tall but slender.

Today Emerson had his 4 month check up. and I am proud to say that it actually went pretty good. If you recall, we struggled with his weight just a tad (or at least they made me come back a bajillion times to check his weight anyway.)

He weighed in at 14 pounds 4 oz which moved him up to the 20th percentile
He is 25 3/4 inches long putting him in the 71st percentile
Which makes it where he is long enough for 6 month jammies but not fat enough to fill them out.

And his noggin was 42 cm around putting him in the 56th percentile for head circumference (he doesn't have a big heeeed like his dad so I guess he did get something from me--a regular sized head)

He also had to get a few shots which are always so sad. But he does pretty good. He only cried for a couple minutes and then he fell asleep on the way home. But when we woke up he required lots of snuggles. I happily obliged.

I've said it once and I'll say it  a million more times after I say it right now, I can't believe how big he is getting and how fast it is happening. And it is still insane to me that he is mine. Sometimes I stare at him and I'm like, oh yeah, you came out of ME!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE!!!!!!!! but I love love love him.

notes on the bathroom mirror.

before Emerson came along. marriage was easy. when you have nothing but each other it's not hard to make time to spend quality time with each other and connect and be romantic or whatever.

but then a third person comes into your world and you both love him immensely and he changes your world and he IS your world. So then you have to retrain yourselves to set aside time to also focus on each other sometimes. and it isn't exactly easy to, but it's necessary. 

we've been able to go on a couple date nights while my dad and step mom babysat for us. which has been wonderful but they don't live close so those don't come often. so I've been trying to get creative.

I bought a dry erase marker to keep in the bathroom to write each other sweet little love notes. I am pretty sure I saw this idea on pinterest. and I thought aww, cute. 

but because it is us we're talking about, "sweet" is the last thing they've been.

Obscene love notes would be a better description. Because we are perverted and immature. Obviously I'm not going to relay the messages that have been written on the mirror, because they would burn your eyes.

But nonetheless, that is what makes us perfect for each other so it's a nice reminder of why we are in love. And you know, the notes aren't totally perverted all the time, sometimes they are actually sweet, or sometimes they are sweet but slightly cutting. I.E. this.

"Tayl, I <3 you even though you left the diaper bag. <3/kynslie xoxo"

So now I understand what people meant when they said marriage was hard, but it's still not really THAT hard. just like, have to actually make sure we don't get totally lost in parenthood and forget to be lovers. (sorry that word is SO gross, but... I wasn't sure what other word would get the point across.)

Emerson: month four

my little love bug,

You are 1/3 of the way to a year old. Which is basically UNREAL to me.

You are such a sweet boy. You are always bright eyed and smiling or serious, fixated on something, and drooling.

I can tell that everyday you are learning more things about the world around you. You've gotten really good at grabbing stuff and bringing it to your mouth. You're almost able to suck your thumb, you're trying really hard but mostly you end up with your hand flat to your face licking your palm, or with all of your fingers in your mouth (sometimes you make yourself gag, it's sad but also funny)

You're becoming quite the water baby. You love to swim in the tub. I can't wait to take you to the lake this summer!!

Your grandma and grandpa Coffin came to visit you a couple of weeks ago. They babysat you while me and your daddy went on a much needed date. You had a lot of fun with them and of course, they are still very obsessed with you.

Let's see... what else have you been up to this month? Oh yeah, you're ticklish now. It's pretty hilarious. You laugh SO hard when I give you Nah-Nah's. You squeal when you know I am about to tickle you, like the anticipation of it just drives you crazy!

Last Sunday you rolled over from your belly to your back! But you haven't done it since. I'm just glad to know you've got in you. Such a big boy. So big that you're basically growing out of all 3 month stuff, so you're back in that awkward phase where you're in between sizes. Doesn't stop me from dressing you fancy sometimes though.

Also today we decided to let you try some sweet potatoes for the first time, just for fun. It was pretty funny. But I'm not sure that you're quite ready for real food YET. Soon though. Cause you seemed to like it, just not sure how to keep your tongue in your mouth.

Anyway, you're so cool and now that it's getting warm we can't wait for all of our summer adventures with you.

You're the best!

mwah mwah mwah
 love,mom
xoxox

The painting in the nursery.

I wish I could say the nursery is all the way done. But I am happy to say it's MOST of the way done. There are only a few more things to hang. But Emerson only sleeps in there for naps so I think it's okay that since it's only partly his main room that it's only partly finished.

When I started nesting mode and was brainstorming what I wanted to do for the nursery. I KNEW I didn't want to do any particular BRIGHT color palette or anything too baby-ish like mickey the freaking mouse or whatever the hell. Cause that ain't my thing. ANYWAY.

One weekend early in my pregnancy, we went to my grandma's in Bear Lake and she pulled out this painting and told me how my mom had found in an old abandoned house in Idaho near Bear Lake. (That was a thing my mom was into, going into old abandoned houses and finding cool things, and somehow she was really good at it.) She asked if I wanted it. When I saw it I immediately knew that it had to go into the nursery and that I would work my decor around this painting.

Luckily, the painting isn't the only sentimental thing in my little mountain man's nursery.

this is the painting up close, and the frame that came with it. love.

Eye spy a little Emer man.
Also, the painting isn't crooked-- it's just my sub-par photography skills.

This rocking chair used to belong to my great-grandparents, and I was VERY close to them. When I was little my grandpa would come inside from working in the yard he would sit in this chair to take off his shoes and I'd climb in his lap and tell him about my day. I miss them both so much everyday. I am so glad I get to rock my baby in this chair now.

DON'T MIND MY EXCESSIVE BABY SHOE COLLECTION.
 I'm not much for hunting, but when we first moved to Idaho I wanted to paint some antlers and my grandpa is an avid hunter so I asked him if had any that I could have, he did. But I never got around to the craft so I decided to hang them as is in the nursery. It's fun to have a little piece of Emerson's great grandpa (still alive though, btw) in there.

After we decided to name him Emerson, I was downstairs looking through Tayl's books for pretty books to display on our bookshelves in the living room and I found this Ralph Waldo Emerson book. I felt like it was a sign. So I had to put the book in the nursery too. If you can't see it, it's "Emerson on man and God." ALSO, my BFF Jen gave us those cute little moccs. But they won't fit him for awhile so right now they are part of the decor.
And if anyone asks what the fox says, I'll find you and punch you in the throat.

My aunt gave me this bible while I was pregnant,
which just so happened to be my mom's from when she was little,
it even had her name engraved on the front. 

This is the adorable mobile that my BFF Jen made
which I have yet to hang over the crib but I WILL do it.
Just one of the things I still need to do.