Excitement in the Exersaucer

Could he get any cuter?

Camp Erickson

I didnt take this picture, but I just wanted to give a visualization!

This past weekend we traveled up to Idaho for the first time in almost 8 months (since Emmett's been born)! We had an Erickson family reunion up in Ashton at Rock Creek Girls Camp. I forgot how beautiful Idaho is in the summer. You just can't beat all that gorgeous green backdropped by sunsets that almost look unreal. You can count at least five different colors in them, they look like they're straight out of a painting. Although the scenery definitely struggles 6 months out of the year, the other 6 are breathtaking!

This trip was a BIG step for us. I spent weeks fretting over how it was going to go. Up until this, Emmett had never gone farther than a half hour from home, and never been around more than maybe 15 people at once. This weekend we traveled four hours, and had to have visited over 50 people. I'm not sure if people realize that for me it's not just as simple as "oh all babies have to get sick at some point." For months in the NICU it was drilled into my brain that exposure to germs or sickness could literally equal something as severe as death for my baby. That's all I've ever really known. So imagine having that mindset, and taking your baby to a reunion with 40+ people, including tons of kids and toddlers (who we all know are notorious for carrying around tons of germs and not washing their hands). THEN imagine how tense I was when these little kids ran up and grabbed Emmett's hands (which are perpetually stuck into his mouth)!

In addition to those concerns, I was worried about how Emmett would do with all the driving (he is not the fondest of his carseat or sitting still for that matter). I was worried about him being out in the sun all day long. And the Doctor told me before I left that he really shouldn't be exposed to too many mosquitos and his time outdoors should be limited. Wonderful (mosquitos are really bad up in Ashton this time of year, and obviously the whole reunion was outdoors). I was even worried about how he would sleep, and if he'd be up all night crying because he was in a place he didn't recognize.

But Emmett (and I) did great! He did the car ride like a champ, and may even be beginning to enjoy it! woo hoo! I brought up his bassinet and I think the familiarity helped him sleep really well. I kept him well covered from mosquitos, kept a little OFF fan with us wherever we went, and made sure to leave by dusk when they started to get really bad. Amazingly, both he and I made it out of there with NO mosquito bites, which is quite the feat up there! Unfortunately despite all my precautions, Emmett did end up coming down with a cold, which we are hoping does not develop into anything else and heals quickly.

Emmett with Grandpa Rex. See the Resemblance?

                                                    

But moving on to the reunion, we had a great time! We visited with lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles that we don't get a chance to see very often. We watched the guys play lots of Ultimate frisbee, football, and other lawn games (Jared played pretty intensely, and I think regretted it afterward hahah). We ate tons of YUMMY food (the Ericksons are famous for that), and went to Horseshoe Lake and canoed one day. We also put on quite the skit for Saturday night entertainment if I do say so myself! Did anyone get pictures or video?? I wish I would have thought of that at the time! It was the deal where one person lays on the ground, and the other person straddles over them hiding their legs, so it looks like their legs are really the persons lying on the ground and they're super flexible (are you following me?) Anyway, Sarah, Sherri, and I were the legs, and Gabby, Emily, and Jared were the tops. We started out with some yoga stretches, then transitioned into a great dance routine that me and Emily choreographed to "I need a Hero" (the 80s song on Footloose). Jared dancing with my legs on bottom had to have been quite the sight. I wish I could have seen it. haha!

All in all, the trip was a success! Emmett loves the outdoors, so he was content with all the new scenery to take in. Everything went pretty smooth and I was so relieved. He also got to wear some of his hand-me-down winter clothes, which he hasn't been able to down in Provo since it's so warm. He looked A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E in them! I snapped a pic of a couple of his outfits for you :-) I really wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was pretty preoccupied and needed an extra set of hands!

The Best Two Years... (So Far)

This past Sunday, August 22nd, marked Jared and I's two year Anniversary!
* (Sidenote: That's 2 for 2 years that we have spent our Anniversary at Family Reunions, so all you fam out there reading this...mark this day on your calendars!) haha.

We had a really great weekend up in Idaho, which is definitely worthy of its own post so I won't give out the details just yet!

It's so crazy to think it's really already been two whole years. I feel like our wedding was just 6 months ago! But then I think of all we've done/accomplished/been through.... and then I think... How does that all fit into 2 years?! 

