Joe, Holly & Emma Katherine

Happy Mothers Day...almost

2009-05-09T21:31:00.010-04:00

Happy almost Mothers Day! Joe has to work tomorrow, so today was my Mothers Day. We had a busy day that started off with taking Emma to a bowling birthday party for her friend Shawn. This was Emma's first time bowling and she did great! She loved rolling the ball.

After the party, we came home and played outside in our yard for a bit then got ready to go to dinner. Joe took us to a new restaurant here in Annapolis called Gordon Biersh. After dinner, we walked around the Annapolis Towne Center and Emma had a blast running all around. We had a wonderful evening!

Weekend Getaway

2009-04-08T09:04:00.015-04:00

This past weekend, Joe and I had a chance to get away, sans Emma. We wanted to go somewhere close, yet just far enough, so we decided to go to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms and Monuments. We chose to stay at a lovely new hotel in Old Town Alexandria called The Lorien. The rooms were posh and chic and nestled on the popular King Street in Town. We were lucky enough to spend 2 wonderful days together taking in fantastic food and beautiful sights and all within 45 minutes of our own home. We took a Monuments by Water cruise where we were able to see the sights from the Potomac river. It's nice to be able to get away and reconnect. Here are some pictures of our weekend.

Our room at the Lorien:

The Lincoln Memorial as seen from the Potomac:
The dome of the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument as we approached DC from Alexandria:
The Kennedy Center:
The view of the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:
Joe and I on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:

The Jefferson Memorial, some Cherry Blossoms, and TONS of people on the steps of the memorial:

More Cherry Blossoms and the sea of people that came to see them:The Capital as seen from the foot of the Washington Monument:

My Mischevious Monkey

2009-03-14T16:34:00.001-04:00

Emma is now 15 months old going on 5 years old. She is a firecracker and quite the independant. Just recently she has taken to climbing into and onto anything she can. I caught her this morning climbing into her toy box despite my telling her no and that she shouldn't be doing it. While I was trying to be serious about telling her not to climb into her toys, I had to chuckle to myself...I hope you enjoy the video. What a wonder she is!

Snow Day

2009-03-02T17:21:00.009-05:00

Well March roared in like a lion with a Noreaster dropping about 7 inches of snow on us. Thankfully, Joe is off work on Mondays so we didn't have to worry about him having to fight the roads. This was Emma's first REAL snow, so we decided to bundle up and head out for a bit. The pictures say it all:

We're going to do what Mom?

I don't think I like this:

No way! Get me out of here!Even Daddy couldn't make it better:

A view of our backyard:Snow is fine to look at from the nice warm house, but as you can see, Emma was less than thrilled with the idea of being out in it. Maybe next year she will enjoy it more. Hopefully you had a fun snow day as well.

Wii got a Wii!

2009-02-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

While we may be the last family around to get one, we finally took the plunge and bought a Wii complete with the Wii Fit. Most times, Joe and I will play while Emma naps or is in bed for the evening, however Joe was playing one day while Emma was awake. She was at first very observant as to what her daddy was doing, but she soon became interested and wanted to try too. So with a little help from her Daddy, here is Emma doing the Wii Fit Hula Hoop. So cute!

Obamicon

2009-01-20T21:22:00.003-05:00

In honor of our new president, I decided to have some fun with obamicon.me.
In all seriousness, this truly is a historic day, and I for one, am so excited! For the first time in awhile, I feel hopeful. Hopeful that change truly will come. I am proud to be an American and I welcome this new administration. Congratulations President Obama!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T20:48:00.017-05:00

It's hard to believe this was technically Emma's second Christmas. Everything about it mirrored a first...her wonder at seeing a Christmas tree in with all its lights and shiny ornaments and her curosity peaked at the beautifully wrapped packages beneath the tree. But it was indeed her second Christmas. Unfortunately, Joe had to work Christmas day, so Emma and I headed over to my parents house to hang out until Joe got off work and would meet us there for Christmas dinner and presents. Emma made out like a bandit with great toys and pretty clothes and while Joe and I really didn't exchange gifts this year, the best gift we could give to each other was being together and watching our daughter enjoy all the wonder that is this season. Feeling a little nostalgic, here is a picture of us last year... a family of 3 for a mere 12 days:and a picture of our best present last year:

Now for this year. Here is Emma all dressed up for Christmas Eve services at church:

Emma enjoying some of her new presents:

Hello? Santa? The Christmas Ham:Me and my baby girl:Emma checking out the Christmas tree:
And here we are, a family of 3 for 1 year and 12 days. What a difference a year makes.

I hope your Christmas was filled with wonder and we send you best wishes for 2009.

Jitterbug

2008-12-18T21:25:00.001-05:00

Today we were watching Happy Feet and Emma decided to dance along with the penguins. This kid is too much. She brings a smile to our faces everyday!

Little Lawnmower

2008-12-18T21:23:00.001-05:00

Emma got this cute lawnmower for her birthday and she plays with it all the time. I love her little giggle at the start of the video. Enjoy!

It's the Big ONE!

2008-12-15T18:45:00.023-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been a whole year, but indeed it has. This past Saturday, we celebrated Emma's First Birthday. We had a lovely party with family and friends and overall, Emma did very well considering we partied right through her nap time.

As a child, my mother made and decorated all of my birthday cakes, so I felt compelled to do the same for my baby girl. I found a great cake pan in the shape of a #1 and with a little help from Betty Crocker, we had a wonderful cake!

I also made some fancy cupcakes as well. The one with the candle on top was Emma's special cake to eat...more on that later.

Having a December baby born a mere 12 days before Christmas, I wanted to keep the colors as far away from Christmas as possible, so we went with a bright pink and orange. We had a lovely array of food and the centerpiece was a photo frame of pictures of Emma from birth throughout her first year.

After eating lunch, we sang happy birthday to our girl and gave her a cupcake to enjoy. She did not have the traditional reaction to this as most kids:

After cleaning her up a bit, she realized that she could eat this messy treat and it was pretty good! We then had a change in reaction:

So as you can see a fun time was had by all and here we are a family of 3 for one year:

To view all the pictures from Emma's big day click here:

Emma's First Steps!

