fun and she fit right in with my class. Of course she thinks she is alot older than what she is. Don't forget to look at her pictures and see how much fun she had today.

Strawberry Pickin'

Today we took Emma Claire to Vollmer Farms to pick strawberries. She had a wondeful time!! After we showed her how to pick her first strawberry it was history after that. Most of the time she would have 4 or 5 strawberries in her hands eating stems and all. It was such a beautiful day to go. There weren't too many people there and the weather was gorgeous. RaRa & Grandpa were still here visiting from Daddy's graduation so they got to go too! After we were done picking strawberries we went inside to finish off the day with a bowl of strawberry ice cream. Emma Claire wasn't sure what was going on but she sure loved getting to eat all those sweets! Check out her pictures & videos.

comment by RaRa and Grandpa on 06/03/2008


We had so much fun with you at the strawberry patch. You were a great taste tester for us. "Um Um Ummm" and that sweet "messy" face was the best indicatiion. It was great fun-filled day of new experiences. We love YOU and Mommy and Daddy!

Daddy's Graduation

Daddy Graduated with his MDIV!!!

Benjamin graduated with his MDIV today and we are so proud of him. It took him 3 years to complete this degree and now he will start on his THM. It's estimated to take about a year, but could take about a year and a half. Emma Claire went to school today while Mommy, RaRa, Grandpa, GG, and Poppa went to the graduation. After the ceremony was over we picked her up from school and went to Winston's to celebrate. It was a great milestone in our family today. We are so, so proud of Daddy and will support him as he works on his next degree. We can't wait to see what is next!!!

Check out the video of Daddy getting is Diploma!!

Comments:

comment by GG on 05/29/2008


Emma Claire: Poppa & GG had so much fun playing with you during this visit. We read books, played with your toys and took you for a ride on the 4-wheeler. We can't wait to see you again!! We Love You VERY much!!

Shane & Shane

I love the group Shane & Shane!! Their music is so wonderful. My sweet mother called me yesterday and she was on her way to their concert in Mississippi!!!! I was so sad. I posted some pictures of her and some friends with Shane & Shane themselves. She even got to go back stage and hang out with them!!! I wish I could have been there. Check out their pics!

comment by Mother on 05/20/2008

I wish you and Benjamin could have been there too . . . it was GREAT! Thanks to the Lord and to Bro. Scott Hanberry. We had an awesome time.

Hand, Foot, & Mouth

Emma Claire has just about completely recovered from Hand, Foot, & Mouth. She has started back eating again and she acts much better. But now....... Benjamin is in the bed with it. It makes you feel like you have a mixture of Strep Throat and the Flu. It is awful. Back in the fall when she got it we all got it then too. Just keep Benjamin in your prayers as he is to preach in the morning at church.

Music Class With Mommy

Today I let Emma Claire go with my class to music and she loved it! As you can tell in the videos she thinks she is as big as they are. She had a wonderful time and loves getting into the music (dancing).


This afternoon I took Emma Claire to Wal-Mart with me to get some groceries. On the way in she saw one of those little riding horses and started pointing and saying "Rye-Rye". (which means ride : ) I told her that if she was good in Wal-Mart that Mommy would reward her and on the way out she could ride it. Needless to say she was good while we were in Wal-Mart and on the way out she started again "Rye-Rye". I took her over to it, put her on, and put the money in. As soon as that thing started going she started squealing and laughing. It was so funny! She loved it. People were even stopping to watch her ride. I tried making a video of her with my phone but it didn't turn out to well. I put it on anyway so check it out.

She has been such a joy the last two days and saying more and more things. I am really having a lot of fun with her at this age. Please pray for us to have Wisdom in raising her. Especially in discipline. It is very hard to stay consistent and know exactly how to handle situations.

comment by Rachael on 05/22/2008


This is such a fun age! I know you are loving it - you will have the most incredible summer with her.

Have you read Ted Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart? It is such a wonderful resource for Christian parents. Not all of it is applicable at our girls' age, but there are entire sections dedicated to disciplining your baby/toddler. I think you would enjoy it!

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord Emma Claire's fever broke at about lunch today. We were struggling to keep it down even with Motrin & Tylenol in her. The lowest we could get it was 101.1. She is feeling much better and has started eating and drinking some this afternoon. Thank you all so much for your prayers. God is so Good.

