The Trotter's

The almighty T. Rex and Lemon Pucker adventure...the blog that never seems to get finished.

2009-04-19T02:51:00.009-11:00

***Update...this entry title was officially changed to The almighty T. Rex and Lemon Pucker adventure....I will explain later.***

Harris Tate...I put the title here b/c for some reason, whoever created this blog background thought it would be a good idea to place their brand where the title goes. Anyway. We have been at home now for over a week and things have been pretty much just as you would expect. In fact, I am having trouble writing about our last week b/c it has been pretty uneventful. Don't get me wrong, we are excited about having Harris home but so far things have been sort of ordinary. Besides the late night feedings and constantly trying to give Emma Grace all the attention she deserves, I haven't really had that overwhelming feeling that comes with having a new baby and a 3 year old in the same house. There have been moments that Ashley and I have felt like we were going to explode but when you have a young child that now has to share the attention with a baby, that is likely to happen. Enough about us. Harris has had a week where we saw him eat really good and then as the week progressed, his nursing behavior declined down to almost nothing. We are now giving him formula almost exclusively but Ashley is nursing him for as long as he will. His weight gain has sort of flat lined but hopefully this week he will show more vigor when taking his bottle. Other than that, he is doing really well. He hardly ever cries and when he does it is short and over with.

Emma Grace is doing well also. She is as smart as a whip and has the memory of an elephant...which doesn't bode well for me b/c she remembers everything that I say, especially that which involves me taking her to the park or to get "treats". I could see the skepticism in her eyes when we first brought Harris home but she has warmed up to the fact that he is here and his place in our family is set. She has turned up the heat on vying for our attention and sometimes it is hard to meet her demands with a smile but we always do it because we know at this time it is important that she feels the same amount of love that she got before Harris.

We have now been home for 2 complete weeks. Sleep slips us by as we are now functioning completely on anything we can ingest that might have a hint of caffiene (Ben) or no sodium, low fat, tasteless food (Ashley:). Harris also has found that sleeping at night is for loser babies and has joined his dad as a late night junky. Since my initial venture began to write this blog entry, Harris has gained almost a pound back but he is not quite back to his birth weight. This was worrisome to us for a while but knew that he would come around.

Ashley is doing well and has recovered from her section quite nicely.

Now back to the changing of the title. Emma Grace has this fascination with dinosaurs and giving her new brother nick names. Well, Lemon Pucker is the latest in a long line of names that she has come up with. T. Rex, well that is just what she wants to be while she chases me around the house. Harris was Archie Coco to Coco to Coco Harris Tate Coco to Lemon Pucker...and this just in...He is now Funk Bunk.

...And then there were 4!

2009-04-07T11:34:00.003-11:00

We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Harris Tate Trotter.

He weighed 7lb 6oz. and is 19 inches long.

Baby Name Poll

2009-02-21T09:41:00.003-11:00

Our baby boy is scheduled to arrive into this world on April 6th...we are still trying to decide on a name for our little one! Emma Grace's preference is Archie Coco but even I can't give into that one! We want something different but not wierd...keep that in mind when you are voting!! Thanks for your help!!

She will wait...

2009-02-17T06:48:00.002-11:00

and on the 6th day, with loud trumpet blast, she will welcome her new brother into the family. And he will be called..."Archie Coco". Just so you know.

Christmas milestones and new things for a New Year.

2008-12-17T15:12:00.005-11:00

It is hard to believe that we are fast approaching another Christmas to celebrate the birth of a savior. IF you want to break it down further, this is my 34th Christmas, Ashley's 29th and Emma Grace's 4th. Together, we have over 67 years of experience celebrating this wonderful time of year. We aren't even the most experienced when it comes to the number however, for some strange reason, people like to puff up their chests when they tell you how much combined experience they have doing something. Well, we have something even more to be excited about. We are adding another to our growing years of experience. For those of you who do not know, we are having a boy in April. This is our reason for not getting the cards out on time, if they get out at all. It is also the reason that we haven't done most of the stuff that we want to do this time of year like be with friends and family more. I am not sure where this is going so bear with me.