2008-11-17T18:20:00.001-05:00

While crawling is still her primary mode of transportation, our busy baby has taken her first steps!! It is so exciting to see Emma learn new things and how proud she is of her progress. At the rate she is going, we will have a full time walker by Thanksgiving! Look out world! Here comes Emma!

'Hope' - Let's help Obama

2008-11-13T20:46:00.001-05:00

Politics is normally a topic I try to avoid while in mixed company, but my sister in law posted this to her facebook, and I was really moved by this.

Barack Obama was indeed my choice for president and he did receive my vote. This video however is not a slap in the face to McCain or a "Go Obama Go", but simply the truth of the change our country so desperately needs and how it cannot be in the hands of our new president alone, but it rests in our hands as well, as the great United States of America. So wether or not Barack Obama was your choice for president, he has been chosen by the people to serve. Please pray for him and for our country for the next 4 years. Pray that we can make a dent in the mess that has become our great nation. Together, we can change the world. With God, All things are possible. Thanks for sharing this again Lease!

Finally...some Halloween Pictures

2008-11-11T13:19:00.009-05:00

Sorry this is coming a little late, but things have been rather hectic lately. Emma was a lady bug for Halloween and while we didn't take her trick or treating, we did dress her up and go to Grammy's. Getting these pictures was quite a task since our little lady was getting quite tired. Maybe next year will be easier and more fun for all. Enjoy the pictures of our little lady bug.

A Note from Emma

2008-10-30T17:06:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! I see Mommy blogging alot, so I decided that since this is our family blog, I would go ahead and try to post myself! This is alot of fun. I love to use the laptop. Mommy took some pictures of me while I was writing this post so you can see just how cute I am! I love you all and hope to see you soon.

Love,

Emma

Tag. I'm it!

2008-10-09T15:27:00.005-04:00

I've been tagged in an "about you" survey blog by my cousin in law, Josie. Enjoy getting to know a few little known facts about me.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was 17 years old and in my senior year of high school. I was applying to colleges and dealing with boyfriend drama. Nothing out of the ordinary for a high school senior.

2. What are 5 things on my "to do" list today?
Go to the post office to mail 2 presents
Clean up the house a bit
Conference call for work
Make dinner
Watch Grey's Anatomy
Exciting I know...

3. What are my 5 favorite snacks?
Tostitos and queso
Cereal
Ice Cream
Yogurt
Cookies
Healthy isn't it?

4. What 5 things would I do if I were a millionaire?
Pay off debt
Buy 2 new cars
Donate to the MS Society for research of the cause and cure for MS
Save for Emma's wedding and college
Renovate my house

5. 5 places I have lived?
I have only lived in 2 places:
Bowie, MD (with mom and dad)
Gambrills, MD (with Joe)

6. 5 jobs I've had?

Adventure World ( Previously Wild World, Currently Six Flags) as a Water Attendant. Basically, I stood at the tops of water slides and told people when they could go. Hey, at least I got a great tan!
Hallmark as a cashier/merchandiser. I worked here there for 5 years and loved it!
Suburban Federal Savings Bank as a teller to start then worked my way up to Assistant manager and manager. I worked here for 5 years also.
M&T Bank as a Relationship Liason...which means glorified secretary. I worked there for about 4 months.
National MS Society Maryland Chapter as a Community Development Coordinator. I work to educate and raise awareness of MS and recruit volunteers and sponsorship for local events. I am still currently working there and have been there for almost 2 years.

So now maybe you feel like you know me a little better? Thanks Josie, this was something fun and out of the ordinary for me.

Now I tag (if you want to participate)
Kristen C.
Laura T.

Daddy's Little Girl

2008-10-05T14:41:00.002-04:00

This is now my new favorite picture! There is something so special about Daddies and their little girls. I love these two!

God is Good!

2008-10-01T20:00:00.002-04:00

Every 6 months, Joe returns to Johns Hopkins for follow up for his MS. Today we went and spent a very long day, but it was all worth it.

I dropped Joe off at 9am this morning where he would undergo 2 hours of MRI's. He would then have his normal neurology exam with his doctor and I planned to meet him back at the outpatient center at 11am to accompany him to this appointment. While Joe was having his MRI, Emma and I sat and had breakfast at Panera at the Inner Harbor. After breakfast, we made our way back to Hopkins and met up with Joe and went on to his appointment.

Much to our delight, the radiologist had already read his MRI's from the morning and they were in the computer to view and compare during his neuro exam. In comparing all his MRI's from the past through today, they have all steadily improved with today's being the best. We were thrilled to see that there are no new lesions, and that some of the old lesions have disappeared!!! Joe's doctor was very happy to see the improvement and said that it's very rare to see lesions disappear. Joe now only has a couple "old spots" that are just remnants from the initial attack he suffered in December 2005. All this means that there has been no new activity in over 18 months! We have been told that he is in the very early stages of his MS and all looks great.

What an answer to prayer!! I would like to thank all of you who are faithful to pray for Joe and his health and I ask that you would continue to do so. We truly feel that it is prayer and the hand of our Lord that has blessed us to this extent. I am so glad to share this news!!

Neat Video

2008-09-19T11:29:00.001-04:00

My mom forwarded this to me in an email, and while I am not big on forwards, I thought this was too cool not to share. Enjoy!

Halloween Preview

2008-09-17T11:28:00.006-04:00

I have been looking for the perfect costume for Emma's first Halloween and I have found a couple that were great, but the prices are not so great. I cannot justify spending $30 for something she is only going to wear for an hour...even if it is a piggy costume. So, my mom and I checked out a great gently used childrens store by our home, and we found a great costume with an even better price... $5.00! You can't argue with that!

While the costume itself is cute on the hanger, it became 10 times cuter once Emma tried it on. So, without further ado, here is a sneak peek at our "little lady's" first Halloween costume. Would you give candy to this little bug?

Strike a Pose

2008-09-15T17:09:00.007-04:00

Did I mention how much of a ham my daughter is?

How can you not love that face?

Emma on the Move!

