Tonight I was tucking Emily in bed, and after I gave her a hug she told me:
"I like it when you put your arms around me because it's like a hammock in my daddy's arms."
What else could a father want for Christmas?
I love you Emily,
Daddy
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Twelve Months Old!
Dear Sophie,
On your birthday, there are a few things I want you to know. First, we feel so lucky to have welcomed you into our family exactly one year ago. Maybe it's because you have the benefit of having an older sister (and we made all of our mistakes on her - just kidding, Emmie!), but almost everything about your first year has seemed to go pretty well. Yes, there were hiccups along the way, and yes, there were days that most certainly wouldn't qualify as easy by anyone's definition, but by and large I will always look back on your first year of life with a smile.
Second, I want you to know how much you are loved. For me, it has been especially fun to watch Emily grow to love you. And someday - maybe ten years from now - you may not believe me, but you are one of her very favorite people. She adores you, she takes great pride in the fact that you are her sister, and she is always on your side. She loves making you laugh, and you don't disappoint. Your infectious smile and giggle are so much a part of your personality, and we are thankful that you are often such a happy child. You have an entire extended family - aunts, uncles, and grandparents - that think you're pretty great. You have a mom and dad who delight in you each and every day, and you have a God who will always watch over you.
Third, I want you to know some of specific things you do that make you unique. You love to cuddle any and all things soft, and you give phenomenal hugs. You don't like being cooped up, and are always on the go. You have begun pointing to things you want to see, touch, and grab and you squeal like a stuck pig when you don't get your way. You enjoy being read to for short periods of time, and will help turn the pages. You must also believe that every book is supposed to be a "touch and feel" book, and will spend forever combing your fingers over the pictures. You were an early walker, and are pretty athletic. You can go up and down stairs with great ease. You like being outside, in new places, and around people. You have amazingly beautiful eyes, and I can never decide what color they are. You seem to detest getting new teeth, and sometimes will stuff your entire little fist in your mouth to see if that will make everything feel better. You are quick to cry, but easily comforted. You have flaws, of course, but to me you are perfect because you are you.
I love you so much, and I celebrate you today, Sophie Grace.
Love,
Mommy
On your birthday, there are a few things I want you to know. First, we feel so lucky to have welcomed you into our family exactly one year ago. Maybe it's because you have the benefit of having an older sister (and we made all of our mistakes on her - just kidding, Emmie!), but almost everything about your first year has seemed to go pretty well. Yes, there were hiccups along the way, and yes, there were days that most certainly wouldn't qualify as easy by anyone's definition, but by and large I will always look back on your first year of life with a smile.
Second, I want you to know how much you are loved. For me, it has been especially fun to watch Emily grow to love you. And someday - maybe ten years from now - you may not believe me, but you are one of her very favorite people. She adores you, she takes great pride in the fact that you are her sister, and she is always on your side. She loves making you laugh, and you don't disappoint. Your infectious smile and giggle are so much a part of your personality, and we are thankful that you are often such a happy child. You have an entire extended family - aunts, uncles, and grandparents - that think you're pretty great. You have a mom and dad who delight in you each and every day, and you have a God who will always watch over you.
Third, I want you to know some of specific things you do that make you unique. You love to cuddle any and all things soft, and you give phenomenal hugs. You don't like being cooped up, and are always on the go. You have begun pointing to things you want to see, touch, and grab and you squeal like a stuck pig when you don't get your way. You enjoy being read to for short periods of time, and will help turn the pages. You must also believe that every book is supposed to be a "touch and feel" book, and will spend forever combing your fingers over the pictures. You were an early walker, and are pretty athletic. You can go up and down stairs with great ease. You like being outside, in new places, and around people. You have amazingly beautiful eyes, and I can never decide what color they are. You seem to detest getting new teeth, and sometimes will stuff your entire little fist in your mouth to see if that will make everything feel better. You are quick to cry, but easily comforted. You have flaws, of course, but to me you are perfect because you are you.
I love you so much, and I celebrate you today, Sophie Grace.Love,
Mommy
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Frustrations
After listening to several minutes of Sarah venting her frustrations
about trying to order a Christmas gift online, Emily steps in to help:
about trying to order a Christmas gift online, Emily steps in to help:
EMILY: Momma, what's wrong?
SARAH: Oh nothing, Emmy. Mommy's just frustrated about ordering
something with the computer.
EMILY: Oh. One time I was frustrated when I was trying to play the
game I got at the chicken nugget store.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Playing School With Emily
EMILY: Everyone sit down please, it's time for school!
ME: Am I one of your students?
EMILY: Yes, you sit right here.
ME: OK
EMILY: Now it's time for the story.
ME: I want a snack! I want goldfish crackers please! Can I have
goldfish? Can I?
EMILY: Well, you just can't have what you want all the time.
ME: I can't?
EMILY: No, different people bring the snack every time. It's not just
goldfish, goldfish, goldfish all the time Daddy!
ME: Am I one of your students?
EMILY: Yes, you sit right here.
ME: OK
EMILY: Now it's time for the story.
ME: I want a snack! I want goldfish crackers please! Can I have
goldfish? Can I?
EMILY: Well, you just can't have what you want all the time.
ME: I can't?
EMILY: No, different people bring the snack every time. It's not just
goldfish, goldfish, goldfish all the time Daddy!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween
While trick-or-treating last night, we noticed Emily wasn't saying "trick or treat".
ME: Emmy, don't forget to say "trick or treat" when someone opens the door.
EMILY: But they already know!
ME: Emmy, don't forget to say "trick or treat" when someone opens the door.
EMILY: But they already know!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Eleven Months Old!
