My girlfriend, Lindsey, posted her favorite pictures from Emmy's newborn session on her website!! Check them out!! She did such an amazing job!!
http://www.lsphotographyonline.com/babies.html
Friday, January 8, 2010
Commander, Captain Horn, reporting for duty
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Nick and I are pretty notorious for making many big life transitions at once, and this time is no exception! On Wednesday, January 6th at 11:00 am Nick assumed the command of Bravo Company, 5th Battalion, 101 Brigade in the 101st Aviation Division. Many years ago, when Nick and I first began discussing our future in the Army, he told me that his ultimate goal would be to take on the role of a commander. At that time, the opportunity was still several years away. It's hard to believe that the time has come. Nick has left his position in the Special Operations community for one in the conventional Army to lead soldiers into combat. This is a leadership opportunity that allows him to make the greatest impact on these soldiers, their families and the mission at hand.
The Army has a very special way of celebrating milestones...There are many ceremonial traditions, deeply rooted in history, that are used to mark special occasions. Nick took over the command from his good friend, Ian, before a crowd of a couple hundred of his new soldiers, their families, the Hooter Brothers from his previous company, military dignitaries and his parents, who had flown in to help celebrate this huge achievement. He gave a brief 34 second speech (which he thought was still too long :-p) accepting his new role...I couldn't have been more proud!! After the meaningful ceremony, Nick dismissed his new company and invited the crowd to enjoy the BBQ lunch that we had arranged (it's tradition that the incoming commander provide a lunch reception after the change of command ceremony-thank you Whitt's BBQ for cooking!!)
That evening, Emmy got to spend some special two-on-one time with her grandparents! Nick had to pry me away from her (I hadn't been away from her since she was born!) to get all gussied up for the annual Brigade Ball. We joined his new soldiers and their spouses for a dinner and dance in Hopkinsville. I couldn't help but think to myself what a long way we've come since our very first military ball when I was 17 and Nick was a yearling (sophomore) at West Point...
So from here, Nick is in the final stages of preparing his troops for their deployment in March. There is a lot of work to be done-it'll be a bit like taking a drink of water from a fire hose for the next few months. But I have faith (and so do his superiors) that he is up for the job--if anyone can handle it, it's my Nick. Because of his new position, I have also assumed some responsibility as Nick's Command Teammate. I will be working with his soldiers' spouses preparing them for the deployment as the Family Readiness Group leader. Fortunately, my girlfriend, Katie, held this job previously and has so graciously offered up lots of advice to ease the transition. We are definitely embarking on a big new adventure...This next 15 months or so promises to be a very wild ride, but from what I hear, it will be a positively life-altering experience.
The Bravo Company flag was passed from the First Sgt. Williams to Captain Fuller, the previous Bravo Company Commander, to Colonel Taylor, the 5th Battalion Commander, to my Nick, the new Bravo Company Commander!
Nick and Captain Fuller standing on each side of Col. Taylor. They rotated their positions partway through the ceremony. When Nick "took" command, he moved to Col. Taylor's right.
Emmy sleeping like an angel during the ceremony. She got a shout out from Col. Taylor in his speech!
Nick's record-breaking short and succinct acceptance speech!
My Nick standing in front of his troops at the end of the ceremony.
My Nick and Bravo Company in formation.
Family portrait in front of one of Nick's aircraft (he has several that he is responsible for in his company). Emmy was trying to stay warm-it was a balmy 21 degrees outside!
Horn family portrait!
The Brigade Ball was the evening of Nick's change of command. I bought the only dress I could find in (sort of) my size two days before...Thank goodness Emmy was patient with me as I scoured Governor's Square mall between feedings! Have I mentioned that shopping is miserable in Clarksville?? :-/
SNOW!! This is apparently enough snow to shut down Clarksville--none of the kids had school!
Molly and Darla LOVE the snow!
A couple of pictures that we just received:
Emmy cuddling with her "Grammy" Horn (please excuse the disaster area that is my house!)
The Army has a very special way of celebrating milestones...There are many ceremonial traditions, deeply rooted in history, that are used to mark special occasions. Nick took over the command from his good friend, Ian, before a crowd of a couple hundred of his new soldiers, their families, the Hooter Brothers from his previous company, military dignitaries and his parents, who had flown in to help celebrate this huge achievement. He gave a brief 34 second speech (which he thought was still too long :-p) accepting his new role...I couldn't have been more proud!! After the meaningful ceremony, Nick dismissed his new company and invited the crowd to enjoy the BBQ lunch that we had arranged (it's tradition that the incoming commander provide a lunch reception after the change of command ceremony-thank you Whitt's BBQ for cooking!!)