2008-09-12T17:01:00.001-04:00

As promised, here is our little girl on the move! Emma will be 9 months old tomorrow, and she is crawling, cruising, waving hi and bye bye,claps her hands, plays So Big, and points to pictures and everything else. It's so hard to believe that she is 9 months old already! While part of me is weepy and missing my sweet tiny little baby, I am filled with pride to see how much she has grown and developed into the little firecracker that she is. She makes her daddy and I so proud with all that she can do. While some days are indeed a challenge, we still fall more in love with our little lady everyday.

New Blog Layout

2008-09-10T10:41:00.004-04:00

I decided to spice up our blog layout after being turned on to this website from a friend. Thanks Beck!

Stay tuned for a new post with our girl CRAWLING!

It's Fun to be One!

2008-08-25T21:35:00.010-04:00

This past weekend was not only my birthday, but we also celebrated with our neice Elle at her First Birthday Party! Elle's real birthday is August 26th, but we celebrated on the 23rd at her home in Sperryville Virginia. It has been an exciting year for Elle and she has grown so much. She is such a happy girl and smiles all the time! She is the light of our lives and a special addition to our family. Happy Birthday Elle! We love you so much!

Here are some pictures from the day:

The Birthday Girl:

Emma wearing her party Hat:

Emma and Elle playing together:

Singing Happy Birthday to Elle:

Elle eating her cake:

Mommy and Emma at the end of the party:

8 Months Old

2008-08-13T16:45:00.008-04:00

It's hard to believe, but Emma is 8 months old today! Our girl has 7 teeth, is army crawling, pulls to stand, claps her hands, waves bye bye, and giggles all the time! We celebrated her 8 month birthday a little early since the weather was so nice on Monday, and made a trip to the park with Daddy! Emma enjoyed playing on the swings and even took a little trip down the slide...with Daddy's help. Then we took a nice walk down a quiet shaded trail. What a fun day!

Playtime at the Park

2008-07-28T18:32:00.008-04:00

Today, my mom and I took Emma to the park for the first time. We strolled around the pond, then decided to let Emma swing in the baby swings. She wasn't too sure about things at first, but there was another little boy not much older than her having a blast in the swing next to her, so she figured it couldn't be that bad. Here are a couple pictures of her time at the park.

Here is Emma checking out the little boy swinging next to her...if he can do it, it can't be that bad, can it??

Every time I would push her and the swing would swing forward, she made this face:

But she eventually warmed up to the idea and had a good time:
It was a nice day at the park and we look forward to going again soon!

Crawling?

2008-07-16T11:07:00.001-04:00

As you can see, turning 7 months old brought on some new things in our house. It won't be long now before Emma is really on the move!

Just Pictures

2008-07-09T18:03:00.009-04:00

The other day, I decided to bombard my daughter with my own mini photo shoot. Here are some shots I got. I was impressed to see how well the trees from our backyard showed in the background.
Our girl is getting so big and she gets more beautiful everyday. She truly is my heart and soul and there is no greater joy than being her Mom.

Just Beachy

2008-06-30T13:47:00.019-04:00

Last week, we took our first vacation as a family of 3 to Bethany Beach. We rented a house in South Bethany where we spent the week with friends and family.

I have to say that vacations certainly are different when children are in the mix. For starters, our truck was packed to the ceiling with stuff. In the days where it was just the 2 of us, Joe and I would each have one bag and off we would go. We are now toting, our 1 bag each as well as a pack n play, toys, books, blankie, and anything else that can help recreate home to make time away easier for our little one.

We learned very quickly that we cannot just drag our daughter all over the place to shopping, restaurants, long days on the beach and all the other vacation festivities and ignore nap schedules and all schedule that she is used to. We spent most nights waking with our little girl every hour as she would wake up crying from an unfamiliar environment and just being overtired in general.

While the vacation was not easy or relaxing, it was still nice to get away and of course get some great pictures of our cute little baby decked out in her beach gear.

We're on our way!

Our dog Teddy came with us. As you can see, we hit some traffic at the Bay Bridge:Uncle Tom and Aunt Lisa brought a pool for the girls to play in. Emma and her cousin Elle loved it:

My little beach babe:My friend Jamie and her family met up with us for lunch...Emma took a liking to her son John:

Joe's brother Tom and his family came to join us mid week. Here is all of us just as we were leaving:

Click here to see all of our pictures from the week: http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc226/hbn822/Bethany%20Beach%2008/?albumview=slideshow&start=80

6 months old

2008-06-18T17:48:00.003-04:00

Emma is now 6 months old! It's so hard to believe that she has been in our lives for half a year already. We went to the doctor's for her 6 month well child check-up today and she did GREAT.

Emma is now 15 pounds 13 ounces (50th percentile) and she is 26.75 inches long (85th percentile). She has hit all her milestones including sitting alone, and rolling in both directions. She was labeled as " a strong and healthy girl". She got 3 shots today and is a little clingly to Mommy, but still in good spirits.

Today Emma also tried squash for the first time and loved it. She would smack her lips and say "mmm" after each bite. HOW CUTE?! We feel truly blessed to have a healthy happy little girl!

Here is a picture of her playing with her blocks on her half birthday:

Friends Forever

2008-06-10T21:29:00.001-04:00

Emma and Teddy have been friends from the start. As you can see they interact very well together. Note how well Emma sits on her own now.

Mama got a new hairdo

2008-06-09T21:50:00.003-04:00

Becoming a Mama not only brought me unspeakable love and joy, it also brought about major hair loss. Also, Emma is at the age where she likes to pull hair, so today, I went and got a new haircut. I feel like a new lady!

Playing Catch Up

2008-06-03T10:48:00.026-04:00

I know its been awhile since my last post, so I have quite a bit to catch everyone up on. The weekend of May 17th, we took a trip down to Virginia to celebrate Joe's dad's (Grandpa Crosley) 70th birthday. It was nice to have the whole family together. We got to see our nephew Devlin who lives in Brooklin New York. It's hard to believe he and Emma were born in the same year! We had a good time overall and here are a few pictures of our weekend:

Elle and Emma hanging out in the wagon:

Me Emma and Elle:

Dev taking the girls for a ride in the wagon:

Joe took a little kayak trip down the river by his brother Tom's house:

Devlin looking through the screen door:

Grandma and Grandpa Crosley with their 3 grandchildren...all born in 2007!
Emma getting a big hug from her Cousin Devlin:
The family:

So that was our weekend in VA. Now an Emma update: she now has 2 teeth, rolls over in both directions, and sits on her own! We have also started her on rice cereal once a day and she does great with it! Here are just a few pictures of Emma in her 5th month:

Emma decided the laptop looked yummy:
My Happy Girl:
Playing in her exersaucer: Loves the remote:
Piano Time with Daddy:
So I think that catches everyone up for now. I promise to do better at updating the blog. I know you all need your Emma fix!

