Three Years Old!

Dear Emily,

Today we celebrated your third birthday, and I am so proud of the big girl that you are becoming. You have really blossomed in the last couple of months, and while I was afraid of the changes that you would go through with the move to Pittsburgh and adjusting to being a big sister, you have taken it all in stride.

You are a tremendous big sister, always eager to help with your baby sister by fetching me a diaper, alerting us when she's unhappy, or even trying to calm her down yourself. I hope to always remember the way that you try to soothe Sophie by reciting, "it's okay, momma's gotcha". You talk constantly these days, and are starting to understand such complex things. You have complete conversations with people, and will say things like "when I was a baby, I used to play with these toys". You say very few words incorrectly, and the few that you do say wrong (eatmeal for oatmeal, and musigic for music), I can't quite bring myself to correct, for fear I'll completely lose the baby that you once were.

You can identify most, if not all, letters of the alphabet, and you can even tell me the sounds that many of them make. You enjoy puzzles, music, playing with your dollhouse, duplos, and trains. You can play pretend with the best of them, inventing all sorts of different scenarios to act out. And you have become amazingly good at entertaining yourself, which has been a huge blessing in this time of great transition.

You love life, Emily. You have an amazing amount of energy, and your eyes sparkle when you get excited. You are cautious, but quick to get involved once you feel safe. You show an amazing amount of kindness and empathy towards other people, and can very quickly pick up on how others are feeling. You are quick to give hugs and kisses, and to share with others. You are getting to be a much better listener, though you test your boundaries pretty regularly. In short, I could not have asked for a more perfect, more beautiful daughter. I can't wait to see what this next year brings! I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Two Years Old!

Dear Emily,

I can hardly believe that you're turning two today!  In many ways it seems like you were just a newborn sleeping in my arms.  I remember how we used to have to swaddle you, rock you to sleep, and figure out what you wanted by the type of your cry.  How far you've come!  Your communication continues to astound your dad and me, and your vocabulary has exploded lately.  You'll repeat almost anything we say, and you often will say words that we had no idea you knew (and much to my chagrin and your dad's delight, one of them is fart).  Recently we spent quite a bit of time away from home, visiting relatives for the holidays.  You seemed to love every minute of it, and basked in the attention lavished upon you by your grandparents, uncles, and aunts.  And then, when we got home last night you were so happy to see Oscar, your new cash register toy, and your monkey pajamas.  After giving Oscar multiple hugs and kisses, you told him "Hi Occar.  At Gamma's."  I guess you owed him an explanation for your lengthy absence.  And just this morning, I told you that you were such a big girl and you said "mommy big girl".  I clarified that yes, mommy was a big girl and then asked you if you were a big girl too and you said "no".  I asked you what you were, and you said "two"!

You've been giving a LOT of attention to the alphabet song lately, and sing it several times per day.  You'll say "mommy do it" when you want me to sing it, and when I tire of that song after several renditions, and tell you I'm done for now, you will turn to your father and say "daddy do it".  How quickly you are learning to utilize both of your parents to your advantage!  You also love to count, enjoy reading books (especially about Pooh or Elmo or animals), play with your baby dolls and their accessories, and your new train and Duplo sets.  You are active, often excited, and seldom do anything for very long.  You are affectionate, almost always granting requests for hugs and kisses.  You are adventurous, and love to explore new places and toys.  You are a quick learner, a curious child, and often determined.  You are, to me, a perfect manifestation of love.  Your dad and I were remarking recently that in addition to how much we've seen you learn and grow, we've been equally stretched and challenged.  We've grown in patience, and also in love.  I had no idea how having you in my life would change it, and how my capacity to love another human being would grow by leaps and bounds.  I love you Emily Bear!

21 months old!

Emily,

Okay, I'm a little late again with your post, but I think our readers (a.k.a. your grandparents and a handful of other friends and family) will forgive me when they learn that instead of pictures embedded in this entry, they are going to get videos.  I have a hunch that grandma Ruth will be particularly pleased.  At any rate, let's recap what you've been up to.  First, you are so, so stubborn.  Our eating battle continues, and as Julie remarked the other day, "you seem to be getting more picky - if that's possible - as you get older".  Honestly, breakfast is either oatmeal or cereal and a banana (or occasionally waffles as a treat), lunch is either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or hummus, cheese, and crackers, and dinner is whichever of those two things you didn't eat for lunch.  Now, I'm not really worried because you're gaining weight, seem healthy, and I sneak veggie juice and crushed up vitamans in with your fruit juice, but still, live a little.  Try a bit of scrambled egg, or - gasp - even a piece fo pizza for goodness sake!  But, to make up for it, you are becoming so, so smart.  Here's a video of us (okay, really just me) singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song, but you do very well with the motions (and to be fair, you do better when I am doing them along with you but as I was holding the camera, that just wasn't happening this time).