That evening, Emmy got to spend some special two-on-one time with her grandparents! Nick had to pry me away from her (I hadn't been away from her since she was born!) to get all gussied up for the annual Brigade Ball. We joined his new soldiers and their spouses for a dinner and dance in Hopkinsville. I couldn't help but think to myself what a long way we've come since our very first military ball when I was 17 and Nick was a yearling (sophomore) at West Point...
So from here, Nick is in the final stages of preparing his troops for their deployment in March. There is a lot of work to be done-it'll be a bit like taking a drink of water from a fire hose for the next few months. But I have faith (and so do his superiors) that he is up for the job--if anyone can handle it, it's my Nick. Because of his new position, I have also assumed some responsibility as Nick's Command Teammate. I will be working with his soldiers' spouses preparing them for the deployment as the Family Readiness Group leader. Fortunately, my girlfriend, Katie, held this job previously and has so graciously offered up lots of advice to ease the transition. We are definitely embarking on a big new adventure...This next 15 months or so promises to be a very wild ride, but from what I hear, it will be a positively life-altering experience.
The Bravo Company flag was passed from the First Sgt. Williams to Captain Fuller, the previous Bravo Company Commander, to Colonel Taylor, the 5th Battalion Commander, to my Nick, the new Bravo Company Commander!
Nick and Captain Fuller standing on each side of Col. Taylor. They rotated their positions partway through the ceremony. When Nick "took" command, he moved to Col. Taylor's right.
Emmy sleeping like an angel during the ceremony. She got a shout out from Col. Taylor in his speech!
Nick's record-breaking short and succinct acceptance speech!
My Nick standing in front of his troops at the end of the ceremony.
My Nick and Bravo Company in formation.
Family portrait in front of one of Nick's aircraft (he has several that he is responsible for in his company). Emmy was trying to stay warm-it was a balmy 21 degrees outside!
Horn family portrait!
The Brigade Ball was the evening of Nick's change of command. I bought the only dress I could find in (sort of) my size two days before...Thank goodness Emmy was patient with me as I scoured Governor's Square mall between feedings! Have I mentioned that shopping is miserable in Clarksville?? :-/
SNOW!! This is apparently enough snow to shut down Clarksville--none of the kids had school!
Molly and Darla LOVE the snow!A couple of pictures that we just received:
Emmy cuddling with her "Grammy" Horn (please excuse the disaster area that is my house!)
Gettin' some grub from "Poppy" Horn.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Tubby Time!
Emmy's umbilical cord finally fell off last week (it hung on for about two weeks!) Which meant it was time to take a big girl bath! Nick had been chomping at the bit to put her in her little bath tub and he finally got his big chance! He positioned himself in the tub and held onto her tightly as we scrubbed her down! We learned that she doesn't like being naked very much (I hear that will change once she hits around 2 although we will continue to encourage her modesty) but she does like the feel of the warm water and she definitely likes her head to be shampooed! Now she smells even more delicious than she did before!
Emmy relaxing despite Daddy's death grip.
She has a very expressive forehead--she frequently gets this pensive look on her face...Clearly she is a deep thinker like her mother. (haha! :-P)
The family bath tub
I got the best job drying her off!
She has such big hands and doesn't always know what to do with them--but they always seem to land in the cutest possible position.
Bright eyes
Emmy relaxing despite Daddy's death grip.
She has a very expressive forehead--she frequently gets this pensive look on her face...Clearly she is a deep thinker like her mother. (haha! :-P)
The family bath tub
I got the best job drying her off!
She has such big hands and doesn't always know what to do with them--but they always seem to land in the cutest possible position.
Bright eyesFriday, January 1, 2010
New Year's Baby!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! It's always such a wonderful feeling to be able to start fresh!! 2010 has so much promise already!! I would say we've kicked things off on the right foot...
Nick, Emmy and I rang in the new year at our friends' Molly and Luke's house with some of our wonderful friends!! We had an amazing dinner and a few libations (which warranted my very first "pump and dump" occurrence--kinda sad but SO WORTH IT!) We were so excited to hang out with Josh and Lindsey who had traveled back for the weekend!! So, pretty much, there is nothing that Lindsey can't do...She is a phenomenal cook, she's crafty and she is one heck of a photographer. She actually has her own business...LS Photography. I'm not so sure how many drinks she had last night, ;-) but she so generously offered to do a newborn photo session with Emmy today!! Lindsey (AND JOSH!!) were so patient with Miss Emmy--who was most interested in snacking on her fist and refused to go to sleep after her feeding :-P. Lindsey just sent me a sneak peak from the session today and I couldn't wait to share Emmy's first documented SMILE!!!
What a happy girl!