The new baby is a gift. This is the time of year for giving gifts. The thing about kids is that this gift never stops giving. We are fully funded in gifts from Emma Grace. She never ceases to amaze us on a daily basis...in fact, she hardly ever ceases. Having another child will just grow that all the more. We are their recipient and we are blessed.

So without further adieu....revealed in amazing 4D technology....the reason this Christmas and New Year is going to be extra special....God's new longterm gift to our family....

Oh baby brother (or sister), where art thou?...

2008-09-24T15:43:00.004-11:00

Its no secret, at least to those who are close to us, that we are pregnant. Well, Ashley is anyway. I always thought that when couples stated that "they were pregnant" that is sounded sort of wierd. Some older generations attempt to include the male in the process of pregnancy which everyone knows that after "it" happens, then its all about the woman from that point on. The great thing about this is that I am excited and perfectly alright with it being that way. This blog is in no way about me though, the dad, I just wanted to take a moment to stand up for all expectant dads across the nation and let you know that I am there.

So without further a due, I am officially announcing to our blog friends and anyone who happens across this post, that I am officially dropping the phrase,"we are pregnant" and replacing it with the more acceptable phrase, "Ashley is pregnant and I still get to do all the things I was doing before".

Emma Grace is excited, as far as we know, about having a baby around. If you catch her at the right moment she will tell you to be quiet because the baby is asleep. She goes back and forth between wanting a brother then a sister and sometimes one of each. She has even told us that she is going to be a "big sister -and- brother". Not sure what that means but to her I am sure its her way of reminding us that she is okay with sharing the reservation with someone else.

Jesus, the unseen dinner guest.

2008-07-16T16:05:00.003-11:00

we were sitting at the dinner table (a few weeks ago) the other night eating hamburgers of which emma grace has never eaten much less tasted before. she is destined to be a vegan much to my dismay. we prepared our plates and sat at the table as a family as we always do. we blessed our meal and began to eat. emma grace decided that she wasn't going to eat her specially prepared hamburger...tiny meat, lots of cheese, lots of bread. we went through the whole ordeal of bribing her, telling her "big girls eat hamburgers and they get dessert if they do" to trying to just get her to stick enough of it in her mouth to hopefully change her view of how good hamburgers really are. None of this worked and we were at our wits end(a bunch of other things happened during this time that if your a parent would push you to the brink as well). ashley gave her final ultimatum and basically told emma grace that she just had to try the burger and if she didn't like it she didn't have to eat it...one would think that this would be a deal that a 3 year old would agree to.

no, instead she looked at ashley square in the eye and said, "no mommy, jesus told me i didn't have to eat hamburgers"

this pretty much ended that.

Did you see how fast those birds flew? -or- tricking Emma Grace for her own good!

2008-06-24T17:15:00.002-11:00

Sometimes as parents, we choose to be upfront and honest with our children. Yet there are times when we know we need to protect their emotional side so that they won't dwell on things that seem impossible in their mind. Such is the case with the bird nest that is nestled neatly in place in one of our bushes. Two weeks ago it almost met its demise from the business end of my hedge trimmer. It was then when I discovered that this nest contained 4 eggs and a mother that really had it in for me. Well, being the person that is always looking for ways to educate E.G., I said to myself, "cool, robin eggs,...I can bring her out here every day to watch them progress into eventual baby birds."

A few days passed by and I found the perfect time to show her the eggs. We walked out there and looked at them and she was amazed instantly. She wanted to tell everyone about the eggs. She couldn't wait to see them the next day, and the next day and the next....nightly ritual. I was patting myself on the back b/c I had found something that we would remember for a long time or at least until Ashley found something better like a new bicycle. I am not a expert when it comes to the development of baby robins as far as how long it takes for them to hatch so I am thinking, "anyday now"! We will be there to see them into this world. In the period of two weeks, two of the eggs disappeared. I was a little discouraged but I figured even squirrels like something different for breakfast every once in a while. Besides, there are still two left. Well, a few days ago, we were looking at the eggs and one of them had a tiny hole forming in it. I was super excited and Emma Grace was too. I told her, "just a matter of hours, days until we see some baby birds". She ran inside and told Ashley. We looked at them the next day and the hole was a little bigger and two days ago it was even bigger. I could actually see something that looked like the side of a bird...kind of what you would figure you would see.

