December 2009 Update

Yes, I know that I am getting really bad about posting. I will make it part of my New Year's resolutions. I will explain why this is possible below.

Emeline is doing very well. Growing big girl. She turned 9 weeks old yesterday. At her two month appointment she was 12 lbs 7 oz and 23 3/8 inches long. That puts her in the 85% percentile in both height and weight. I told you she was a big girl. She is now in size 2 diapers and has moved into 3-6 months clothes. She amazes me how she keeps growing and so fast.

Her growth is probably attributed to how much she eats. She is now eating 6 oz every 4 hours, so 30 oz a day. Sometimes, I let her go longer if we have somewhere to go or she is just so sound asleep. She wakes up eats and plays and is ready for her next nap 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours later. She gets pretty feisty if she doesn't get her sleep. Oh, and I am happy to report for the past week and a half Em has been sleeping through the night. Not just the 6 hours that they talk about in the books but, 8 to 9 hours. We do a dream feed around 11/11:30 and she then sleeps until 7 or 8. This makes me very happy! I forgot how much I like my sleep. As I mentioned above, Em has settled into a 4 hour schedule and takes anywhere from 2 to 2 1/2 hour naps. This is much nicer than the 45 minute naps she was taking. This made it impossible to get anything done. Not to mention she wouldn't nap in her crib, she had to be held. Now, we nap in our crib. Mommy is so happy. Granted this has only been going on for a week, I plan on keeping this up.

Miss Em has already started showing us her personality. From day one she had these stern looks and would put her hand to her face and ponder in deep thought. Now, she has expanded her expressions with smiles. Just this week I get lots of smiles and she has started cooing at me. I love it!!! I can't to see what expression she makes next.

Not only am I tardy in posting here, I have yet to get out the birth announcements or Christmas Cards. The birth announcements will be going out in the next few weeks but, we are not going to send out Christmas Cards this year. So, to make up for it I hope everyone enjoys this picture of Em with Santa. She was such a good girl. No smile but, still a cute little girl.

Oh, and an update on Rosie and Daisy. They are doing good. They have quickly adjusted to having Emeline around. During the day they help me put her down for her naps and each take turns checking on her from her door while she sleeps. I think it is just too cute!!! They love being Em's big sister.

Crazy Mom

Today I had my first crazy mom moment. For about a week and a half Em has been spitting up after eating. Yes, I know that every baby spits up but, this was a large amount. And she would be fussy while she was being burped. So, I made an appointment to see the doctor. The doctor told me this was not a crazy mom appointment and that I was behind schedule for my crazy mom appointment. He made me feel so much better.

Good news is she is not losing weight. In fact she is gaining weight. She weighed 11 lbs 4 oz. So since her 2 week appointment she has gained approximately 1.4 oz per day. The average baby gains about 1 oz per day.

The doctor said she looked really good and thinks that we might be experiencing some colic. He said we should expect to see this go away by the time she is 2 months; both the fussiness and the spitting up. In the meantime he prescribed baby Zantec. Hopefully, this will help.

She is also a very strong girl. She loves to stand up in our laps and look around. She is very active with her eyes and loves to look around. The doctor also said that with as active and inquisitive as she is we should see her smile at us any day now. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Emeline's first month

Emeline was a month old on Sunday, November 15th. Below are a few pictures of her first month.

A very pretty smile.

Taking a nap while visiting Gram at work.

Napping with Grandpa.

Halloween Outfit #1.

Halloween Outfit #3. Her 2nd outfit was a pumpkin costume. My dad has the good pictures of this outfit.

Such a cutie!

First month stats:

At her 2 week check-up she was 9 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches. She is currently on a 3 hour schedule during the day. I still have to wake her up from her naps to feed on the 3 hour schedule. She is having difficultly going down for naps. She wants to be held. This has a lot to do with the fact that Justin likes to hold her and nap with her on the weekends. So, we are learning to go down for a nap still awake and self soothing, via the Ferber method.

At night once she is asleep she usually sleeps 4 hours wakes to feed and then sleeps another 4 hours. So, I get a good 6 hours of sleep at night and usually get an hour nap in during the day.

She is very strong and already stands-up in my lap and has pretty good head control although gets tired and will flop about if I am not careful. We try and take daily walks and loves her baths!

A few more pictures.

She was napping like this one day!

Her favorite; bath time!!!

In the Hospital

While we were in the hospital we received lots of visitors. Justin and I forgot to get pictures of everyone. So, here are a couple.

Sean and Sharon. Sharon is actually pregnant with a little friend for Em; due in January.

Uncle Drew and soon-to-be Aunt Erin.


