BFF's.

Emily and Kylie could NOT be any cuter together.

Pretty in pink.

Halfway there!

The many faces of Emily.

Now with 80% less binky!

A new record?

Yeah, I know. I promised to be more bloggy this month. What can I say? You get what you pay for around here.

So, in an unprecedented move (read: sucking up to the readers who haven't given up on me yet) I will be going for a record five posts tonight. I've been hydrating all day, I stretched out and even ramped up my workouts lately. I think I'm both physically and mentally prepared for just such a grueling event. Now, if only Emily will cooperate. She's currently in the other room. And it's quiet. That's never good.

Ok. Wish me luck.

PS-this counts as one post.

Remember us?

I know...I know. Believe me, my absence from the blogosphere has not gone unnoticed. However, my lack of posting should be seen as a positive in regards to young Emily. If you review my early posts they were dark and troublesome and full of doubt and I just don't find myself in that place all too often anymore (check that...I still hang out there...just not because of her...never forget I'm a disturbed individual.) But mostly, I don't have time to brood when I spend my time trying to keep up with this kid. She's all over the place! Granted, it's often because she's clinging tightly to her mom (you do NOT want to be around when Mommy leaves...it gets a little loud.) But the simple fact is Ems is a machine. Walking, talking, playing, coloring, swinging, sliding...you name it, she's into it. She loves her new crab sandbox (thanks, Oppy!) and is certainly discovering a love of the outdoors this spring.

While I keep a close eye on the school calendar (just seven weeks left!) every passing moment puts us closer to her Superhip surgery in August. In three and a half months, we'll be hitting the dusty road to West Palm Beach. Perhaps I'm only kidding myself and am actually filled with the false confidence of someone who hasn't fully owned the gravity of the situation. Or maybe I'm done worrying because I trust our plan. I trust our guy. And I know...I KNOW...it's going to work. Remember...we got this.

So why worry? Enjoy the pictures and I'll try to be a little more blog-minded in May.

Already a shopper. Guh.

Relaxing after a hard day.

Bubbles...is there anything they can't do?

The statement after seeing this family shot..."God, we're old."

Happy birthday to my guys.

11 years.

I really can't believe it's been that long.

My dad has been gone for 11 years. Diagnosed with cancer on his 60th birthday and gone two years later to the day. After three tumors, multiple surgeries, countless chemo sessions and eight months of gradual deterioration at home, he needed to go. We were begging for him to go. When it was over, the house was lighter. A weight had been lifted. It was finally over. He was free.

I was just 23 at the time. I felt like I was just starting to figure things out.

Since then, I've gone back to school, found the job I was made for, met my wife, bought a house, and had a little girl that would have turned my dad inside out. He'd be 73 today and I have no doubt he'd be rolling on the floor laughing and playing with her like a man half his age.

That's the part that hurts.

As much as I would enjoy sitting next to him at Wrigley Field, playing golf together or just talking hoops, I would give everything I own to see him play with Emily for one day. She would have him wrapped around her finger within seconds. That's kinda her thing.

And as I think of him this week, it's amazing how he still plays a role in our daughter's future. The other day, Kate casually mentions to me, "hey, you know who shares your dad's birthday? Dr. Paley."

If that's not a sign, I don't know what is.

We got this.

I wish I liked anything as much as she likes this.

Just because.

Do I have to say anything?

Ems loves Gram.

I think the feeling is mutual.

I love Saturday mornings.

Emily is in the playroom getting acquainted with classic cartoons (Hong Kong Phooey! Nice!) which means I finally have a moment to put a couple posts together. Nothing grand, just a few recent pictures. I promise to sit down very soon in an effort to hack through something moderately informative/entertaining regarding our beloved Ems, Easter and, of course, March Madness. In the meantime, all the best to those of you who keep checking in.