Here's the noteworthy things that happened since we tied the knot in 2008: 

• I began working my first post-college job for the City of Rexburg, working in the Building Dept/Planning & Zoning (I actually started about 4 months before we got married, but it still played a huge role in our first years of marriage)
• We decided together that Civil/Environmental Engineering was a better fit for Jared than Business, and changed his major
• We were called as Nursery leaders in church where we stayed for about 1.5 years! (way too long for Nursery! haha)
• We found out I was pregnant right around our first anniversary!
• Jared got accepted to transfer into BYU's Engineering program for Winter 2010
• We did our first move together as a couple, and packed up and headed down to Cougartown (aka Provo)
• Shortly thereafter, we found out I was pre-eclampsic and was admitted to the hospital
• 4 days later our miracle baby, Emmett Jared Erickson, was born at 1 pd, 15 oz
• We survived 3 months of being in the NICU, and developed an even deeper bond with one another
• We brought little Emmett home to the new apartment (which until then WE had barely spent any time in either!)
• Jared got his first summer job related to his field at the Department of Natural Resources

These past two years have been amazing, and we've both grown in so many ways. I love you Jared, and I'm so glad to have you as my best friend! I look forward to all the many wonderful years to come!

Cardio Disaster

Yesterday I went to the gym to do my usual run, and headed to the Cardio Cinema as always. I love the surprise of seeing what movie is playing, and usually leave feeling like "I wouldn't have picked that movie out at home, but I'm glad it was on because I'm really into it and want to see the end!"

Yesterday wasn't one of those days.

I start the run not paying very close attention to the screen, and surmise that it looks like some type of war movie. Then....I realize what it is. CLOVERFIELD.

Seriously? Is this some bored gym worker's idea of a sick joke? If you haven't seen Cloverfield... DON'T. Think Blair Witch style filming, simulating a handheld cam - shaking all over and getting shots of peoples feet and occasionally some faces. On top of that, it's about some unknown alien/monster attacking New York and wiping out the city, so mostly what you see/hear, is the feet of mass amounts of people running around and screaming while explosions go off all around them. Think of this playing on a giant screen in front of you, while you are attempting your run. Can you talk about Headache?

Here are a couple shots to give you an idea (keep in mind, they are not moving and thus are far less blurry than the movie).

I try to get a break from the dizzying scene in front of me, and look down to my treadmill to check my distance. Turns out I got on the treadmill that is missing a peg or something under the right side, which causes the display to jiggle just enough to appear blurry. Lucky me. But I am OCD about running until I see my goal distance show up on the screen, and if I stopped running on that treadmill and switched to another, my end distance would only read half of my total run.... which wouldn't give me that sense of accomplishment that I look forward to! So obviously, I stuck it out. 

Final Score:  Cassie -1
                    Bored Gym Workers - 0

Sorry guys, maybe next time.

3 1/2 Months

Today we are at exactly 3.5 months from Emmett's due date. We could not be happier with the giant leaps and bounds of progress he's made since his homecoming. He weighed in at 16 pounds today, which the doctor said is about the 50th percentile! Not bad for being born 3 months early! He didn't get his official length taken today, but I just did an approximate measurement while he was sleeping, and I think he's somewhere around 23 inches. Look how studly my little man has become.

Since coming home he has more than doubled his weight (he was 6 pds, 9 oz when he came home), and I don't even know if there's a word for being 8 times bigger than his birthweight (1 pd, 15 oz) Octrupled? Haha.