Emeline's going home outfit. Would you expect anything but an A&M outfit?

Emeline ready to go home.

Justin ready to go home. This was Sunday morning. Remember we went into the hospital on Wednesday night. Justin was ready for a real bed.

Like I said above, we received lots of visitors, prayers and well wishes through Emeline's birth and stay at the hospital. We would like to thank everyone. We are so blessed to have friends and family that love us so much. Emeline is a very lucky girl.

Em's Big Arrival

I know that I am a little late with this post but, hey being a mom takes a lot of my time.

Em's big arrival began on October 14th. We went into the hospital the evening of the 14th at 8pm for "prep work." Below is a picture of us before we went to the hospital.


We arrived at the hospital at 8pm and they began my medicine to get me ready for the induction at 9pm. At 10pm contractions began and then at 12:45 the next morning my water broke. That was a bit of a surprise to me. We then got a couple of hours of rest. The induction was started at 6:30 the morning of the 15th. My labor progressed and then stalled. At 4:30 the doctor said it was time for a c-section. Emeline was born at 5:29 pm on October 15th. Below are a few of the pictures.

Now there was three.

Gram, Aunt Renee, Daddy, Emeline (15 minutes old) and Grandpa

Daddy, Emeline and Pops. Pops came up from Houston for Em's birth.

So, after nine months we have our little girl! Justin and I are so excited and know that we are so blessed. We look forward to enjoying and loving the little miracle that God has given us.

Extremely Behind

Well, I am extremely behind in posting.

Justin and I are so happy to announce the arrival of Emeline Kay Dillard. She made her debut into the world on October 15th at 5:29pm. She is a big girl, she weighed 9 lbs 7 oz and was 19.75 inches.

As you may notice that I am posting almost a month after she was born. I promise to post pictures this week and provide an update on her. All in all, she is a beautiful baby and Justin and I feel very blessed. Justin is completely in love with her. She already is a daddy's girl.

I promise pictures are on the way.

October 15th Deadline

I had one of many doctor's appointments yesterday. The doctor and I went over the results of my sonogram from Friday. All in all, we still have a big baby on the way and she will probably have to induce. The doctor said we have two issues 1) making sure the Em is developed enough and 2) making sure she doesn't get too big. I love my doctor! She is great about talking with me about the issues. I was so worried about Em not being fully developed if I was induced too early. My doctor explained to me that by 39 weeks, she was 99% sure that Em would be developed enough to join us. So, to avoid having a 10lb baby we are going to induce on 15th. Provided Em doesn't make an appearance before then.

Justin and I are so excited! So, provided she doesn't come early on her own, we will be parents three weeks from today. I can't believe it! This last couple of months has just flow by.

Oh, and a little side note. October 15th has special meaning for Justin and I. Ten years ago on October 15th Justin and I started our relationship. We had been a few "dates" before then but, that was the day he said that I was his girlfriend and that we were exclusive. I know so high school but, hey we were 18 and 19 at the time. I just think it is so special that our first child could be born on the 10 year anniversary of our relationship.

We can't wait to meet our little blessing from the Lord!

How is big is my baby?!?!?!

Today I went to my last 2 week appointment. Everything looks good, minus some swelling. Then, we had a sonogram. The doctor wanted to get an idea of how big Miss Em is. Well, she is big. She is measuring at 7 lbs 2 oz; at 35 weeks!!! That puts her in the 94th percentile; meaning out of every 100 babies she would be the 6th biggest. Justin is so proud! The sonogram measurements are not always correct. They told us it could be +/- 1 lb. I am just scared that it might be off and she is really 8 lbs 2 oz!!!

It was so nice to see Em again on that black and white screen! We hadn't seen her since the 17 week sonogram. She looked so cute! All chubby, button nose and sucking her thumb. We can't wait to meet her! I would post the sonogram pictures but, they never look as good printed out is they do on the screen at the doctor's office.

The doctor said when I come in next week she wants to visit about inducing me. I think she is worried about Em getting too big. So, right now it looks like Em will be here around the 12th of October! We are both so excited!!! I guess I need to get in gear and get the hospital bags ready.

Houston Shower

As promised, I am finally posting the pictures from the Houston Shower. Justin, Em and I are truly blessed to have such amazing and loving family and friends. We got lots of goodies at the shower. I would also like to say a special thanks to Erin, Mrs. Wood and Mom (Debbie/Mimi) for hosting the shower!Enjoy!

Mom-to-be and Grandmas-to-be. Gram (my mom), me and Mimi (Justin's mom).
Ella, my little helper! She even brought a special gift for Em. A beautiful picture for the little baby. I plan on framing it and hanging it in Em's room.