Dear Sophie,
You are now eleven months old, and so close to reaching the huge milestone that is your first birthday. You decided to celebrate eleven months by taking your first steps - about five - yesterday, but you definitely aren't walking yet. If I hold my arms out to you from a couple feet away, you'll make your way over, usually falling into my arms on that last step. You want to be walking so badly, but I think it will be a few more weeks before you get there. And that's okay with me because I enjoy watching you speed crawl your way through our entire house. If they had crawling races for babies, my money would be on you every time.
Your days follow a mostly predictable pattern. You enjoy three bottles each day, gobble up finger foods at each meal, and on good days, will tolerate some baby food. You nap very well each morning, but often cry for awhile before your afternoon nap. You are quite happy on most days, but the last hour before bedtime is often hard. You've just plumb tuckered yourself out and start to lose the ability to keep it together. So we take walks, we read books, we cuddle, we have dance parties and somehow, day after day, we make it until 8:00.
You're quite mischievous, just today finding your father's secret stash of dark chocolate and going to town until I found you and promptly put an end to your fun. You have an almost constant gleam in your eye, telling me that you're enjoying life to the fullest. But this gleam also lets me know - in a way that I can't fully explain - that you're going to be trouble sometimes. You're going to test limits and push boundaries, but you'll do it with a happy grin the whole time.
I absolutely adore watching you grow and change into the little person you will become. Sometimes the days are long, but the months and years are short, Sophie Bear. So very soon you will turn one, changing more and more from my baby precious baby into my precocious toddler. And I can't wait to be there with you every step of the way.
I love you lots and lots,
Mommy
You are now eleven months old, and so close to reaching the huge milestone that is your first birthday. You decided to celebrate eleven months by taking your first steps - about five - yesterday, but you definitely aren't walking yet. If I hold my arms out to you from a couple feet away, you'll make your way over, usually falling into my arms on that last step. You want to be walking so badly, but I think it will be a few more weeks before you get there. And that's okay with me because I enjoy watching you speed crawl your way through our entire house. If they had crawling races for babies, my money would be on you every time.
Your days follow a mostly predictable pattern. You enjoy three bottles each day, gobble up finger foods at each meal, and on good days, will tolerate some baby food. You nap very well each morning, but often cry for awhile before your afternoon nap. You are quite happy on most days, but the last hour before bedtime is often hard. You've just plumb tuckered yourself out and start to lose the ability to keep it together. So we take walks, we read books, we cuddle, we have dance parties and somehow, day after day, we make it until 8:00.
You're quite mischievous, just today finding your father's secret stash of dark chocolate and going to town until I found you and promptly put an end to your fun. You have an almost constant gleam in your eye, telling me that you're enjoying life to the fullest. But this gleam also lets me know - in a way that I can't fully explain - that you're going to be trouble sometimes. You're going to test limits and push boundaries, but you'll do it with a happy grin the whole time.
I absolutely adore watching you grow and change into the little person you will become. Sometimes the days are long, but the months and years are short, Sophie Bear. So very soon you will turn one, changing more and more from my baby precious baby into my precocious toddler. And I can't wait to be there with you every step of the way.
I love you lots and lots,
Mommy
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Traditions
One of the things I had really looked forward to when Eric and I started a family was creating traditions. I love looking back fondly upon some of my family traditions, from Christmas pajamas opened every year on the 24th of December to my mom's homemade pecan pie every Thanksgiving to eating the same wonderful casserole on most every special occasion. And these days, here in Pittsburgh with two young girls, it's hard to find time or energy to create traditions. Most nights, it's hard not to fall over in exhaustion as soon as the kids are asleep.
But still, when I look back and remember these years, here is one thing I desperately want to remember: making muffins from scratch with my girls. It's an easy recipe, one that my husband and his college roommates made all the time. One that these boys - now men - now all make with their own families from time to time. When I make the muffins, I remember these friends and how our lives intertwine, both then and now, and it makes me smile.
It also makes me smile to watch Emily's excitement at getting to help, at insisting that she can dump in the ingredients by herself. It makes me smile how she asks approximately 28 times if she can lick the spoon yet. It makes me smile to see how she wants to share the experience with her sister, and how she's the first one to suggest that Sophie should get a taste too. It cracks me up that she spends the entire time the muffins are baking "washing" the bowl and measuring cups in the sink. It amazes me that she says, "Guess what mom? The sponge can float. That means it can stay on top of the water." It delights me to watch Sophie take it all in, to know that someday, she too will help us make these same muffins.
Yes, these days are crazy. And hard, so very hard. But these small traditions, like making muffins, are the things I want to remember about these days. And I think I will.
But still, when I look back and remember these years, here is one thing I desperately want to remember: making muffins from scratch with my girls. It's an easy recipe, one that my husband and his college roommates made all the time. One that these boys - now men - now all make with their own families from time to time. When I make the muffins, I remember these friends and how our lives intertwine, both then and now, and it makes me smile.
It also makes me smile to watch Emily's excitement at getting to help, at insisting that she can dump in the ingredients by herself. It makes me smile how she asks approximately 28 times if she can lick the spoon yet. It makes me smile to see how she wants to share the experience with her sister, and how she's the first one to suggest that Sophie should get a taste too. It cracks me up that she spends the entire time the muffins are baking "washing" the bowl and measuring cups in the sink. It amazes me that she says, "Guess what mom? The sponge can float. That means it can stay on top of the water." It delights me to watch Sophie take it all in, to know that someday, she too will help us make these same muffins.
Yes, these days are crazy. And hard, so very hard. But these small traditions, like making muffins, are the things I want to remember about these days. And I think I will.
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