5 Months

2008-05-13T15:49:00.005-04:00

We have been a family of 3 for 5 months today. It has been quite a ride! Emma is now around 15 pounds and about 25.5 inches long. (Mommy's own guesstimate measurements) She has 1 tooth and a second one breaking though any day. She has just today learned to roll from back to belly...of course she does it when Mommy isn't looking. I went to get her up from her nap and there she was on her tummy. She coos, chats and makes funny faces and sounds. While not all days are perfect, we are doing the best we know how in love. Over all she is a happy baby so I guess we are doing ok! Here are a couple pictures of Emma in her new baseball cap that Grammy N. got her and her new shades. If you look closely, you can see her tooth in the first picture:

This last one is blurry but still cute:

Cool Emma

2008-05-06T22:17:00.006-04:00

Joe went to Disney World on a little vacation with his friends. He brought Emma back these cool shades with Minnie Mouse on the bottom corner of the lens...check out our cool kid:

And she wears them on her head too...just like her Mama.

Looks like we are all set for the beach in June. Emma will be the hippest baby on the beach!

You might be a redneck if...

2008-05-06T22:14:00.006-04:00

You let your baby ride a big lawn tractor...

A Week of Firsts

2008-04-28T20:09:00.005-04:00

This past week has been a week of firsts for our sweet girl. Emma has cut her first tooth...yes I said tooth, and yes she is only 4 months old. I have been trying to get a good picture of the little chomper with no avail. I will keep trying and update if I can get a good shot.

The other first happenend this morning; Emma rolled over from her tummy to her back. I have posted before about how much Emma hates tummy time, and today was no different. I had her down on her playmat on her tummy and she began to scream. I think she rolled over in sheer anger, since she was screaming and red in the face the entire time and I have yet to see it again today, but oh well, she did it!!

Our little girl is so strong and is starting to try to sit on her own! She will lift her head and chest when laying on her back. She will also pull herself to a stand when you sit her up. She is really starting to show us her personality and desire for more independance. She is a spitfire just like her Mama!

Here is a picture of her from the other day... bribed with a book to get much needed Tummy Time. Enjoy!

Book Worm

2008-04-18T20:39:00.015-04:00

We have been reading books to Emma since she was about 3 months old and she has really taken an interest in them. She can sit content just to look through them cooing and batting at the new world each page lays before her. This is also a great way for us to get her the Tummy Time she needs minus the meltdown! Enjoy!

Baby's Got Talent

2008-04-14T10:58:00.005-04:00

Emma can grab her footsies now and makes spit bubbles.

Spring Has Sprung

2008-04-11T21:23:00.006-04:00

Spring is officially here. The trees are in beautiful bloom and the new life of spring can be seen everywhere you go. At work we are entering into the last of the MS Walks this weekend and I had to go to Waldorf today to mark the route for tomorrows walk. Part of the route is around a pond, and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of Emma and I with such a beautiful backdrop. Enjoy!

2008 MS Walk

2008-04-07T12:20:00.013-04:00

On Sunday, our family participated in the 2008 MS Walk in Annapolis. This is our 3rd year walking. The weather was less than ideal with cold wind and rain, but I am proud to say that we had almost 900 people participate in this years walk. Had the weather been better, we would have brought Emma out too, but it was just too nasty. Grammy Nicholas was nice enough to stay home with her where she could stay warm and dry.

I would like to thank everyone who participated and who raised money, and to all who donated to us. We are so blessed to have such great friends and family who care so deeply about our cause. With your help, our team raised $4175.00 as of yesterday.

Every year at the walks, one person is chosen to be the Walk Ambassador. This year, Joe was chosen. He gave a lovely speech at the start of the walk and got to cut the ribbon at the start line. Here are just a couple pictures that my sister- in- law took.

Joe giving his speech:And they're off: Joe and his brother Tom:
Our Neice Elle...braving the cold and rain to support her Uncle Joe:

Thank you again to everyone who was part of our team. We are so thankful for each and every one of you. Thanks for putting us one step closer to a world free of MS!!

Picture Perfect

2008-03-24T16:34:00.024-04:00

Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to have some family photos taken. The session was a gift to me at my baby shower. A friend of mine hired a photographer to shoot my baby shower and take some maternity portraits and then come do a family shoot once baby made 3. The pictures turned out nicely...you couldn't tell that between shots our dear daughter had a major meltdown complete with screaming, arching backs and all. There were 95 pictures taken in all, but here are just a few of our favorites. Enjoy!!

Emma's Baptism

2008-03-16T19:09:00.013-04:00

Today we had our sweet girl baptized. We were so blessed to have both sets of grandparents, aunts,uncles, cousins from both sides, and dear friends share in Emma's special day.

Emma looked beautiful in her Christening gown and did not cry at all when the pastor sprinkled the holy water on her head. After a great service, we had a reception at our home. It was so nice to have family all together.

A special thank you to my cousin Shannon for being my photographer, and to my sister in law Lisa for forwarding her pictures along to me. Please enjoy some pictures:

The ceremony:

Holy Water:

Big eyes:Going home to party- The cross was made from the palm branch for Palm Sunday service:

The Cake:

Emma with Mommy, Aunt Lisa, and her cousin Elle:

Sweet Dreams

2008-03-06T16:13:00.007-05:00

Lullabye, and Goodnight. Emma now sleeps through the night...in her own room!!!! It has been about 2-3 weeks now and I feel like a new woman. Our little lamb goes down around 9:30pm and sleeps until between 7:30 and 8:30am!!! I have to admit that the first few nights she did this was scarey. I kept going in to check on her to make sure she was still breathing. So while Emma was sleeping away all night long, I was still waking up every 2-4 hours! I am now finally sleeping through the night again too and it's a beautiful thing. I never really realized how exhausted I was until I got a full 8 hours again. This mommy stuff is not for the weak!!

