Week of September 16 - Headers & Tails

Well it had to happen one day. All children stumble, bump, and fall. It's part of growing up. Over the weekend, Nancy and Emily went over to Nancy's sisters house to play with Emily's cousins. At one point, Emily was so excited and running around she managed to take her first header as she stumbled. On concrete steps to compound matters. As you can see in this first photo, she scraped up her forehead and down across her cheek as well.


although Emily routinely gets little bruises and scuffs on her knees and shins, this is her first face injury in the 16 months she has been home. Emily is a tough little cookie though. After a couple minutes of crying in Nancy's arms, Nancy asked her if she was ready to go home now. "No Mommy, more slide!". Emily wanted to go down the slide in the back yard a few more times before she would consider going home. The remarkable thing is how fast little kids heal! Literally by the end of the next day there was no trace of skin trauma on Emily's face or forehead. I wish I could heal that fast!

So that covers "headers" now for some tails. Emily's fine soft hair is finally long enough to make little pony tails. And Nancy has declared that little girls from China simply must wear matching side tails, no pony tails allowed! OK, I give in on that for now, but that discussion will continue over the coming years I can assure you :) Emily was being totally uncooperative for the camera, but I did manage to catch a photo of at least one side of her profile so we can see a side tail and those cute little ears that are usually hidden behind her hair.


The debate continues about keeping her bangs cut, or letting them grow out so that she has long hair all around. For now we have decided to keep the bangs as we think that gives Emily more flexibility with her hair in the evenings after bath or shower time. Speaking of Showers, while Emily craves bubble baths, Nancy has been working with her to get her used to taking showers now. She is doing pretty good now on that front, after about a week of high drama when shower time comes around. The turning point in the drama came when Nancy showered with her and shampooed her hair together with Emily. I think we have a breakthrough there now, courtesy of the bubbles in the hair trick :)

Last photo to share with you this week is a cute one of Emily doing the kick-back and relax routine. Emily thinks she is a big girl now and can do all the things that Mommy and Daddy do. That apparently includes pulling up a chair and ottoman to sit back and relax with feet up. In this photo you can see that Emily has adapted and improvised by pulling up a chair in the kitchen eating area, accompanied by the small rolling foot rest that Nancy keeps in the family room. Emily has absolutely no shyness about moving and rearranging furniture to her particular needs or wants.


That's my girl :)