The only problem for me was why was this taking so long? On national geographic you can watch an egg go from being laid to hatching in about 30 seconds. Well, one more day I held on to hope then I observed something taking place. I saw movement and then I realized what that movement was. There was another natural phenomenon taking place. It seems that the birds had died and as a result the movement of decomposition was taking place. I couldn't bring myself to tell E.G. about what had happened but I knew that until I could think of something I would have to play out our ritual at least one more time. Now I am faced with that part about protecting her emotions. I told her yesterday that the birds might hatch overnight and be gone the next day because these birds are born fully grown. That sounds clever until Go Diego Go sells me out and teaches her that all birds begin as eggs and then babies and they can't fly at first and so on and so forth. So, in the morning, if I can remember...I will have to get rid of the eggs. I do not want to have to make up another story like...how the flies on the nest "are just there bearing gifts for the new mom to be" or "rotten egg smell? I don't smell any rotten eggs".

Hopefully this is the first of many new discoveries for her but the last time I have to reach into a nest and throw some eggs away all while telling her that they just hatched and left. What a let down for her and the mother robin.

Emma Grace performs: "The Lord's Prayer"

2008-06-07T12:44:00.004-11:00

Emma Grace can say the entire lord's prayer. We have known she can do this for a while but then one night at the dinner table she put it to music. I am not sure if she is trying to sing the common version that you hear at church all the time but it is cute, funny and makes us smile.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tiny Dancer

2008-06-07T12:06:00.003-11:00

Emma Grace had her ballet recital 2 weeks ago. This is a video of that moment. She has been taking ballet classes for the past 8 months or so. I have never been able to really get her to show me at home what she was learning. Most of the time it was me asking her to show me what she does at dance class followed by her spinning around and falling down on the floor in a fit of laughter. Well, the day of her recital arrived and I was eager to see what she had been learning. I am not sure this movie proves that a then 2 year old can be taught to be the next Anna Pavlova, but the performance no matter how simple, proved to me that she is determined to do her best. I think I see a star in the making.

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Emma Grace is 3!!!

2008-05-16T06:26:00.005-11:00

Let me start by saying I know its been way too long since we have updated the blog. The year has gotten off to a great start and we are all doing very well! Now on to the important stuff! Today is Emma Grace's 3rd Birthday! I can hardly believe my baby is 3. It just doesn't seem right! My parents always told me that time flies and your children grow up before you know it...well they were right! It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Emma Grace has always liked sleeping in her crib and never tried to climb out of it...for that reason we have put off getting her a big girl bed. Well today is the day! She went to school this morning and we took the crib down and put her new bed and bedding up. When she came home she was very excited and said she loves it...we will see if she loves to sleep in it! For some reason the fact that she is 3 has been very emotional for me. I think it is a definate turning point when a toddler becomes a child. I stood in her room last night and cried because I knew that I wouldn't ever see her sleeping in her crib again (I'm crying right now just typing that)! However, there are advanages of having a 3 year old. She can potty by herself, wash her on hands, somewhat dress herself. All things that come in handy! We are leaving Sunday to go to the beach for a couple of days...when we return I will post pictures of her birthday party and our trip on our flickr site...Be sure to check them out!

Emma Grace sings her favorites...

2007-12-15T17:45:00.000-11:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I am constantly amazed at the ability of a 2 year old and though she is my 2 year old and I am biased, I never realized that I would be amazed so often.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-13T16:18:00.000-11:00

It has been awhile since Ashley said that we would do a proper blog update so here it is. We have had a wonderful Christmas season so far and have done a lot more than we usually do. We have been to several Christmas parties and performances at our church. We went and rode the Pink Pig and Emma Grace told Santa what she wanted for Christmas. That all started out really rocky but turned out great. To bad the pictures I took of her on the Pink Pig turned out underexposed so we will not be posting any of those today. We hope all of you who read this (and even if you don't) have a wonderful Christmas. Here is a video and a couple of pictures of our Christmas.