Both Gram and Mimi like to call her Miss Em.

You knew that we would have to have some sort of Aggie gear! Thanks Mimi, this will be perfect for tailgating in October/November! In the background you see my Aunt Jo (a very close family friend) and Amanda (Jo's daughter-in-law and a SUPER MOM/Ella's mom).

Monkey Towel!

Justin's Grandma gave us this bib. Justin has wanted this bib since we first found out we had a little one on the way.

My little helper Ella! Look at her go, such a sweetie! I will admit that I had trouble keeping up with her.

Justin's Aunt Eileen made these really neat cross-stitch bibs. They have lots of little animals on them! I love homemade/handmade stuff (not sure what the correct term is here).

Basket of goodies!!!

Diaper and washcloth cake with hidden surprises! Erin you are too much!

Little outfits!

Ok, funny story about this outfit. My mom, I mean Gram, got this for Em. A little red dress with zebra leggings and black mary jane shoes. Too cute. My Aunt Jo, makes the joke "Oh, what a cute little Red Raider outfit." Well, I told Justin that and his response was, "Burn that outfit." Ugh! As you know, Justin and I bleed Aggie Maroon. My Aunt Jo and my dad (Pawpaw) both went to Texas Tech...so Big 12 conversations are always fun with them. And, wouldn't you know it Em's due date is the weekend of the A&M/Texas Tech football game. I told Justin that I will not dress Em in that outfit when the Aggies play Tech but, I am not burning it.

12 Weeks...

As of today, we have 12 weeks until my due date. That is right, I am officially in my third trimester. Justin and I are so excited to meet our little Em. We are truly grateful for the blessing God has given us!

Heading into the third trimester I am doing really well. Except for a few minor pains here or there, I can't complain. Em is an extremely strong little girl. Even the doctor is amazed how strong she is for her "age". She is very active during the day and sleeps during the night. Every night when Justin gets home she lets out some big kicks/movements at the sound of his voice. Justin is already in love with this little girl and she hasn't even shown her face yet. He even talks to my belly; too cute!

We are slowly getting everything put together. We had our first shower this past weekend in Houston (separate post to come this weekend). We got so many cute things! I have already started washing clothes and putting them up. Knowing me if I don't get organized before Em comes I never will be. I also still need to hang things on the walls. My goal is to get this completed over the next two weekends.

So, we have 12 weeks left. I still have a lot to do but, I want these 12 weeks to fly by. I am ready to meet Emeline Kay Dillard! The next 12 weeks will definitely be a test of my patience.

We have a crib!

On Sunday Justin and my dad put together the nursery furniture; all they really had to assemble was the crib. Regardless, I am so happy they did and the furniture looks great in the room! I love it! Check out the pictures below.

Dresser/changing table. In time the stuffed animal doggies will be gone and that is where Justin will do all the dirty work! Just kidding. Crib! I still need to hang the letters. I found out last night that I don't have the right hangers. Notice to the right of the crib the baby car seat. Daisy had a run in with this new fixture below.
Another view of the room. In this picture Daisy just noticed the baby car seat and flipped! Started barking like crazy. She better get used to that thing. I don't know what she is going to do when the stroller makes it into the house. Last night I tried to get that stuff unpacked but, the stroller requires some assembly so I left that for Justin. Isn't that the daddy's job. I don't think he has realized yet that he will be assembling things (toys, bikes, etc.) for the next 18 years!
View of the room from the door way.

Oh, and we have new carpet. Much better than the old gray carpet. We owe a special thanks to our buddy Duke for saving us from the gray madness! I highly recommend him! Oh, and before I get lots of accolades on the paint job; we didn't do it. The people that owned the house before us did. Very impressive!

On Sunday, after we got the furniture arranged my mom started stressing over getting the bedding done. I told her not to worry. We still have 3 1/2 months before Em's big arrival. Wow, doesn't seem like a whole lot of time left when I write it out.

First Addition to the Nursery and a Little Doggie Time

As I mentioned in a previous post I was going to make the letters for Em's wall. Well, I am done. Here they are.

I think they turned out pretty good. Justin seemed to like them. Oh, and this is not the crib bedding. This is the bedding I have on the bed in that room now. It will be gone soon. We are getting new carpet this weekend and then setting up the nursery. We have all the furniture (crib and dress/changing table). So, Saturday morning we will start setting up the nursery. I am so excited. I can finally start organizing that room! I guess this is the nesting need that I have read about in all my baby books.

