Emma Jewel Newsletter Vol. 20 (6/16/2004)

New things are happening everyday.  :)

Miss Emma gives us smiles most every morning.  What a great treat!  But, we
are still getting lots of pouting as the day wears on.  :)

Her crying is steadily improving.  She is having shorter periods of 
inconsolable crying and is starting to sleep pretty well through the night.  
Although, our nights are still starting about midnight.  :)

I had one of those heart melting experiences the other day.  My dad was holding
her while I went to take a shower.  It was about feeding time, and Miss Emma 
was letting my dad know it.  As I came out of the bathroom, I heard her quieted
down.  Daddy had her soothed a bit and she was laying in his lap in that
solemn way she does.  Then I came over to get her.  She looked up at me..and as she 
focused on me and realized who I was, out came her bottom lip....as long
as the Mississippi River.  She was so pitiful.  I have to admit it made me laugh.
Even though I wasn't able to tell if she knows me as "Mommy" and all those things
that go with it...she does recognize that with me comes the chuck wagon.  :)

Miss Emma has numerous nicknames.  I'm afraid it will be some time before the
child knows her real name.  Each nickname reflects her particular moods.
Super Squirt, Sasquatch, Super Sweetie, Sweetums, and Sweets - terms of endearment
Little Hussy - when she is asleep and smiling and/or laughing
Piglet - when we see her big tummy
Rasputin - when she unleashes one of those demanding cries letting you know who is boss
Squealer - when she does her "I'm-bored" cry

She is cooing more.  She makes an array of precious little sounds.

She has also giggled for her Daddy and Grandpa Ray.  She has yet to find me funny.
:)  Although, I have heard her laugh in her sleep several times.

I think I have a new personal understanding of "colic."  From our Emma experiences
I am convinced that she is just not in control of her emotions.  Because as time
has gone on and her colic subsides, she calms much easier after getting upset.  
Also, she usually gets upset with a known cause now.  Some of our recognition of 
the cause is undoubtedly due to us just getting better as parents, but that doesn't 
account for all of it.  I don't know if all cases of colic are caused by out of
control emotions, but I think that was the majority of our problems.  She was
mature enough to know how to cry, but not mature enough to know how to stop.

I am convinced that "unimaginative parents" aren't the cause of all colic.  A 
friend blessed with an uncolicy baby suspected such.  I say to those with babies
without colic, count your blessings and believe that colic is real even if not
always explainable.

Miss Emma loves the swing her cousin Cheyenne gave her.  Sometimes it will calm
her down when her momma and daddy cannot.  

We are having longer and longer periods of non-fussiness.  Actually, her paranoid
momma thought something was wrong with her one afternoon because she was being so
pleasant for over an hour. :)

We are starting to get something similar to a routine.  Usually we are asleep by
midnight and up at 8:00 AM....with being up for feedings between.  Then we are up a 
couple of hours then a nap.  During the day Miss Emma still eats every couple of
hours, but she will go 3 or 4 hours at night between feedings.  We (Emma and me)
take a nap or two throughout the day.  Miss Emma still starts getting fussy around 
6:00, but the fussiness is alot lighter.  Usually by 8:00 she is very ornery and
she takes a ride in her swing.  From nine until midnight, there is lots of rocking
and consoling in preparation for sleep.  

We've started using the cloth diapers more frequently.  She has actually 
outgrown her first set of Kooshies.  We are using Bumkins all-in-ones with
great results.   

Throughout the day we entertain ourselves with rides in the papoose outside.  We
tend to the animals and try to keep up with the kitchen and clothes.  I highly
recommend a baby carrier like the Baby Bjorn to anyone with a baby.  It frees 
your arms to do stuff, but you and the baby can stay together and interact.

The other day, Miss Emma and I went outside to tie up the tomato plants.  
Momma got too close to the tomato plant for Miss Emma's taste.  Miss Emma, who 
was riding on front of Momma facing Momma's tummy, was shoved up into the tomato
plant so Momma could tie the plant to the stake.  Miss Emma didn't like being put 
in the tomato jungle and was quick to let Momma know it.  :)

I apologize to everyone who has written me, and I haven't responded.  I am running
on Emma Time, which means I don't have alot of time to stay up with stuff like 
I should.  You learn to do everything with one hand and 5 to 10 minutes at a time.  As
an example, I had a 5 page article I needed to make 10 copies of.  It took me from 1:00
one afternoon to after 6:00 to get the copies made on our copy machine.  I would
lay Emma down for a few minutes while I worked on the copies, but as soon as she
sensed that I was gone, she was up and crying.  I've gotten some light chastising
for picking her up as soon as she cries, but I let it roll off me like water.  
When Miss Emma cries, I don't care if it "spoils" her.  Momma is going to try to 
fix it.  The way I see it, she won't always be running to Momma to fix stuff and
there will be times when Momma cannot fix it, anyway.  While I can, I am going to be at
her beck and call.  Afterall, she'll never be this small again.

Lately, Momma has been obsessing about her birthmark.  It is called a 
strawberry hemangioma.  It has been growing pretty quickly as of late.  I am not
worried about it aesthetically, but it is very close to her left eye.  I don't 
want it to interfere with her vision in any way.  I've made an appointment with our
dermatologist to see her on July 7th.  We've got pictures we can show him of how
it has changed over time.  

From what I have read about these birthmarks, they occur in about 2% of the 
population...most often in preemie babies.  They usually grow very rapidly for
the first 3-6 months.  Some disappear by the end of the 1st year, most by four
years old, and almost all by 9 years of age.  Treatment isn't recommended unless
it is interfering with some of the baby's functions, such as seeing.  Most all
disappear on their own with little or no scarring.  

Miss Emma is growing VERY fast.  I think she will be over 10 pounds by her 
next appointment on the 21st.  It seems she is noticeably heavier each morning
when I pick her up.  

I'm getting lots of requests for pictures.  We put some up at
http://homepage.mac.com/dixondata/PhotoAlbum8.html  Enjoy!

Momma Kay