Nick, Emmy and I rang in the new year at our friends' Molly and Luke's house with some of our wonderful friends!! We had an amazing dinner and a few libations (which warranted my very first "pump and dump" occurrence--kinda sad but SO WORTH IT!) We were so excited to hang out with Josh and Lindsey who had traveled back for the weekend!! So, pretty much, there is nothing that Lindsey can't do...She is a phenomenal cook, she's crafty and she is one heck of a photographer. She actually has her own business...LS Photography. I'm not so sure how many drinks she had last night, ;-) but she so generously offered to do a newborn photo session with Emmy today!! Lindsey (AND JOSH!!) were so patient with Miss Emmy--who was most interested in snacking on her fist and refused to go to sleep after her feeding :-P. Lindsey just sent me a sneak peak from the session today and I couldn't wait to share Emmy's first documented SMILE!!!
What a happy girl!Thursday, December 31, 2009
Where on earth has the time gone?
It seems as though we have been carrying on in a fog these past couple of weeks...Emmy has stayed true to her "angel baby" nickname, but we have definitely had a steep learning curve since her birthday! I don't want to risk sharing too much information, but breastfeeding has been a challenge for sure. I am 100% committed to getting this right--I have seen one too many babies throw up formula. This is the first time that I am genuinely grateful to be pig-headed! I never thought that I'd be saying that my favorite Christmas present would be a fancy breast pump...but it has been clutch in getting us through this new adventure! I am just praying that we can figure this out as soon as possible and then I think we both will be much happier campers!
Since we needed to temporarily resort to feeding Emmy pumped breastmilk in a bottle, she has been quite satisfied and will actually sleep for some good long stretches! Ideally, we would be napping at this time, but unfortunately it has become our catch-up time with other non-baby responsibilities :-/. Nick has been pulling double duty...Being a rockstar of a husband, daddy and breastfeeding support person (he found a bunch of breastfeeding tutorials on you tube to help me out! :-)). He has also been finishing up his out-processing from his current unit and in-processing to the 101st Airborne Division. His change-of-command ceremony will take place next Wednesday and then he will have to jump into high gear to get his soldiers deployment-ready. So many big life changes that are all happening at once...
Emmy and I have ventured out a handful of times...It's definitely a bit trickier to get errands finished now, because I have to plan the day around her feeding schedule. So far, she LOVES her carseat and riding in the car. I have been so very lucky that she has slept through all of our errands thus far! She even let me get my hair done yesterday (I refuse to look like a shlumpadinka on Nick's big day!!) I was such a proud mama that my sweet baby girl was so well behaved at the hair salon :-D.
We also paid a visit to our pediatrician for her two-week well baby check-up yesterday! Little Miss is gaining weight well--she is officially 7 pounds 13 ounces! That news was such a relief considering how obsessed I've become with making sure she is fed! :-P She is as healthy as can be! :-D She's such a happy little baby (when she has a full belly) and it is hard not to get lost in her big eyes...So far, we have learned that she loves her pacifier, her vibrating chair and getting her hair shampooed! We are so excited to learn all that there is to know about our Emmy!
Sleeping when I can!
Happy times
Nothing like sleeping on daddy's chest
Since we needed to temporarily resort to feeding Emmy pumped breastmilk in a bottle, she has been quite satisfied and will actually sleep for some good long stretches! Ideally, we would be napping at this time, but unfortunately it has become our catch-up time with other non-baby responsibilities :-/. Nick has been pulling double duty...Being a rockstar of a husband, daddy and breastfeeding support person (he found a bunch of breastfeeding tutorials on you tube to help me out! :-)). He has also been finishing up his out-processing from his current unit and in-processing to the 101st Airborne Division. His change-of-command ceremony will take place next Wednesday and then he will have to jump into high gear to get his soldiers deployment-ready. So many big life changes that are all happening at once...
Emmy and I have ventured out a handful of times...It's definitely a bit trickier to get errands finished now, because I have to plan the day around her feeding schedule. So far, she LOVES her carseat and riding in the car. I have been so very lucky that she has slept through all of our errands thus far! She even let me get my hair done yesterday (I refuse to look like a shlumpadinka on Nick's big day!!) I was such a proud mama that my sweet baby girl was so well behaved at the hair salon :-D.
We also paid a visit to our pediatrician for her two-week well baby check-up yesterday! Little Miss is gaining weight well--she is officially 7 pounds 13 ounces! That news was such a relief considering how obsessed I've become with making sure she is fed! :-P She is as healthy as can be! :-D She's such a happy little baby (when she has a full belly) and it is hard not to get lost in her big eyes...So far, we have learned that she loves her pacifier, her vibrating chair and getting her hair shampooed! We are so excited to learn all that there is to know about our Emmy!
Sleeping when I can!
Happy times
Nothing like sleeping on daddy's chestTwo weeks! Where on earth has the time gone?