For those of you that really know us and our dogs; we have special dogs. Especially, Daisy. Her nickname is CRAZY DAISY! She just has this play growl/bark that just makes me laugh. One minute she is running around acting all crazy and the next minute she can be the sweetest dog in the world. Here is Daisy with her "what's up" pose; that is what Justin calls it.
To be fair, I also posted a picture of Rosie. Sporting her new do thanks to Aunt Renee. I try to always keep them shaved during the summer so they don't die in the heat. Being pregnant, I have not been doing this as diligently as I should. So, Renee thanks for the help!

Last Big Trip...

Justin leaves on his last big trip this morning. He is heading out to Hawaii for what will hopefully be his last work trip for awhile. You see, last week Justin accepted a promotion opportunity within his company. He will be moving programs and doing a completely different job. He is so excited. He really believes that this new position will be the challenge that he has been looking for; Praise the Lord! I am so proud of him!!! Only downside is that he will be very busy and may have to work extra hours. I told him I was completely ok with the extra hours as long as he comes home every night. I hate his week long trips.

Justin officially starts his new position mid-July. Should be interesting since he has been with the same group for the past 6 years. I know that Justin will do so well at his new position. He is such an amazingly talented and smart man. I am so blessed to have him as my husband! And soon, Em will be so blessed to have him as her daddy.

Speaking of Daddy, Justin got his first Father's Day gift this past Sunday. I know that technically he isn't a dad just yet but, I couldn't resist. He got an A&M diaper bag and a little outfit for Em. The outfit is a yellow onesie that says "Who needs a Superhero when I have my daddy" and a pair of blue jeans. Justin loved the onesie; he gave his bashful, one sided smile when he opened his gift. That is when I know that he really likes something. If he gives a full smile he trying to oversell it but, when I get the bashful, one sided smile I know that he truly loves it.

A Happy Belated Father's Day out there to all the dads and dads-to-be!

Getting Ready for Miss Em

Justin and I have started getting ready for the arrival of Miss Em; our little monkey. We have ordered the nursery furniture (should be in the first part of July). I can't wait to get the crib put together! Once I have the crib and dresser/changing table in the room I can start decorating! I have bought a few things to hang on the walls but, don't know where to put them until I know exactly where the furniture will be.

Yesterday, I went and bought the fabric for Em's bedding. Mom and I are going to make a very simple quilt pattern. The two main fabrics have the same colors (every color under the rainbow - pink, brown, green, blue, orange, yellow) but, one is striped and the other is polka dots. I also bought a baby pink fleece that so incredibly soft! I was afraid Justin wouldn't like the fabric but, surprisingly he seemed to like it. He usually isn't into stuff that is too girly. I can't wait to see the finished product! I still need to find a good brown fabric to throw into the mix. I didn't find anything that I liked yesterday.

For those of you that really know me, you know that I cannot sew. I mean, I can make a pillow but, tackling a whole bedding set is way over my head. Thank goodness for moms or excuse me Grams! But, I still want to contribute to Em's room. So, I bought wooden letters E and M. I plan on decorating them myself. I am actually pretty good at painting. So, my contribution to Em's room will be two brown letters with pink, green and blue paisleys on them. Oh, and I am not being lazy and cheating by only doing Em instead of Emeline. Justin said he didn't want the full name on the wall. Especially since we call the little girl Em now.

We still have a lot to do but, I know we will get it all done. I am really looking forward to doing it all! Plus, I am so excited. Our travel system is in and we get to pick it up this weekend! Our first big baby purchase is in and will soon be in our house. Now, I will just have to keep from installing the car bases in the vehicles with 18 weeks left until her arrival. Yes, I am that excited.

Oh, and for those wanting an update on Em. She is doing very well. I have my second to last one month appointment today. Starting in August I will have appointments every 2 weeks. Em is a very active baby. She kicks and moves all day and for the most part sleeps at night. Justin finally got to feel her kick about 2 weeks ago. He thinks it is cool/weird/creepy. No doubt about it though, she is one strong baby! We are looking forward to all the playtime once she gets here!

Half Way There...

Today marks the half way point of my pregnancy. Today, I am 20 weeks and we have 140 days to go. The time is going by very fast. I have been very lucky and not been sick other than a few little issues.

So, in 140 days or there abouts we will welcome our little girl into our family. Getting ready for a baby is a lot of work. I think we are in good shape right now. We have ordered the nursery furniture and started our registries. My big to do is go fabric shopping so I can start the bedding. My mom and I are making this and with our crazy schedules the sooner we get this started the better.

Oh, and I just realized that my due date is two days before the Aggie/Texas Tech football game. This could be interesting. All the family together watching the game. My dad went to Tech. Both he and my little sister like to be crazy Red Raiders just to get under my skin. Could make for an interesting entry into our family for little Miss Em. Daddy and Grandpa arguing over a football game. Truth be told she better get used to it. Her life will revolve around sports for sometime.