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Helping with the lights.

Getting the stockings "ready"

Hanging an ornament

Dad is not doing it right...or I am getting tired.

I want this and I want that...

New Pics

2007-10-19T06:22:00.000-11:00

To see new pictures of Emma Grace click on the flickr link on the right of the screen. We are leaving for the beach in the morning...we will do a proper update when we get back!

Table talk with Emma Grace and other ramblings.

2007-09-19T13:19:00.001-11:00

So much has been happening around here, or so it seems, that we have neglected our blog and figured it was time for a bit of an update. We have had a roller coaster summer and it has brought me to his point. Ok, maybe roller coaster is a bit extreme because our summer has flown by relatively quietly. We have visited places and we have spent time with our families and friends doing various activities that mostly centered around Emma Grace. We took her to the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences. This was basically a short day trip in which we spent quality time together and visited some educational/historical places to try to enrich Emma's already well rounded personality. She had a great time looking at the dinosaurs and looking at the various exhibits which had a lot of hands on stuff for her to play with. It was a good time.

We visited my(Ben's) sister and brother in law and our new nephew who was born in July. He came early but is doing great now. That was a fun road trip to Birmingham and back. I think for me the most amazing part was that Emma Grace slept from the time we left their house and did not wake up till we pulled in our driveway.

We are still trying to sell our house. That is all I will say about that.

We are going to Charleston in October and possibly to Florida at the end of October. Then we are planning on going to Disney World in either December or January. That is still up in the air. Crazy, I know. But there is a method to this madness somewhere.

That is all for now. Here is a clip of Emma Grace now at the dinner table where she entertains us with her sometimes witty yet innocent view of her world. I thought this summed her up pretty good. Really, it was the cutest thing that I could pull off the video that didn't include applesauce falling out of her mouth.

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4th of July

2007-07-06T07:33:00.001-11:00

We had a great 4th of July as we hope all of you did. We started the day by attending the local parade in downtown Griffin. It was Emma Grace's first parade and she had a blast. Later that afternoon we went to a friends house to swim and cookout. It was a fun and relaxing day. Here are some pictures from the day...

My Tribute To A Wonderful Lady

2007-06-26T04:00:00.000-11:00

Ben's Grandmother Grace Trotter passed away on Friday, June 15, 2007. She was a wonderful grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved her family more than anything in this world. She treated me as family from the first moment I met her, and even though I only had the privaledge of knowing her for eight short years she had also become my grandmother. I remember the first time Ben took me to meet her she was very excited (as she always was to see her favorite grandson) she told Ben to hold on to me because I was a good one. He told me that on the way home and I just remember how special that made me feel. She had a way of making you feel special and loved. She loved Emma Grace and loved to tell anyone who would listen about her wonderful great-grandaughter who just happened to be named after her. She loved to tell stories...sometimes you had heard them before but you didn't care because you just enjoyed listening to her and her adventures. Grandmother had some vision problems that caused light to bother her so she always had on a sun visor wether it be day or night inside or out. Emma Grace and I made a sunvisor the other day and when I took this picture of her all I could think about was grandmother and how much she loved her little Emma Grace.

Video Update...

2007-05-31T06:21:00.000-11:00

We had a great vacation...Emma Grace woke up better the day that we were suppose to leave and thankfully Ben and I never got sick. The Lord was watching over us. I will work on uploading some pictures from the vacation onto flickr but for now here is a video of Emma Grace saying her bedtime prayers and some random clips from vacation.

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Emma Grace turns 2 and gets the stomach virus...

2007-05-17T01:46:00.000-11:00

I can't believe my baby turned two yesterday. She is getting to be such a big girl. Unfortunately she did not have the best birthday...she has had the stomach virus since Sunday...making this the 5th day. Hopefully she is better...so far so good today...keep your fingers crossed! We are scheduled to leave in the morning to go on vacation so please keep us in your prayers. Despite the unfortunate birthday Emma Grace did have a great party this past Saturday. The theme was a beach party...she loves being outside so it was perfect for her. We had a sandbox, a fish shaped sprinkler, and a slide/climber. She and all the kids had a blast. To see more pictures of the party click on the pictures to the right.

ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon

2007-03-26T03:20:00.000-11:00

I did it! I ran my first half marathon yesterday...13.1 miles. We had a great time...our goal(which we made at mile 8) was to come in at 2 hours or under but my official time was 2:02:58...just over our goal time...if you would have seen the last 3 miles you would understand why! It was a great course...lots of scenery...just a lot of hills! I did learn one very important lesson during my run...I don't EVER want to do a Full Marathon...those people are crazy(excluding my awesome running buddies who have done multiple marathons)! Here are my results along with my friends results.

ASHLEY TROTTER (Half) | Bib #14012 | GRIFFIN, GA - USA | Age 27 | F
START 10K FINISH
7:06:28 AM EST 59:48 2:02:58
TIME Chip Time: 2:02:58 Clock: 2:05:45 Pace: 9:22
Place Overall: 1969 Gender: 689 Division: 207

ANGELA HILL (Half) | Bib #12150 | GRIFFIN, GA - USA | Age 44 | F
START 10K FINISH
7:06:27 AM EST 59:49 2:01:53
TIME Chip Time: 2:01:53 Clock: 2:04:39 Pace: 9:17
Place Overall: 1817 Gender: 627 Division: 143

AMANDA FRANKLIN (Half) | Bib #15552 | GRIFFIN, GA - USA | Age 34 | F
START 10K FINISH
59:49 2:03:09
TIME Chip Time: 2:03:09 Clock: 2:05:57 Pace: 9:23
Place Overall: 1986 Gender: 697 Division: 288

STEPHANIE MILLER (Half) | Bib #13516 | GRIFFIN, GA - USA | Age 34 | F
START 10K FINISH
7:06:28 AM EST 59:50 2:03:10
TIME Chip Time: 2:03:10 Clock: 2:05:56 Pace: 9:23
Place Overall: 1983 Gender: 695 Division: 286

SUSAN SCANLON (Half) | Bib #14227 | GRIFFIN, GA - USA | Age 37 | F
START 10K FINISH
7:06:27 AM EST 59:50 2:03:11
TIME Chip Time: 2:03:11 Clock: 2:05:56 Pace: 9:23
Place Overall: 1985 Gender: 696 Division: 287

Emma Grace Counts to Ten

2007-02-28T12:52:00.000-11:00

Here is a video clip we took of Emma Grace tonight counting to ten. As you can hear she is not real sure what comes after six and in between eight...so she just makes something up. Enjoy!

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Bedtime Chat

2007-02-02T15:46:00.000-11:00

Check out this video of Emma Grace talking and doing animals sounds while getting ready for bed...Also check out the update with pics underneath.

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Update

2007-02-02T04:33:00.000-11:00

It's been a while since we did a true Trotter Family Update...so here goes...Emma Grace is doing very well. It is hard to believe that she will be two in just three and a half months. I get a little teary eyed everytime I think about it! My baby is getting so big. She is very active and talking up a storm. Its as if one day she just woke up and could say so many words. I definately think going to "school" has helped build her vocabulary. She really enjoys going to "school" now. She gets very excited upon arrival. I think it's because she knows its time to eat...or as she says..."eat eat". She goes to school most days and I pick her up after nap time. As some of you know I did not return to radiography school after Christmas break. I really enjoyed being at Grady, but I decided that radiology wasn't for me and that I just could not stand being away from my family so many hours a week. So I am now applying to nursing school which is closer to home (I have an entrance exam today) and looking for a part time job. This is why we decided to keep Emma Grace in "school", we didn't want her to have to readjust later. Ben is also doing very well...he is still enjoying his job of digging in the dirt. Here are some pictures that we have taken over the last month...I hope you enjoy them! Oh...and the potty picture...no she's not using it...she just likes to sit on it!