My Sick Baby

Well, once again I'm home with my sick baby. I feel so sorry for her little body because it seems just as she get over one thing she moves onto another. About lunch time her teachers came to get me because she had a fever. I went to check it again and it was 103.1. I left there and went straight to the doctors office. I was concerned with us just starting this new medicine that there might be a problem. We got to see Dr. Dirk which is her usual doctor. Yea! He said her lungs sounded good which meant the breathing treatments were working and that her ears were holding up fine. He then looked at her throat which did not look too good. He said that it was really red and that she had blisters on the back of her throat. He did a throat culture just in case it might be strep because Benjamin has been complaining of a sore throat. The rapid test came back negative but they were going to let it grow overnight and watch it. The diagnosis was...... HAND, FOOT, & MOUTH!!! Yuck!!! This will be the second time she has had it and it is awful. The last time Benjamin and I both got it too. It feels like a mixture of Strep Throat and the Flu. Aweful! Please keep her in your prayers as we stay home and try to get her well over the next few days.



Comments:
comment by chelso on 05/13/2008

My poor little baby!! i will definitely pray for her! I'm so sorry! Wish i could be there to help out and give her suckers. lol!! miss you all! love you

comment by RaRa on 05/12/2008

POOR BABY! We will be praying .. but she is strong girl .. Nothing seems to keep her down. Praying for the parents too!! Love you all!

Mother's Day

Today was the most wonderful Mother's Day! Thank you so much to everyone who voted on the poll for my Mother's Day. This morning I had a card from Benjamin & Emma Claire and also a poem that Benjamin wrote. ; ) It was wonderful. On the card was also a coupon for some Cash-ola!!!! Benjamin also got me a beautiful pink orchid corsage to wear to church today. We had a great service this morning at church and then came home for some R&R. I did get a nap, along with everyone else in my house. ; ) To top the day off Benjamin called in some Applebee's for us to enjoy at home. It was a great, great Mother's Day. Emma Claire has been so wonderful the last two days. She seems to be feeling better and saying soooooo many new words. God has blessed me with such a wonderful gift in her. Something that I definitely don't deserve.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot to tell you that I received the prize this morning at church for being the youngest mother! Two years running.

Emma Claire & Leah

Last night Ross, Katie, & Leah Parker came over for dinner. It was so pretty outside that we grilled out hamburgers and ate outside at the picnic table. (Yes, Mary Mac we had burgers again!) The girls had a wonderful time playing outside. After dinner we took them on a walk in the wagon. It was so funny because little Leah kept trying to stand up in the wagon and Emma Claire would pat her on the back like Katie would do. Emma Claire would also try to love on Leah and inevitably hurt her. We had a great time hanging out with our bestest friends here in Wake Forest! : )

Crazy Daddy

My husband is so crazy! This morning I had several things that I had to get done before school started so my sweet husband stayed home with Emma Claire and then brought her at school time. Before I left I got all her bags together, laid out her meds, and laid out a red & white ladybug outfit with sandals and a white bow. At 9:00 am I looked down the hall at school and saw Benjamin coming with Emma Claire in the stroller. Needless to say that he had this little smurk on his face because he knew he was in trouble. He had put Emma Claire in a White & Crimson number 12 Football Jersey, blue jeans, brown shoes, and topped with a Crimson Hairbow!! She looked like a football player! On the inside it was soooo funny!! All day people kept saying that all she needed was a football helmet on her head. They also kept taking double takes because it looked nothing like her. I don't think I can ever leave him to dress her by himself again. I mean, come on, I had her clothes already laid out for him. My Crazy, Crazy Husband. I will post pictures when she gets up from her nap. ;)

comment by kalei on 05/10/2008


You are right Benjamin is verry crazzy!!!!

comment by RaRa on 05/10/2008

I am sure all "dads" are smiling at that one and all "moms" can relate. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Forgot to Mention

I forgot to mention that while we were at the Dr. Office today that Emma Claire was in an extra loving mood. While Dr. Wilson was explaining the plan of action to me Emma Claire was patting me on the back and shaking her head 'yes' to everything Dr. Wilson said. It was like she was comforting me and letting Dr. Wilson know she was agreeing with everything she said. So Funny!! Dr. Wilson got tickled at her and so did I!

My Sweet Sweet Daughter

The last two days have been so much fun with Emma Claire. It seems that she is getting more and more personality and starting to show affection. She has started hugging people and when she does she reaches around you and pats you on the back with both hands. I just melt when she does it. She is also beginning to say so many words. Yesterday when Benjamin got home from work he said, " Emma Claire! What did you do today?" and her response was "Nuffin". It was hilarious!!