Two Years Ago Today...

Two years ago today Justin and I stood up in front of God, family and friends and committed ourselves to each other. Two years ago today we became husband and wife. Here is a picture from that glorious day.



A lot has happened in the past two years for Justin and I.

• Right after we got back from our Honeymoon we added to our family with Daisy.
• I left WaMu shortly after the wedding and began working for TRA.
• Justin and I bought our first house last September ('08). And we still love it!
• Justin and I found our love of Aggie tailgating. Although, we will have to miss it this year.
• Took a trip to Canada, Mexico and Hawaii.
• We found out that we are going to be parents. What an amazing blessing.
• Found out that our family is growing again with the addition of a sister-in-law. Justin's little brother (top row, fourth from the left) proposed to his long-time girlfriend Erin (girl in the light blue dress).
• The family is still growing. My sister is engaged. I don't have a picture of Brandon. Renee is the third girl in from the left.

The past two years have gone by fast but, at the same time it is just a fraction of the time Justin and I have spent together. In October (the day before my due date), Justin and I will have been together 10 years. Yes, a decade! I must thank the Lord from bringing such a sweet, loving man into my life.

It's A....

GIRL!!! We had our 18 week sonogram on Friday. The little baby is so cute!!! I think Justin could stand there all day and watch the heart beat on the monitor. She was a shy little girl. She was in an odd position at first to where we couldn't tell. Then, after some prodding she moved to where we could get a good view of her and she decided to put her hand in they way. A modest little girl already! I teased Justin that we knew she was a Dillard; stubborn. After a little bit longer we finally got a good look and there she was. What a blessing. What an amazing blessing the Lord has given Justin and I.

We have decided on a name. Emeline Kay Dillard. We will call her Em. Emeline was the middle name of my mother's mom and Kay is the middle name of Justin's mom. Both Justin and I have family names and it was very important to me to carry on the tradition. Call me old fashioned or an Aggie but, I believe in Traditions.


Our next big step will be getting the nursery put together and registering. We have decided to do the nursery in primary colors (lots of reds, blues and yellows) and just about every color in between. The theme of the nursery will be animals (monkeys, dogs, frogs, etc). Although she is a girl, I don't know how much pink she will have in her room. I have never been a big fan of pink. But, I understand that as a girl she will need some pink in her life. We shall see. Only rule Justin has put on me is no glitter. He hates glitter so no glitter or sparkles in the decorations or clothing. If we don't change his mind this poor little girl might have a very dull life. I am sure the Grandmas will break the rules for the sake of this kiddo.


I really am still in complete amazement at this little person. We both can't wait to meet her. As I am typing this she is kicking up a storm. Already opinionated.

Never before...

Have I been more embarrassed to be a Mavs fan. Regardless of how many cheap shots (happens in every game and by every team) Denver took on the Mavs they beat us in the first three games. There is no need to resort to name calling, throwing beer on some one's mom or any of the other petty actions that took place at the AAC last night. So far every playoff game has been over the top. I will continue to cheer for the Mavs through the remainder of their playoff run but, in the meantime....GO ROCKETS!!!

This is for all the Dillard men in my life. Especially for Drew.

In Trouble...

Apparently, people actually read our blog and I am in trouble for not diligently updating. I sincerely apologize. We just haven't had too many noteworthy events occurring in our lives lately. I know that will all change come October. So, I promise that after Baby Dill has arrived I will update the blog on a regular basis.

In the meantime, please let pictures from our trip to Hawaii fill the non-baby gap.

Yes, this is how they live in Hawaii. Right on top of each other.

Justin's patriotic shot of the US Flag from inside the Arizona Monument at Pearl Harbor.

Me waiting to go to the Arizona Monument.

Pearl Harbor

View from the Honolulu hotel.
Justin being a dare devil on a cliff. Someone remind him is going to be daddy soon.

Look at how clear the water is!!!!

Cool little cove that we found. We wanted to go down and check it but, decided it was not a good idea for me to rock climb 4 months pregnant.

Our only picture together and it is blurry. Still learning to use our new camera.

The Famous Northshore.

A New Addition...

As many of you already know, Justin and I are very excited about the new addition that will be joining our family in October. That is right, we are having a baby!!! We are both very excited and praise the Lord for our little blessing. We had a first sonogram a couple of weeks ago. The picture of the little one is below. This is at 12 weeks. Our official due date is October 16th. I will try to be better about posting updates on here regularly. Here is our little one!!!

We have our next sonogram in a month. We should be able to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Stay tuned!!!