It seems as though we have been carrying on in a fog these past couple of weeks...Emmy has stayed true to her "angel baby" nickname, but we have definitely had a steep learning curve since her birthday! I don't want to risk sharing too much information, but breastfeeding has been a challenge for sure. I am 100% committed to getting this right--I have seen one too many babies throw up formula, this is the first time that I am genuinely grateful to be pig-headed! I never thought that I'd be saying that my favorite Christmas present would be a fancy breast pump...but it has been clutch in getting us through this big adventure! I am just praying that we can figure this out as soon as possible and then I think we both will be much happier campers! :-P
Since we needed to temporarily resort to feeding Emmy pumped breastmilk in a bottle, she has been quite satisfied and will actually sleep for some good long stretches! Ideally, we would be napping at this time, but unfortunately it has become our catch-up time with other non-baby responsibilities :-/.
Nick has been pulling double duty...Being a rockstar of a husband, daddy and breastfeeding support person (he found a bunch of breastfeeding tutorials on you tube to help me out! :-)). He has also been finishing up his out-processing from his current unit and in-processing to the 101st Airborne Division. His change-of-command ceremony will take place next Wednesday and then he will have to jump into high gear to get his soldiers deployment-ready. So many big life changes all happening at once...
Emmy and I have ventured out a handful of times...It's for sure a bit trickier to get errands finished now, because I have to plan the day around her feeding schedule. So far, she LOVES her carseat and the car. I have been so very lucky that she has slept through all of our errands! She even let me get my hair done yesterday (can't look like a shlumpadinka on Nick's big day!!) I was such a proud mama that my sweet baby girl was so well behaved at the hair salon :-D.
We also paid a visit to our pediatrician for her two-week well baby check-up! Little Miss is gaining weight well--she is officially 7 pounds 13 ounces! That news was such a relief considering how obsessed I've become with making sure she is fed! :-P She is as healthy as can be! :-D
Since we needed to temporarily resort to feeding Emmy pumped breastmilk in a bottle, she has been quite satisfied and will actually sleep for some good long stretches! Ideally, we would be napping at this time, but unfortunately it has become our catch-up time with other non-baby responsibilities :-/.
Nick has been pulling double duty...Being a rockstar of a husband, daddy and breastfeeding support person (he found a bunch of breastfeeding tutorials on you tube to help me out! :-)). He has also been finishing up his out-processing from his current unit and in-processing to the 101st Airborne Division. His change-of-command ceremony will take place next Wednesday and then he will have to jump into high gear to get his soldiers deployment-ready. So many big life changes all happening at once...
Emmy and I have ventured out a handful of times...It's for sure a bit trickier to get errands finished now, because I have to plan the day around her feeding schedule. So far, she LOVES her carseat and the car. I have been so very lucky that she has slept through all of our errands! She even let me get my hair done yesterday (can't look like a shlumpadinka on Nick's big day!!) I was such a proud mama that my sweet baby girl was so well behaved at the hair salon :-D.
We also paid a visit to our pediatrician for her two-week well baby check-up! Little Miss is gaining weight well--she is officially 7 pounds 13 ounces! That news was such a relief considering how obsessed I've become with making sure she is fed! :-P She is as healthy as can be! :-D
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!!
Nick, Emmy and I would like to wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas!! We hope that you are enjoying this special day surrounded by loved ones!
Today has been much like the last number of days have been: falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning, squeezing in a couple of feedings and then getting up for good around eleven o'clock :-p. We opened presents, watched "A Christmas Story" and devoured breakfast at around three...We could, however, have done without Darla munching on a few pieces of gum with an ingredient, Xylitol, that is very toxic to dogs. Needless to say, as I was feeding our daughter (which has become a rather uncomfortable task lately :-/), Nick was sitting on the floor inducing vomitus from Darla after phone consultation from both our Vet and the ASPCA...Never, ever a dull moment....Now, I need to start thinking of what to make for our Christmas dinner :-P...Flexability is my new mantra!
Emmy's rejected Christmas card picture
Second attempt...Currently suffering from a "Milk-coma" :-P
Third times a charm! By far and away our favorite gift under the tree...
Emmy's pacifier= her favorite Christmas present
Today has been much like the last number of days have been: falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning, squeezing in a couple of feedings and then getting up for good around eleven o'clock :-p. We opened presents, watched "A Christmas Story" and devoured breakfast at around three...We could, however, have done without Darla munching on a few pieces of gum with an ingredient, Xylitol, that is very toxic to dogs. Needless to say, as I was feeding our daughter (which has become a rather uncomfortable task lately :-/), Nick was sitting on the floor inducing vomitus from Darla after phone consultation from both our Vet and the ASPCA...Never, ever a dull moment....Now, I need to start thinking of what to make for our Christmas dinner :-P...Flexability is my new mantra!
Emmy's rejected Christmas card picture
Second attempt...Currently suffering from a "Milk-coma" :-P
Third times a charm! By far and away our favorite gift under the tree...
Emmy's pacifier= her favorite Christmas present
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