Your Beautiful

2007-01-17T10:38:00.000-11:00

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Emma Grace's 1st Christmas Pagent

2006-12-16T11:09:00.000-11:00

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The Picking of the Trotter "Great Tree"

2006-12-13T08:32:00.000-11:00

We went to get our Christmas tree a couple of Saturdays ago. While at the Christmas tree farm the dreaded stomach virus hit little Emma Grace and the next week hit the rest of the family. Luckily we are all better now and enjoying the Christmas season. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends.

First Haircut

2006-12-13T08:19:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace finally got her first haircut last Friday. As you can see by the pictures she doesn't really like to sit still, but she did very well.

A Quick Update

2006-11-12T10:11:00.000-11:00

We have been very busy around the Trotter household lately. With me (Ashley) back in school and gone 50 to 60 hours a week we try to cherish every moment we have together. It has been a VERY hard transition, but we are doing our best! Emma Grace is doing much better in daycare and maybe one day I will do better with leaving her(but I doubt it!). Here are some pictures of things that we did this past month.

Lazy Days

2006-10-11T13:54:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace had an experience that I nor Ashley got to experience when we were growing up. She got to go on 2 vacations in one year. She spent 2 weeks at the beach this year courtesy of her grammie and granddaddy Trotter. Her mom and dad of course had to chaperone this vacation with her so as to make sure she was having as much fun as possible. Her aunt Paige and uncle Eric even came down to help supervise. It was a relaxing trip for us simply b/c we didn't really have to play the full time parent role (feeding, changing diapers, bathtime, etc.) since her grand parents and aunt were so eager to jump right in and help. We did however verify that Emma Grace does not like the beach but really likes the swimming pool. I don't know what the difference is to her but maybe she is intimidated by the oceans size vs. the pool. I know it will take some time so I guess we will have to try again next year! I don't think she will mind.

Emma Grace 1- Day Care 0

2006-09-03T08:59:00.000-11:00

Ok, before I start, I must say that Emma Grace is not a rebellious child or even a terror but she did get kicked out of day care. As a dad, I look at this in two ways. One, I don't know what we are going to do for day care since Ashley starts school in 2 weeks and this really is causing a stress factor of exponential proportions for me. -And- Two, the "hey guess who's kid got kicked out of day care?" type of pride that you can impress your guy friends with as they high five you and then you assure them that she was kicked out for stealing other kids toys or smashing play dough in their face. Of course, she is not that way at all. She just had a hard first 3 weeks and I am not sure that the lady that was keeping her was giving her what she needed as far as helping her transition into this new environment. That is just my take on it though. So, now we are faced with a new challenge that comes along with parenting and also learning a new side to parenting in which we have to come up with a plan in the event the first one breaks down...and do it without disrupting the flow of everyday life. I am certain that it will work out. We will have a week at the beach to let it all sink in. IF anyone knows anyone in the Griffin-McDonough area that keeps children, let us know.

Day Care Woes

2006-08-14T03:30:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace started day care last week. I will be starting school full time the end of September so we are trying to get her acclimated to her new environment. Right now she is only going 3 half days. In saying this...she is home sick today with a cold after only her first week. I know this is something we will all have to get use to, but none of us are liking it right now! Here is a picture of how we both felt on her first day...

My Little Princess

2006-08-14T03:02:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace went to her cousin Aubrey's birthday party this weekend. It was a princess theme party. Emma Grace dressed as a Barbie Princess courtesy of one of my "running buddies"(as Ben likes to call them). I had to make a few minor adjustments to the costume to make it fit, but she loved it. She ran around non stop the entire party, and did not care much for Cinderella!

Princess Emma Grace

On the way to the party

Emma Grace and Cinderella

The great ice cream social disaster...(or) Emma's scary ice cream machine

2006-07-16T08:48:00.000-11:00

Someone famous, although I am not sure who, once said,"the quickest way to lose your ice cream freezer canister, is to take it to an ice cream social". Pretty deep huh? Due to this phenomenon, we had to rig our ice cream freezer so that we could make ice cream. It was Emma's first home made ice cream experience. It nearly scared the diaper off of her.

Emma Grace's 1st Birthday

2006-06-05T13:42:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace celebrated her 1st birthday on May 16th. She had a great time and received all kinds of cool toys and pretty outfits. Here are some pictures of her on her birthday and pictures at her birthday party at Gran and Poppa's house.