I realize its been a little while since my last post and I am sure you are all dying for more pictures. So without further ado...here is our sweet girl!

The tongue is always out these days:

A little smile:

More tummy time?

Well hello cute baby looking back at me in the mirror on my swing:

That's all for now. We had a family photo shoot this past monday so I will definitely be posting when I get the pics!!

2 and 2

2008-02-19T10:36:00.007-05:00

Well its been a week of 2's here in chez Crosley. On February 13th, Emma turned 2 months old and on February 18th, Joe and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary.

Poor Emma had her 2 month doctors appointment where she got 4 shots. She was so happy when we got there, smiling and cooing at the nurse and doctor, then all the sudden they stuck her with that first shot and her face went blank, stuck her bottom lip out and began to wail! As they continued to administer the shots, 1 after the other, my eyes began to well up. It was so hard to see my sweet baby cry like she did. Aside from all the shots, Emma is doing great. She is now 11lbs 2 oz and 23.5 inches long. She is in the 80th percentile for height and 70th percentile for weight. Looks like our girl is going to be long and lean like her daddy!

Once Emma was feeling better, Joe proceeded to give her her first piano lesson:

She seemed genuinely interested in the keys and the music Joe played for her...Do I see another Mozart???

So last night, Joe and I got all dolled up, dropped Emma off at Grammy's, and went to a lovely dinner at the Wild Orchid in Annapolis. The food was wonderful and the company even better. We had a great dinner and were able to reflect on the past 2 years as husband and wife. We really have accomplished alot and built a beautiful life together that only gets better everyday. What a blessing to share life with my best friend!!! Here's to us and our wonderful marriage. I look forward to sharing many more years together!

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T17:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentines Day! Lots of love to all of you!

First trip away from home!

2008-02-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we visited New York City in celebration of our nephew Devlin's Dedication. This was the first time we have traveled overnight as a family of 3. It was an interesting trip to say the least. Emma did great...it was Mommy who had a tough time! I had a hard time getting used to having to change Emma's diaper on the floor of unisex restrooms, having to squeeze through restaurants the size of tuna cans with an infant carrier and pray I didn't hit anyone or clear off their tables with my diaper bag. Needless to say, I am not cut out for the city. I am spoiled here in suburbia! Aside from all of that, it was WONDERFUL to have the family all together. This was the first time Emma met her Uncle Jim, Aunt Noreen, and cousin Devlin. The dedication ceremony was lovely and filled with close friends and family. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

All dressed up and ready to go:

Devlin was a little surprised when they sprinkled the water: Aunt Lisa and Cousin Elle:Mommy and Emma:Family: Cousins: Sleeping Cousins at Dinner:Self taken family shot in the hotel room:
So all in all we had a nice trip. I am still glad to be home!

Rock-a-bye Baby

2008-01-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

After months of reading reviews, looking in stores and online, I finally decided on a swing for Emma. My mom, AKA Grammy, said that she would buy Emma a swing for Christmas, but I just couldn't seem to find the perfect one. So earlier this week, Grammy, Emma and I went to buy the Fisher Price Papasan swing. So once I got home, I put the swing together and put Emma in to try it out. This swing is a MIRACLE!! If the child is the least bit upset or restless, we can pop her in her swing and she is out like a light in about 5 -10 minutes. Emma also enjoys relaxing in her swing and watching the mobile that has a mirror on it where she can see herself. She likes to talk to that super cute baby staring back at her. This swing has saved our lives. This house will never be without of D batteries again!!! Let's all take a moment to thank Grammy for her gift and subsequently rescuing us from many nights with a grizzly baby. Here are some pictures of our sweet girl in her new favorite toy:

Tummy Time

2008-01-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

You've probably heard that "tummy time" is important so that babies can learn to push up and eventually crawl, and tummy time is essential from day one. Experts find that babies who don't spend time face-down often have some delays in their development of motor skills. This time on the tummy helps babies learn to push up, roll over, sit up, crawl, and pull to a stand. So being the mother of the year that I am ( HA HA) of course I make sure Emma spends ample time on her tummy and up on my shoulder where she is forced to hold up her little head and strengthen her neck and shoulders. Things started out well:

But slowly started to crumble:

Until we hit meltdown:

So, as important as tummy time is, we have to do it in small doses. Oh well, at least she gets tummy time right? Feel free to pass along tips on how you make or made tummy time more enjoyable for your little ones.

Sweetest Smiles

2008-01-16T21:12:00.001-05:00

Emma gave me some beautiful smiles today! I think these were actually in response to me and not her normal sleep smiles. Here is our happy little girl with the sweetest smile I have ever seen.

One Month Check Up

2008-01-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

Our girl is one month old!! Hard to believe, but it's true. We took Emma to the doctors today for her 1 month check up. She did great! Emma now weighs 9 pounds 9 ounces and is 22 inches long. She is in the 50th percentile for height and 70th percentile for weight. The doctor said she is growing well and is pleased with her progress. Emma now holds her head up for quite some time and enjoys looking at the world around her. She will look at us and follow us with her eyes and even turn her head if we move. She is starting to coo a bit and is overall a content and happy baby. We are so happy with her progress and are excited to watch her continue to grow and meet new milestones. Here is a picture from this morning of our girl propped up on the couch...such a big girl!!

So after 1 month, we are all adjusting well...even our animals! Check out our dog Teddy with his new baby sister:

So cute! Animals truly are amazing. Teddy really shows concern for Emma. If we have visitors and they hold her, he has to make sure "his baby" is ok. There are many nights that he sits in Emma's room by the rocking chair as I feed her. How blessed we are to have such a good dog.

4 weeks old!

2008-01-10T17:41:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but Emma is 4 weeks old today! Time has certainly flown by. In the last 4 weeks, we have watched our little miracle grow and change everyday. She is now lifting her head and holding it up for a good amount of time, smiles in her sleep,(nothing in response to us just yet, but its still cute as can be), looks at us dead in the face and follows us if we move. Today we introduced the bottle and after a weird look and rolling it around in her mouth for a minute, she caught on and took 3 oz of milk! Emma is also sleeping better at night...a relief for Mommy!!! 4 hours of sleep at one sitting never felt so good! Needless to say we are so proud of all of her accomplishments! Emma goes to the Doctor on Tuesday so I will be sure to update with how she makes out! Meanwhile, here are a couple pictures of our girl on her 4 week birthday:

A little smile???

