Emma's First Easter

Here comes Emma Cottontail!

A baby's first Easter is, as most 1st holidays are, more for her family than it is for the baby. It's really an excuse to put the baby in an adorable outfits, give her toys and things that you probably would have given her anyway and take cute pictures that will make it clear to you in 10 years exactly what holiday was being celebrated.

Emma's first Easter was no different. I dressed her in sweet pink gingham dress with a little white collar and smocking across the chest. She wore a little white sweater, a pink bow, little white socks and pale green 'crib shoes'.

Emma's Easter dress. (Can you believe it's labeled as 0-3 months? What 3 month old could wear this? She's little, but not that little! Well, that's another post I suppose.)

(Jeremy was quite delighted to find out that all of the items, with the exception of the white sweater, were already in her closet, gifts from other people, many before she was even born! ) She could not have looked more precious. She looked exactly as a little girl should look on Easter Sunday.

Happy girl!

We didn't go to church. I know, I know ... Easter Sunday and no church!? Well, it's much more difficult to make it through church with my little darling now that she so loudly expresses herself and is so eager to wiggle and grab things she shouldn't grab. I hope the Lord will forgive our absence. Perhaps, by next Easter we'll have a better plan. I did, however, suggest that we at least watch church on TV in our hotel room. Jeremy didn't like that idea very much though. Oh well, I tried!

We had a lovely brunch with Grandma and Grandpa Leghorn and Jeremy's brothers at a very nice restaurant. It was much like Easter brunches from my childhood. My Grandma and Grandpa Birnie always treated us to Easter brunch at the Vista Hotel, Quick Silver Golf Club, or some other equally nice venue. Yesterday, we had perfect table sort of away from the center of all the commotion, against a window so that we could put Emma out of the way of traffic. The night before I'd gone to Babies R Us and purchased the high chair/booster seat that Emma has at my parents house. Now that Emma can sit up, wants to be a part of everything and is eating solids it makes more sense to put her in a high chair rather than leaving her in her car seat. I thought if I got this little portable high chair, it might make life a little easier. Let me, just say that it was the best $35 I ever spent!

It fit perfectly on her chair and I was able to adjust it so she was at the same level as the rest of us. She played with the toys for the first 20 minutes or so. Then I gave her a spoon which kept her occupied for another 15 minutes or so. She chewed on the spoon, ran in over the top of the toy tray and put it through the little arches created by some of the taller toys. When she was done playing, I just popped the toy tray out of the feeding tray, put some puffs and yogurt melts on her tray and she was again satisfied for quite awhile.

It wasn't until the very end of the meal that she got antsy and was ready to go. No one had to rush their eating! No one had to walk her around or bounce her on their knee. No one had to make sure she didn't put her mouth on the restaurant high chair. It was awesome!

After lunch, we had a nice visit with Jeremy' friend from high school and his family. We stopped back home at Grandma and Grandpa's for a short while before heading back home to Boston. All was well until Emma had a meltdown about an hour into the two hour drive. She woke up crying which escalated into screaming and gagging. It wasn't the worst she's ever had, but of course it started just as we hit a big traffic jam. I calmed her enough to keep her from gagging, but we had to stop at the nearest rest stop. True to form, she seemed happy by the time we got her car seat out of the car and headed inside. (We still don't really know what the problem was.) We continued on our way only to run into a longer stretch of stop and go traffic. She was still whimpering the whole way home so Jeremy and I had to sing non-stop for at least an hour. Thank goodness singing calms her down. Unfortunately, the radio doesn't work. It has to be us singing. I thought we might never make it home!

By the time we walked through our front door, it was an hour past her bedtime. I had realized earlier that I hadn't given her her little Easter basket. It would have to wait until morning though. She was thrilled to come home, lay down and stretch her legs! A quick bottle and she was off to bed.

Aside from the traffic, it was a good Easter! I did finally present her with her Easter basket this morning. I think it was much more exciting this morning than it would've been last night. No candy obviously just some books, a CD and a bath toy. Oh and a pair of bunny ears because who can resist a baby in bunny ears?!

I loved the little bloomers that went under her dress and just had to get a picture in only her bloomers and bunny ears!

Loving all her goodies

Look, Mommy! A book AND a CD!