Tasting her yummy cake

My 1st Birthday

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of her guests

Going for a ride in her new car

Posing with Mommy and Daddy

Happy Mothers day!

2006-05-14T07:06:00.000-11:00

Today is Emma Grace's first mothers day and also Ashley's first being Emma Grace's
"mommy"! I just wanted to pay special tribute to her. As I have watched Ashley over the months, I have realized that her being a mommy is really quite a challenge and a reward for her. She always seems to know what to say or do at the right moment for Emma Grace. The thing is, I know its part instinct and all gift but I am still amazed at the fact that the woman I married is not just a great wife and friend, she is genuinely a great mother. She has helped me be a better dad just by letting me watch how she handles situations. Emma Grace loves her and that says enough but to see her handle the daily, sometimes not so blissful, things that occur while raising a child, you would think that she has been doing it forever. I think the times that she is frustrated are the times that I have been challenged to learn so that I can do my duty as a father. That is why this is a tribute to her. Happy Mothers day to you!

My Little Walker

2006-05-11T07:32:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace took her first steps (without holding onto anything) yesterday. She was so excited and proud of herself. Everytime she walks she starts giggling because she thinks it is so much fun. I think our world just changed again!

Check out the flickr badge to the right to see a few photos of vacation...

Watch Out Destin...Here Comes Emma Grace

2006-04-27T04:26:00.000-11:00

We are leaving Sunday to go to the beach for a couple of days...just me, Ben, and Emma Grace. I know what your thinking...I've heard it several times already..."ya'll are taking her by yourselves??"...The answer is Yes...we are the brave parents of an 11 1/2 month old adventurer. These days Emma Grace is "walking" everywhere...when I say "walking" I mean holding on to anything and everything and "walking" from place to place. What this means is...she doesn't want to be held or helped very much anymore. This new found freedom of hers has also led to some new personality traits...if you know what I mean...So watch out Destin...here comes Emma Grace! The following are pictures of Emma Grace trying to learn to feed herself and her on the move...

Emma Grace's 1st Easter

2006-04-17T03:42:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace had a great first Easter. We spent Saturday with Ben's parents and Sunday we went to church and to my parents house for lunch. Emma Grace had a blast both days. She received 3 Easter baskets, 6 Easter bunnies, 6 books, and some candy...oh wait...that was mine and Ben's :) We read her a book to tell her what Easter is really about...she liked the pictures! We know that right now she doesn't really understand what's going on...or the difference between the easter bunny and Jesus...but we will continue to read this book to her year after year...and one day she will understand.

Here are a few Easter pictures...to see more click on the picures to the right. We hope you all had as nice of a Easter as we did!

A Mover And A Shaker...

2006-04-14T13:36:00.000-11:00

That is what I have been calling Emma Grace this week. In one weeks time she has gone from crawling a little and cruising some to crawling and cruising everywhere. The days of sitting her in the middle of the floor with a toy are long gone...I tried it...she ended up right behind me! The following are some pictures that I took this week. The first one is the view that I see the most of these days...

A Mother and Her Daughter

2006-04-06T02:44:00.000-11:00

Someone once told me that being a mother was one of the greatest gifts God could give someone. I have to say that I agree. Emma Grace is quickly approaching her 1st birthday which means I have been a mother for almost a year now. It has been the best year of my life. I've smiled more than I have ever smiled, I've laughed more than I have ever laughed, and I've cried more than I've ever cried. Being a mother has also given me a new appreciation for my husband. There is something about watching the man you love be so kind, gentle, and sometimes down right silly because he is so in love with his little girl. As we grow up most of dream of having the "perfect" life with the "perfect" family. When we are grown we realize "perfect" doesn't exist, but in my world I've got all I've ever wanted.

