Happy Father's Day!

Dear Daddy,

Happy Father's Day to the greatest guy in all the world!  Thanks for making every second count with us and for always showing us just how much you love us.  We love YOU and all of the fun memories we've made with you this past year!

 

As Mom would say, we are "out-of-our-minds BLESSED" to have you in our lives, and we love being your kids!  Happy Father's Day to you, and many more fun days to come!

Love you like a Dodger dog,

Jude & Emily



One year old...

Dear Emily,

You are one year old, and doing so many fun things right now!

And the most exciting of it all is... 

 CRAWLING!!!

Six days after your birthday you saw my shoe sitting across the living room and decided you just had to have it, so you got up on all fours and slowly but surely crawled all the way over to it!  Jude and I were both shocked to see you crawl so far, which made us wonder if you'd known how to do it all along...  Hmmm...  :)  It's so much fun to watch you follow Jude all over the house.  The two of you are quickly becoming the best of friends, and this mama sure does love it!

 You have also started pulling up on just about everything and can even stand for a couple of seconds without any help! 

At one year you weigh 23 pounds (75th %), are 30 inches tall (75th %), and are the most flexible toddler anyone has ever seen.  :)  Your spoken words include hi, bye-bye ("dye-dye"), daddy and mama.  You still like to have your milk warmed and are a bit more picky about food than Jude was, but you are starting to perk up to more and more solid foods including yummy fresh fruit.  Of course your six teeth (5 on top, 1 on bottom) help with that!

You're still a wonderful sleeper and napper and have that infectious smile, and I love that I get to stay at home and play with you and Jude all day long.  (Big thanks to your daddy for that one!!!)  Here's to another wonderful year with you, baby girl!

Love you like strawberries,

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Emily!!!

Dear Emme,

Happy 1st birthday, little sis!  It's been a fun year, hasn't it?!  Here's how we celebrated your big day...

In Mom and Dad's Sunday school class, 12 babies/kids have April & May birthdays, so we had one giant birthday bash!  Four of you gals were all turning one (you - your birthday buddy, Rebecca - and twins Allison and Alexis), so the three moms got together and made matching tutus and bows.  Props to Cody, the lone guy turning one, for putting up with you girls in all your glory!

Then it was on to your very own party at home!



{Notice that I also received gifts on your birthday.  I kept telling everyone it was my birthday, too, and apparently my plan worked!}

The guys played ball out back...

...while the girls got lunch ready in the kitchen...



Then came the fun part, Em... 

 PRESENTS!

We saved the yummy strawberry cupcake cake for last!

You weren't sure if you were okay with it at first...



...but eventually you dug in and decided it was pretty tasty!



I have to admit I'm pretty exhausted from all of the birthday celebrations, but it was all definitely worth it!  We have a lot of fun ahead of us, girl, so get ready ~ Your second year will be even better than your first!

Love you like cupcakes,

Jude

Exactly one year ago...

Dear Emily Lynn,

At this exact time one year ago, your dad was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop and blackberry, working hard to finish up his day's work.  I was back in our bathroom, putting some fresh makeup on and curling my hair.  This time around I was determined to not look so dog-gone tired and washed out.  About every 6 minutes I would call out to your dad to "start the timer, " and then 1-2 minutes later he would hear me say, "Okay, it's over.  Stop the timer."  That's right, pretty girl.  I was in labor.  With you.

I knew I had about 3-4 minutes between contractions, and in my mind that was plenty of time to get pretty.  I had done this before and knew that it wouldn't be long before we'd be loading up the car and heading to the hospital; and though I was in a great deal of pain I believed there was no reason to go through it without a fresh coat of mascara and dollop of pink lipgloss.  After all, like it or not, everyone ends up seeing those precious moments-after-birth photos, so I may as well look my best!  I wasn't nervous this time like I was when I was in labor with your big brother, Jude.  I was relishing it all, having the hindsight of a second-time mama who understands that the pain will quickly pass and in no time at all I'd be looking into your beautiful eyes and kissing your darling cheeks. 