Some Mommy time:

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!! Welcome 2008! Tonight was a quiet evening at home. No wild party and drinking this year. No sir, we were at home, watching the ball drop with our white grape juice and sweet baby girl. It may sound boring to most, but this was our best new years yet.

Since we were home this evening, Joe worked on getting some of the drop ceiling up in our basement and I spent hours working on Emma's birth announcements. I think they turned out nicely...take a look:With New Years comes New Years resolutions, so along with the rest of America, I have made the resolution to lose weight in 2008. I have a good reason though, I mean, I had a baby and need to shed those leftover pregnancy pounds (plus 10-15 more that I gained before I got pregnant). That makes me different from all the other diet junkies right? In all honesty, this new body I have is hard to embrace. I mean I am at a weight I haven't seen in years and I have new loose skin and stretch marks...sexy huh? Although, I could always say the stretch marks are tiger stripes....Roar Baby! All joking aside, while this body is tough to get used to, the outcome is so worth it. I mean I grew and gave life to a perfect and beautiful baby girl! In the words of a dear friend on her pregnancy weight, I am plump, glowing, and growing a miracle and that's good enough for me! I couldn't say it better myself! Weight can be lost,bodies can be changed, but my child is priceless and irreplaceable!

Some years we can wait to see go, and some we will always reflect back on fondly. 2007 was a year that will forever be remembered fondly, as it was the year that began our lives as a family of 3. Our lives are forever changed. May 2008 be a year of health, happiness, the love of family and friends, and the continued abundant blessings from our Heavenly Father. Happy New Year everyone!

2 weeks old!

2007-12-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

Emma is 2 weeks old today. The time is already flying by. Emma is now lifting her head more on her own, sleeping alot during the day, awake during the night, and in the few hours she is awake, she makes endless facial expressions leaving her daddy and I entertained. She is beginning to focus on objects and faces and will sometimes even follow things with her eyes. We are just amazed by how much she grows and changes daily. Here are a few pictures of Emma today enjoying her bouncy chair:

Oooo, look at the bears hanging on my chair!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T23:16:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!! Happy Birthday Jesus! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. This year, however, was the most special Christmas for our family as we now have our sweet daughter Emma.

This year more than ever, I reflect on the Christmas story. Now that I am a mother, and I gaze into the face of my sweet child, I am flooded with emotion of how Mary must have felt to look on the face of her new son and know she was looking at the face of our almighty God. How she must have felt to know she was holding an innocent child who depended solely on her for all his needs; a child who would grow into a man who would die so that she may live. In the words of one of my favorite Christmas songs:

"Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary did you know, that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? The child that you delivered, will soon deliver you."

I am just overwhelmed by this whole story.

Our Christmas began here at home by waking up and opening our presents. As most of you know, I work from home. I have been working the last year with a small desk that has been less than adequate, but I knew once we moved the office to the basement and got settled, a new desk was in the future. Well to my surprise, after we opened our gifts this morning, Joe told me that there was still one more gift for me downstairs that was just too heavy for him to put under the tree. We went downstairs and there is a new fully assembled desk all set up and ready for me when I go back to work in February. How thoughtful!! Yes ladies, he is taken and yes he has brothers, but they are taken too...Sorry!!

After a little nap, we all got ready and headed to my parents house for dinner. We got several lovely gifts and had a great meal! Here are a couple pictures from the evening:

Our Family:

Our little Christmas Present:

A Father's Love:

The outfit I wanted Emma to wear, but it's too big...the pants fell off when I picked her up:

I hope the magic of Christmas found you and may many blessings come to you all in the new year. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

1 week old

2007-12-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that a week has already gone by. This week has been interesting to say the least. We are tired as we have never been before as our little one has her nights and days mixed up. She sleeps and eats like a champ all day long, but from about 2 am until 7am, she fusses and doesn't sleep more than 10-20 minutes at a time. While this is a challenge, we are still so in love. It sounds cliche, but you really don't know what you have until its gone. Sleep seems so normal and something we all just do, but when you can't have that, you sure do miss it and realize just how much you need it to function. Sleep will come eventually. It can't be like this forever right?? Has anyone else dealt with this? Any pointers for us newbies?

The week hasn't been just sleepless nights by any means. We are enjoying just watching our baby and the various expressions she makes. This one makes us laugh each time we see it...we call it Emma's "O" Face:

Some of our best moments are feeling our sweet baby sleeping on our chest or in our arms. It's a love we have never known. Every day is a gift from our Lord.

Here are a couple pictures from this week:

Emma at 6 days old:Santa came early in our house:

Our famly in front of our Christmas tree:

HAPPY ONE WEEK BIRTHDAY EMMA!!

Emma's First Doctors Appointment

2007-12-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

Well today was actually my due date and here I am with my 4 day old baby! I am still in that dream world, where I feel the alarm clock could go off at anytime and I be thrown back into real life. Over all things are going well in Chez Crosley. There have been a couple rough nights, but that's life with a newborn.

Anyway, Emma went to the doctor today for her followup appointment after being discharged from the hospital. At birth, Emma weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and at discharge on Saturday, she weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces. This is totally normal for babies to lose some weight. Doctors just want to see them back to at least their birth weight by the time they reach 2 weeks old. Well today Emma weighed 7 pounds 7.5 ounces so she is right on track and gaining as she should. The doctor listened to her heart, checked her pulse, tested her hips, and other joints and she passed with flying colors. I don't know how the doctor could tell anything as Emma was screaming and squirming all around because she hates to be naked. She slept the whole way home in the car and is resting comfortably in her Boppy now as I type. She will go back to the doctors on Friday for her newborn screen and checkup. I will be sure to update with her progress.

Everyday we realize that we are even more blessed than the day before. We are so blessed to have each other and be sharing this amazing journey together. Emma is a perfect gift from an even more perfect God. She truly is our glimpse of heaven. Here are a couple of pictures from today:

Emma after nursing...yes she nurses with her hand at her face like that!