You continue to learn new words at an alarming rate, and are putting small phrases together.  For example, "where dada" or "watch Elmo".  Yes, that furry little guy continues to be your very best friend, and you angle to watch one of his videos at least a dozen times a day.  However, lest grandma Evonne or our other readers become concerned, let me reassure them that you only watch 30 minutes of an Elmo video a few times per week.  You also can remember what pages in books are coming up, and this morning, when we were reading a Spot book where flaps are hiding different animals, you made the sound of each and every animal BEFORE lifting the flap.  You knew exactly what would be there, and we've only read that book maybe a dozen times.  What a smarty pants!  Oh, and speaking of pants, you are already exhibiting signs of being a teenager.  You totally have an opinion on what you want to wear, and if I try to dress you in something you don't like, you will throw a fit.  If, however, you do like my choice, you will shoot your arms up in the air, and say "there!" when it's on properly.  It's a little scary, to be honest.  You are tons of fun, and love to listen to music and dance, as this video shows!

You continue to be very social, very strong willed, exuberant, obedient, often whiny, and always so stinking cute.  You're getting better at playing by yourself, especially when I leave to go take a shower.  You used to wail if I left you alone to do that, and now you just shout "bye!" and go on playing with Noah (a little person that you actually know by name) or whatever else has caught your attention.  Lately, puzzles continue to be a favorite, and here you are showing your prowess.  The video is a little long, but again, I think the grandparents will like it and since they're a big portion of our audience, here you go!

I love you Emmy!

Mommy

Twelve Months Old!

Emily,

Wow, what a year 2008 has been!  Your arrival at the beginning of last year changed so much about my life, and now I simply can't imagine what things were like without you here.  What in the world did I do with all of my time?!  And now, you are officially a whole year old! You have gone from a teeny, tiny helpless creature to a vibrant, energetic, bright eyed little girl.  You have gone from a brunette to a blond, and from a wriggling but stationary baby to a child that claps and dances and never, not for hardly a second, stays still.  Your dad and I look at friends who have recently had babies and can scarcely recall what it was like to hold someone so small.

In this most recent month you have learned a few new tricks: how to hug your new baby doll, how to stack blocks (and not just knock them down), how to say mama discriminately, and how to climb up and down stairs with amazing proficiency.  You are eating more and more adult foods like lasagna and pizza and spinach bars and pancakes.  You babble almost constantly, and some of your chatter really sounds like whole sentences.  I swear I've heard you say "all done", and "I do", and "this" multiple times.  And, maybe you really are.  Only you know for sure!  The other morning though, you were whining in your high chair after you finished your breakfast and I was doing dishes.  Finally, you stopped, and said "mama, ah don" and waved your hands in the air (the sign for all done)!  Progress.

You learned to throw temper tantrums this month and will throw a fit about random things that perturb you.  I think it's just a tiny bit funny (until you've done this for the tenth time in one day), which probably isn't the most "motherly" response.  But, I can't take you seriously!  You also definitely comprehend the word no, and if I say it in a non-scary voice, sometimes you even listen to me.  Of course, sometimes you also throw one of those tantrums, but you will generally stop doing the thing I don't want you to do (even if you don't like it).

But, Em, even when you're not on your best behavior, I still love you like crazy.  Some of my favorite memories from the past year are watching you learn to smile, crawl, and laugh, singing to you at night before putting you to sleep, having you learn to hug and cuddle me before you go down for naps, seeing your eyes light up when I walk into a room, watching the way your daddy looks at you, taking you for countless walks in the baby bjorn (my back may never be the same) and learning to love someone with so much of myself that I'll never be the same again.

I thank God for His precious gift and can't wait to see what the next year of your life holds!

Love,

Mommy

Eleven Months Old!