Emma's "Babbling Brook"

2006-03-18T04:56:00.000-11:00

I figured that it was time to update the blog. The past few weeks have been filled to the hilt with new things that Emma has decided to start doing. She 'babbles' all the time. Not just any old babble, this is multi-syllable babble. It doesn't sound like much but I think I heard her ask me to put a tv in her room...it was sort of "aaayaaayaawannatvayyyaaammnn!" She has found that if she moves her fingers in unison, she can wave "bye bye" to herself. I don't know if this is how it is learned or if she just has a high opinion of herself. Actually, we have been teaching this to her for a while and she finally did it only her hand faces the wrong direction. It is cute none the less. During the same week, she decided that walking was a fun way to make mommy and daddy's back hurt. She is learning to walk a little. She loves this so much that it seems like she wants to do it all the time. I won't complain though, pretty soon she will be walking all the time and she will not be reaching for my fingers to hold on to so I will not rush it. She can however, stand in one spot by herself with no help and not fall down. Maybe its just me, but I am totally amazed by this. Its not that I think its odd, I just figured that she wouldn't be able to do it so fast. Emma Grace also has learned that her dad's head is funny looking and when he bends over she just laughs hysterically. I am glad that I can provide a little humor for her. Her personality has changed from one of dependence to more independent but she will remind you that she still needs you if you are gone too long. I wish that she would remain this way because I am having such a great time. WARNING! Sappy dad line ahead.......Being a dad is the greatest thing that has happend to me in a while.

Here she is at 10 months old.

"Hey"...its the universal word for Daddy(&Mommy)

2006-02-24T17:33:00.000-11:00

Actually, in our house its the universal word for a lot of things. By the way, its my turn to write something in this blog thing. I had to get Ashley to give up the password. I think she was afraid that I might embarrass her with my "mad" blogging skills...what ever that means. Anyway, Emma Grace has started speaking. "Hey" is her "word". She uses it to describe her world. It is not uncommon for the monitor to go off anytime she is in bed. While we lay there in ours, out of the blue you sometimes will hear, "Hey". At breakfast, lunch and dinner you will hear it. When someone leaves, she tells them good bye by telling them "hey". I have heard that a baby must hear a word 72 times to somewhat understand or begin saying it. Well, I have said Daddy to her 772 times and I am her "hey". I am proud to be that also. I am blessed everyday when I see her smile back and me and utter that key phrase that has become so endearing to us.

It's Been A While...

2006-02-20T10:59:00.000-11:00

I know it's been a while since I last updated our blog. I'm back in school full-time and it tends to take up all of my 'free' time. I will try to do better...

Emma Grace is doing well...she turned 9 months old last Thursday the 16th. I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast. She is becoming more and more rambunctious every day. She is very active and always wants to play and jump. Unfortunately this excitement has carried over into the nighttime hours...she has stopped sleeping through the night...we have always been the 'lucky ones'...she began sleeping through the night somewhere around the 8 week mark. However, for some unknown reason she has now decided that 3 a.m. is her favorite play time! I always felt sorry for 'those' parents...we have now become 'those' parents! We're hoping its temporary!

Teething Times

2006-01-08T15:01:00.000-11:00

I read an article that said the signs of teething may include: poor mood, chewing of objects, and excess salivation. Do you think they are right?? Emma Grace cut her two bottom teeth at 4 months and is currently working on her two top teeth and one bottom lateral incisor.

Emma Grace's 1st Christmas

2005-12-27T14:09:00.000-11:00

Emma Grace had an awesome Christmas...and so did her Mommy and Daddy. We were reminded once again of the best present we have ever received...our beautiful baby girl! We hope you all had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did and we wish you all a Happy New Year. Here are some of our favorite pictures from Christmas...we hope you enjoy them.

I love Christmas!

Is this present mine too?

Is it still Christmas??

So many toys...so little time

Emma Grace and Mommy on Christmas Eve @ Grandparent Trotter's

Watch Me Grow

2005-12-20T07:54:00.000-11:00

Look How Emma Grace has Grown:

3-D Ultrasound

2/2/2005

Birthday

5/16/2005

12/9/2005

Our First Post

2005-12-20T05:08:00.000-11:00

Here is Emma Grace enjoying a bath...I can hardly believe that she is seven months old...and that it has taken me this long to get a site set up for her...I will try to do better! I hope everyone enjoys the site...feel free to leave comments - Ashley