Emma thinking Mommy has taken enough pictures:

Baby Overload

2007-12-16T13:40:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am one of those Moms that always has the camera and tries to capture every moment, but this was just too cute not to share!

Introducing...Emma Katherine Crosley

2007-12-16T00:12:00.001-05:00

Joe and I are so proud to announce the arrival of our daughter, Emma Katherine!! Emma was born Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 5:27pm. She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long. She is perfect in every way and Joe and I are completely in love with her and just in awe.

Here is the story of Emma's arrival. Early Wednesday morning ( December 12th), I woke up around 6 with some mild contractions...nothing new, I had been feeling this for the last couple weeks as my body was gearing up for the real thing as my doctor says. Well, these contractions got a little stronger but were still so far apart. I decided to let my work know I was just going to try to rest and see what happened that day. The contractions continued all day and into the night, but again never got stronger. Well, at 1am I woke up Joe as the contractions had started coming every 4-6 minutes for at least an hour...was this it? After a call to the doc and getting the OK, Joe and I headed to the hospital around 2am. We were admitted to triage where they checked me and saw that I was still 2cm dilated and about 80% effaced. They had me walk the halls for an hour and then check me again. While I was having stronger contractions and some other tell tale signs of true labor, I had only progressed to 2.5 cm dilated and still 80% effaced. We decided that we would head home and wait it out there. We arrived home around 4:30 am and we tried to get some sleep. By 5:30 am I was ripped from my sleep by intense contractions like I had never felt before. Hmm, these really hurt, I couldn't talk through them and even moaned through a few. Well, I started timing these beasts and by 7am they were steady at 3-5 minutes apart. Joe woke up on his own at this point as I was shifting around and moaning in pain and we decided this was definitely it...we were going to meet our baby today! We got back to the hospital a little after 8 am and again I was checked in and to triage we went. They checked me again and I was 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced! Needless to say, this earned me the golden admission ticket to the labor and delivery floor. We got settled in a room and I lasted about an hour and decided I was ready for an epidural. After all, I had been awake with very little sleep since very early the previous morning and would need as much energy as I could get to bring this little girl into the world. After the epidural I was able to get some much needed rest. 4 hours later, I told Joe something was different and I had ALOT ALOT of pressure and felt like I had to push! The nurse came in and low and behold, I was 10cm and fully effaced. It was time...time to start pushing! After pushing for an hour and a half, our baby was here. I did it! I gave life! How amazing! I was flooded with emotion. They placed baby Emma on my chest immediately after she was born. She grabbed my finger with her little hand and I began to cry. I couldn't get over how beautiful she was and how I finally was holding my baby girl. Joe was also in tears and was in awe of her. What a perfect gift from Heaven!

Here are a couple of pictures from Emma's birthday party:

Me checking out my little one:
My doctor and nurse with our new family:

Emma getting weighed:
We came home from the hospital today, and boy are we glad to home! We have shown Emma all around her new home, her room, and all her beautiful clothes. Emma was also welcomed by her cousin Elle, who is just 4 months old, Uncle Tom and Aunt Lisa. It has been a great evening at home so far. Emma is nursing well and we are settling into being new parents. It's all still a surreal feeling and we just find ourselves staring at her for hours. Here is a picture of me just staring at her. I was in tears...ah post partum hormones!

And here are just a few more shots for your enjoyment:

Grammy and Pop Pop:

Proud Grandma Eleanor:
Proud Mommy:

Happy Daddy:

Perfect Baby:

Thank you to all who have called, visited and sent their well wishes via myspace. We can't wait for you all to meet our sweet baby Emma.

38 week appointment

2007-12-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

I went this morning for my 38 week check up and I am now 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. So exciting to know my body is making progress and gearing up for Baby Emma's arrival. I knew something had to be going on as I had my first round of contractions last night.

It all started around 1:30pm. I was feeling a little crampy and a lot of pressure "downstairs". I didn't think much of it but then they started coming more regularly and making my whole belly get tight. This wasn't like anything I had felt before...these actually kinda hurt! Contractions hurt? UNHEARD OF! (yeah right). So as these little buggers continued, I decided to call the doctor around 3:30 ( after calling my mom first... a girl always wants her mom). Apparently this is all normal as my body is gearing up for the real thing. The nurse told me that it could be real labor, but it could be nothing. She told me to call back if/when the contractions got to 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for at least 1 hour. Well I was no where close to that! Mine were coming every 8, 10 or even 20 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds to a minute each...no pattern and certainly not hospital worthy.

So being home alone, as Joe works in the evenings, I called my mom back and asked her to come sit with me just in case anything changed. She came down to the house and sat for a couple of hours. We ordered food in...spicy buffalo wings and pizza...hey they say spicy food can progress labor right? NO LUCK! Around 9:30pm all was done. I was able to get a good nights sleep and head off to the doctors this morning. So while the 8 hours of random contractions did not bring baby Emma to the world, they did aid in progression somewhat. My doctor said she is optimistic that I will deliver in my due date week.

Come on baby Emma, we are all ready to meet you! So here is a picture of me at 38 weeks...enjoy!

Tis the Season

2007-12-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Happy December 1st! For me December 1st has always meant the start of the Christmas season. It was always hard for me to transition on Black Friday. I mean on Friday, I have barely woken up from my Thanksgiving coma and its time to start thinking about door buster holiday sales and Christmas? I just can't do it. December 1st was always it for me.

This year however, with our pending arrival, I actually did start Christmas rather early this year by getting all the shopping done before Thanksgiving, unheard of I know!! I did wait on the house decorations and Christmas tree until just the last couple days. I actually just finished the tree this afternoon

Here is our tree in all its splendor:

Now with every Christmas that comes and goes, I get a special ornament for things that happened that year. So, in 2005 we bought our house, so we had a new home ornament that year. In 2006 we got married, so of course we had an "Our First Christmas Together" ornament to celebrate that. Well here we are in 2007 and we are expecting our first child and hopefully she will make her debut before Christmas making this Baby's First Christmas. So of course I have gotten ornaments to commemorate this year's milestones:

You & Me and Baby Make 3!

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, but its tough to get close up without a flash. Anyway, I hope I haven't jinxed myself into a late arrival by not only buying, but also displaying the Baby's First Christmas ornament. Only time will tell.