At this time exactly one year ago, I had just gotten off the phone with Rebecca's mom, Sharla.  Having gone through our entire pregnancies together, I was excited to let her know that I was pretty sure this was "it."  And yet I was also a little hesitant because I knew that she'd go crazy if she wasn't in labor herself and heard that I was.  Luckily when I called she was pretty sure she was also in labor, and little did I know that she and Rebecca's dad would make it to the hospital even before we did!  I also texted Presley's mom, Ashley, who was already several days overdue with Presley, to let her know the good news.  I still can't believe that you, Rebecca and Presley were all born within a few hours of each other!

Yes, this night exactly one year ago seems like so long ago.  Yet it only seems like yesterday that I was holding you for the first time.  This has been a remarkable year for me as your mother, and if you happen to see me peeking in your room at exactly 3:03am, just know it's because I'm reliving all of the wonderful memories that exact time brought me just one year ago.

Love you like no one else,

Mom

He is risen!

Dear Jude and Emily,

Easter this year was a beautiful day of celebration and family!

We began the day with a wonderful service at church celebrating Jesus' resurrection ~

...then had an Easter cookout at our house along with Papi, Nana, Uncle Jonathan...

...Papa Jack and Mimi!

Of course no Easter would be complete without an Easter egg hunt, and Jude was a master egg hunter this year!

We pray that in the coming years you will begin to understand the amazing significance of this holiday; and just as you search for those wonderful eggs, you will seek for the Lord and find the eternal life He promises to those who put their trust in Him.  God loves you and wants you to be a part of an even bigger family - the family of Christ!

Love you like jellybeans,

Mommy and Daddy

"...Seek, and you will find..." 

(Matthew 7:7)

Read a good book lately?

Dear Daddy,

Have you read any good books lately?  If not, Jude and I have some great recommendations...

A few of Jude's favorites are The Napping House, What Is Easter?, Belly Button Book, and My First Word Board Book.  (Along with any Little Critter book!)

I, on the other hand, am on more of an animal theme these days, so my personal choices are Moo, Baa, La La La; On the Farm, and I Love You As Much... 

Baby Colors and How Do I Love You? follow very closely behind.

They are both quite the page turner. 



Hopefully you're reading something a bit more age-appropriate, Dad, but if you need to give your busy mind a break, feel free to come raid our library any day!

Love you like early literacy,

Emily

11 months old!

Dear Emme,

You're eleven months old!  Next month we'll celebrate your BIG birthday (with yummy cupcakes, Mom assures me!)

Although you're not as round as I was at your age, you've still got some rolls to be proud of and are sporting size 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers. 

The big "first" this month was your first tooth; it was a middle-bottom tooth and took a full week to break the surface....which made it a very long week for all of us here at home with you!  Then just a week later it was followed by your second tooth (middle-top).  And it looks like you have another one on top about to pop through, too.  So your "gummy grin" is gone forever, but is being replaced by an awfully cute "toothy" smile.  Mom says there's nothing cuter.

And your favorite mode of transportation is still scooting, rolling, then sitting up.  It's actually pretty entertaining to watch just how far you can go without crawling.  One of these days you'll wise up and get your crawl on, and then you and I can really have some fun!

(Even though you seem pretty content just as you are, sis!)

You're standing up really well now, too, as long as you have something to hold onto; but you don't know how to fall down yet, so after a while you just pucker those lips and Mom and I rush to you before an all-out-cry begins!  (You are the QUEEN of the pucker.)  And your first two words became official this month: "dada" and "hi."  Daddy is of course very proud of the first, and the world is getting to see your friendly side with the last.  :)





Some of your favorites right now include reading books, "singing" along to the radio, bouncing, peek-a-boo, clapping, drinking from your sippy cup then spitting it all out (with roars of laughter), and being outside.  Some of your dislikes are being away from Mommy, sitting still for diaper changes, and getting out of the bath. 

You're getting more and more fun to play with, and I'm having a total blast being your big brother!

Love you like Goldfish crackers,

Jude