Today I took Emma Claire to the doctor because her asthma has been acting up for the last week. We saw Dr. Wilson and I loved her!! She was so good with Emma Claire and went above and beyond explaining things to me and giving me free samples to help us save money with her asthma meds. At the conclusion of the visit she said that Emma Claire was wheezing again and they were going to up her meds. They doubled her Pulmicort which is an asthma controller medicine that she takes twice a day through a nebulizer and also started her on Singulair once a day. The singulair is also a controller med for her asthma. They are hoping that this will help get it better under control and that she will have to use her "rescue meds" less. They also gave us some Elidel to help with her eczema. Each time her asthma flares up so does her eczema. They don't know why but they say the two are related. At the end of the visit I felt much better about her asthma. I knew that Dr. Wilson was very thorough and that she was going to be great to work with through this process.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for her! I'll tell you she is a little trooper. They did comment today that she was "Wide Open"! : )

Emma Claire 15 Months

A Day Home with Mommy

Today Emma Claire & I stayed home because I was not feeling well when I got up this morning. I was up most of the night coughing and got up this morning with head and chest congestion. Who knows what it is with all the crazy things going around.


Emma Claire was such an angel today. She didn't fuss at all until later in the afternoon it was her melt down time. I videoed several clips of her today, but bare with me because it takes me a long time to upload them on my end.

Some of you have asked how she did being around the animals at Drew & Leah's. She actually did great! We were out in open air the whole time and we didn't allow her to touch them. I had given her a dose of albutural that afternoon because she had already been wheezing some. I'm sure that helped too! : )

Don't forget to check out her new videos. I got some clips of her riding her new 4-wheeler!

Comments:


comment by April Holley on 05/07/2008

This is awesome you have inspired me to do one for Macadyn. I can't wait to see all the things that Emma is doing.

comment by Erin & Daniel Schafers on 05/07/2008

Oh my goodness! She really is growing up quick! It's so funny to see her following in Mommy & Daddy's footsteps on the 4-wheeler! That-a-girl Emma Claire! We love you and can't wait to see you in sunny Florida! We know that will clear up your congestion (and Mommy's too!) xo

comment by GG on 05/06/2008

I call this Praise Technology!! Looking at it made the miles between us fade away, if only for a few moments. I know it will take time to keep current but this is something you'll be really proud to have as EClaire gets older. Thanks for sharing! Love you all!

comment by Mom on 05/05/2008

Love the new site Ashley . . Thanks for going above and beyond to keep us from missing anything. GREAT JOB!! Love and miss you guys.

Ball! Ball!

I forgot to mention that as we were walking to visit with the Brown's we saw some hot air balloons up in the sky. We pointed them out to Emma Claire and all she kept saying was "Ball! Ball!" and pointing to them. She's so smart. They do look like balls in the sky.

Another Crazy Sunday

As horrible as it is to say Sunday's are not good days for Emma Claire. She is very much a schedule baby and Sunday's are the only days that she is not on her schedule. It doesn't help that for the last several days she has been raspy in her chest so we have been giving her extra treatments of albutural to keep it from turning into bronchitis. And the albutural makes her a beast! It is a form of a steroid and it makes her feel out of control. As of tonight I am not planning on giving her anymore so hopefully we will have better days ahead.


This afternoon Benjamin, Emma Claire, & I went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Emma Claire got her little lawnmower and mowed the grass and then we took a walk with the wagon over to see Mr Brown & Ms Virginia. It was so pretty that we all just sat outside and talked while Emma Claire played. I can't wait for everyone to see how much she has grown and how smart she is. There are new words coming out everyday!

A Trip to Drew & Leah's

On Friday we went with Ross, Katie, & Baby Leah out to Drew & Leah Baldwin's for an afternoon at their farm. Emma Claire loved seeing all the animals and she did great around them. She would go toward them and as soon as they started coming at her she would turn and run. It melted my heart she was so cute. However, I think Benjamin, Mary Mac and Katie had as much fun as the kids did. Drew saddled up the horses and they all went for a ride. Needless to say none of them could hardly move the next morning.

Comments:
comment by BQ2 on 05/05/2008

Old MacDaddy is doing just fine!

comment by RaRa on 05/05/2008

Ole McDonald ain't what he used to be!!!