• 
  
  He still has blondish/light brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. I wish I had a nicer camera that captured them better in pictures.
• He loves to talk. All day long. But not just by himself. He wants to have conversations. Jared laughs because Emmett and I can have 10 minute long conversations where he responds with all different ranges and tones of baby talk (Think Dori speaking "whale" on Finding Nemo). He's got a very diverse baby "vocabulary" . If you do something that makes him mad, he shouts out at you with this angry babble that sounds like it could possibly be the equivalent of swearing in baby language. If he's happy and you're smiling at him, he coo's. If he's excited, you get squeals of delight accompanied by kicking legs, and then he has times where he just vents, and he goes on and on with a tone that just demands pity and you can't help but respond "ohhh thats sooo sad, im so sorry"
• Loves to be sung to. His current favorite is "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia. Kind of random, I know, but he seriously can't get enough of it. When I play it on the computer and sing it to him, he gets this special, excited gleam in his eye.
• Tracks objects all over the house with his eyes (which he really has been doing since the NICU. The Occupational Therapist there said she had told people about him because she'd never seen a baby so young that could do that).
• Learns new noises that he can make every day and thinks they are neat, so he adds them into his vocabulary. By "noises" I mean a cough, or a little dinosaur-sounding scream where he gets his voice/throat to vibrate.
• Has the saddest facial expression you've ever seen in your life. I've never been able to get a picture of it, because it comes on fast and unexpectedly but it is enough to break a total stranger's heart! It is the saddest little frown, and he sticks out his bottom lip perfectly, and his tiny chin even quivers. It's a hundred times worse than a sad, puppy dogs face and he has it perfected.
• Loves to have screaming matches. Not angry screams, playful ones. But he thinks its so cool that he discovered how to scream, and even cooler that Mom can do it too. He tried to do it when I took him to the Golds Gym corporate office the other day, and he did his little scream then stared at me, mouth hanging open in a smile, waiting for my response. He was so confused why I wasnt doing it back, it made me laugh out loud.
• Doesn't really like tummy time too much, but we keep at it anyway. He lasts for like 10 minutes.
• Just starting to sleep through the night. (10 or 11pm to 6 or 7am)
• Enjoys staring at the TV, especially if its ESPN or something with lots of movement.
• Is liking walks and car rides a lot more
• Can roll onto his side (He's never still, usually not even in his sleep) haha
• Can hold his rings, shake a rattle, and spin the little barrel on one of his toys (it has little plastic balls inside to make noise). He also has this little ball toy that he can pass back and forth between his hands sometimes.
• Still snores. haha. Gets it from his Dad.
• Most always wants to be held so that he's standing.
• Completely off oxygen!!
• Starting to teethe already! I can't see any teeth yet, but I know he is because he drools like crazy, gnaws on his hands, cries like he's in pain, and had a mild temp a few days ago. (They are probably just coming into his gums)
• Always smiling!

He is growing so fast, I'm already getting the "oh no, slow down!" panic. Now that he's reached the adorable, healthy, chunky baby stage, I'd be okay with it lasting a little longer! I'll leave you with one last

picture!

Emmett's Baby Quilt

Jared's Mom (and his younger sister Sarah) love sewing and making quilts. I love designing things, but don't exactly have the sewing know-how to make them. So... I decided it would be fun to mastermind a fun Dr. Seuss quilt that would match Emmett's room, and have Sherri and Sarah put it together for me. I went shopping and picked out all the fabrics and how I wanted them arranged, and sent them with Sherri to be assembled.

It was a great team effort and I love the way it turned out!! I picked a variety of fun, soft textures for him to experiment playing with... minkee, fur, flannel, and cotton. And of course lots of bright colors for his eyes to look at!

I think Emmett is just as pleased with it as I am, he loves having playtime on it! Thank you Sherri and Sarah for all your hard work!

                           The whole back is red minkee, you can see it folded over in this shot

Here's a close-up shot of the fabrics so you can see more of the detail

Emmett chillaxin (notice his oxygen is gone? That's right, he doesn't have to wear it during the day anymore!)

 zoomed out to see how big it is

And as planned... it goes with his room PERFECTLY!

Diapers.com

So I found this marvelous website called Diapers.com. They offer everything from Diapers, to clothes, to toys, books and bath items, formula, products for mom, and even drugstore items that have nothing to do with babies. So don't let the name mislead you!

This is my new favorite site. They offer Diapers cheaper than Babies R Us or any store I've found thus far, plus they offer $5 off your first order, and accept manufacturer coupons. They also have their own section of a ton of ecoupons that they will use in combination with your manufacturer coupons. If you order over $49 (which is easy to do with diapers), you get free 2 day shipping. I think mine actually showed up the next day.

The best news? If you enter my referral code (ERIC5148) or my email (erickson.cas@gmail.com) on the first time you check out, you get an EXTRA $10 off your first order of diapers, AND earn $5 toward your next order. OR you can get 15% off a non-diaper purchase. For you using my referral code, I earn a $10 credit too!

They have special deals and promotions, and their diapers go on sale from time to time.

Just thought I'd pass along this great find! What could be more convenient than diapers and wipes being delivered to your doorstep for free??