I hope everyone is enjoying getting ready for the holidays. Here is to health and happiness and a wonderful, beautiful Christmas 2007!!

37 week appointment

2007-11-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

I went for my 37 week appointment yesterday morning, and things are still the same as last week. I am still holding at 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor can feel baby's head, but says she is still a little high (-1 station). Her heart rate was great and I am still feeling good movement. Baby Emma seems a little too happy in my belly! So while I am feeling a little bummed, I know that these numbers don't always mean anything, I could go into labor today, or in 3 more weeks, no one can know for sure. The only thing we do know, is that our little pink bundle will be here soon and boy are we ready to meet her!

Mission Accomplished!!

2007-11-25T21:15:00.000-05:00

3 weeks til D- Day and I am proud to say, the nursery is FINISHED!!! I never thought we would be done in time, but we are. It was not without its obstacles for sure. Let's begin by saying I had a perfect vision for this nursery from the moment we found out we were going to have a baby girl. We were having a princess, and her room should reflect that! So lets begin with vision 1: Crown Moulding:

Anyone who has put up crown, knows it's no easy task...but nothing is too hard or too much for our baby girl right??? After several cuts, and resetting angles on the miter saw, we figure out that one wall is warped as warped can be...an impossible cut for our saw. What about my perfect vision? What about my little princess? Well, her daddy must love her ( love her or scared of the pregnant lady's wrath and crying spells) as he sat on our front steps for a good 3 hours hand sawing and filing this piece of crown moulding to make it fit perfectly on our warped wall. I went to check on him several times and each time he was diligently sawing and filing away, lovingly to say to me with a side smile, "Don't expect this in every room in our house" to which I responded with a smile and rubbing my belly, "you are such a good daddy, I love you!" Well, 3 hours later, the moulding fits! Let's all take a moment and thank the daddy to be!

Despite the crown moulding run in, and a little episode with the trinket shelves, the room looks beautiful. My perfect vision is complete for my perfect little princess. Take a look! The pictures go around the room so hopefully you can get the feel for how it looks as a whole.

Dresser, wall hangings and trinkets:

All her trinkets: (you can see the crown moulding corner that daddy did by hand)

Rocking area:

Crib with her name above it:

Close up of crib and wall letters:

All we need now is you, sweet baby Emma Katherine!

We have Carpet!: Basement Update

2007-11-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

The carpet came for the basement today and what a difference it made! It looks like a real room down there now. See for yourself:

Before:

After:Before:After:

After:So as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I would like to say that I am so thankful to my amazing husband Joe, and the family and friends who helped us come this far. Its a hard job and not a fun one. Words can't say how thankful I am to all of you!

While we are not completely done with our new basement, we will be moving the office down to this wonderful new space over the next couple days. We also hope to have the nursery finished over the weekend. What a blessing! Stay tuned!

36 weeks down, 4 more to go!

2007-11-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

4 weeks to go...28 days...YIKES!!! I had my 36 week appointment this morning and found out I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced! While it is perfectly normal for a woman to sit at this stage for weeks, its exciting to me that at least something is going on in there! It is making it more real that our sweet baby girl is getting ready to make her big debut!

As promised in prior posts, I have some pictures of the nursery so far. Hopefully this weekend we will be making more progress, as the carpet for the basement comes tomorrow!! This means I can finally move my desk and office out of baby Emma's room! Here is what we have so far:

The Crib:

A good look at all her clothes:

Her dresser and lamp. The letters will be hung on the wall above her crib:
In typical pregnant woman fashion, I have begun my nesting phase. Yesterday I did laundry until midnight making sure to wash everything in site that would touch baby's skin. So I washed that full closet of clothes, blankets, socks, wash clothes, hooded towels, headbands, hats, crib bedding, and everything else under the category baby. I even wiped down stuffed animals and rattles that can't easily be tossed in the washing machine. Now, that doesn't sound so crazy right? Well, how about the fact that I sorted all the laundry according to colors. Not just whites and darks like normal laundry, I did a load of light pinks, dark pinks, purples, yellows, blues, greens, reds, and dark stuff ( like denim). Who does a load of light pinks or a load of yellows you may ask? PREGNANT PEOPLE! My theory was that I didn't want any of those super cute and perfect clothes to bleed on to another color. Made sense to me, until I made 50,000 trips from my basement to the nursery which makes for climbing 35 steps each time! But its done now and all is put away! WHEW!

Just for fun, here is a picture of me and my giant belly at 36 weeks:

and I can still get bigger? In 4 weeks I will look like a balloon stretched to its maximum...the kind of balloon where even the thought of a sharp object will make it pop. Steer clear....she's gonna blow!

5 weeks to go!

2007-11-13T19:29:00.001-05:00

So with just under 5 weeks to go til D day, we are diligently trying to get everything done in time for our sweet baby girl. As most of you know, I work from home, so my office is actually where the nursery will be. Well, in order to make way for baby, we had to take on the big job of finishing our basement...YIKES! So, in October, my handy hubby started on our basement... this is what we were dealing with:

SO, you can see our work was cut out for us! Well after a few short days and the help of my handy uncle, who gets paid solely in Mountain Dew and Bologna sandwiches, and my handy hardworking in laws, we got to here:

Now, all our drywall is done, and as I type, my in laws are hard at work painting the new walls and I am happy to report that our carpet is being installed on the 20th! Here is where we are right now:

What a blessing to have family to help! The room should all be primed tonight and ready for the real paint tomorrow. More pictures to come as more progress is made!

We have also made progress in Baby Emma's room. I am proud to report that we have painted, put the crib and dresser together, and her closet is full with beautiful clothes and accessories. (Pictures coming soon). However, with having 2 rooms "under construction", my living room looks like this:

It will all be in order soon enough! At least that is what we keep telling ourselves!

Count me in!

2007-11-12T23:44:00.000-05:00

With our family just about to change, (and because everyone we know has one) I decided it was time to join the blog world to keep everyone updated on our soon to be new family. Please subscribe so you can receive email updates of when we post new stuff. Most of the blogs will be about our days leading up to our new arrival and the days living life as a new family, so get ready to meet the Crosley's!!