Dear Emily,

You are getting closer and closer to your first birthday - what a crazy thought!  For now though, let me recap the past four weeks for you.  I feel like there have been quite a few highs and lows, so we'll start with the lows first and get them out of the way.  First, we were all very, very sick with some sort of virus earlier this month.  I think you started it, as you had that unfortunate vomiting in the pool incident.  And, for the next week after that, there was much coming out of you and not a lot at all going in.  In fact, it got so bad at one point that your parents began to worry about you getting dehydrated and took your limp little self into an after hours pediatrics clinic.  But, you slowly perked back up (only to catch a nasty cold about a week ago, but we'll get to that).  Your dad and I were also quite ill for about 48 hours, and let me tell you that it is not easy to take care of you when I barely feel well enough to sit up (let alone chase you around).  But, I made it through and we're making it through your sinus infection (or whatever is currently ailing you).  I would really just like our whole family to be healthy for a period longer than two days.  That would be nice.

Also, you are currently  incapable of being in a room by yourself, sometimes even of being in a different part of the same room by yourself, without completely falling apart.  I don't recall ever leaving you on a doorstep or locking you in the basement or doing anything else that would give you the slightest reason to doubt that I will indeed come back for you (okay, well there was that incident with the bathroom door, but it was an accident and I saved you eventually).  But yet, if I step away from you - even momentarily - you scream and cry big alligator tears.  The doctor says that this sometimes happens with first kids, that I should ignore you and let you cry, that eventually you WILL learn to be on your own and entertain yourself.  But, the thing is, once you get all worked up like that, it is very hard to calm you down and you are more clingy than ever.  Also, the doctor doesn't have to look at this face.

Okay, now on to the highs.  I've written a lot (and given you a lot of grief) about being a poor napper.  The thing is (and I've hesitated to write this lest I jinx myself) you are currently a champion napper!  Seriously, you still have a few problems napping other places as you demonstrated over the Thanksgiving weekend at grandma and grandpa's house, but in general, you go down fine, are quiet right away and I frequently have to wake you up after an hour and a half or two hours.  You are taking two naps a day and still sleeping 11+ hours a night and that, my baby girl, is fabulous.  Your father and I attribute much of this to your blankie, whom you love and cuddle while you sleep.

Also, you do a lot of cute things now.  My favorite new thing is that you dance to music.  And, it can be just about any music from commercials on TV to the Jonas Brothers half-time show to all of your musically inclined toys.  You can be sitting or standing and you start to bounce up and down - your little head nodding to the beat.  It's pretty adorable.  And, you're slowly learning games.  You initiate peek-a-boo to pass the time when I change your diapers, you will (on occasion) raise your arms when I ask how big you are, and you will high-five people with a big, toothy grin when they ask for five.

I can't wait for your words to come so that you can tell me what is wrong when you are upset (and also that you love me, which will be even better to hear).  I also can't wait for you to walk on your own (you are getting closer - once you can balance there will be no stopping you).  But, I'm loving you more every day and watching you learn things and observe everything with your big, bright blue eyes is one of the things I love most about life right now.

Love,

Mommy

Ten Months Old!

Dear Emily,

You are ten months old today! Your uncle Jeff frequently exclaims how big you are when he sees you (though he does see you on a fairly regular basis so I'm not always sure where the shock comes from). But lately I have to agree. I simply can't believe how much bigger you are becoming. I look back at pictures from a few months ago, and I'm shocked by your sheer size, by the things you can do now that you couldn't then, by the incredible amount of hair you are growing! Fall has come to Michigan, and you have enjoyed partaking in a few traditions: exploring pumpkin patches, crawling through leaves, and sitting in hay to name a few.

You have begun to get your first two teeth this month, and while that's exciting and will help you chew foods (right now if I give you finger foods they just sit in your mouth for a long, long time), it seems to be making you a little cranky and uncomfortable. Also, they are taking a long time. You have been getting your first two teeth for a few weeks now, and I wish they would just hurry up and come all the way in.

That picture of you in the high chair there, that's often how you like to view the world. It's amusing, and you also do this in your stroller when we go for walks prompting strangers left and right to approach me and tell me how tired you are, how much you need a nap, and how I better hurry up and get you home. Clearly these people are not familiar with your wily ways (and why they feel the need to give me such advice is beyond me) and a few seconds later your head will pop up like a jack in the box and, eyes gleaming, you'll smile at me like it was all a big trick on your part.

Speaking of tricks (and treats), you also experienced your first Halloween. I wasn't about to spend $25 on a costume that you would wear one time, but I did pony up the $3.77 for an outfit on eBay, and if I do say so myself, I think it was an excellent selection.

You weren't feeling particularly well on Halloween, but you did enjoy finding the leftover candy the next morning and protested loudly when I tried to take it away from you (but not before snapping this picture!).

Finally, this has been a month of transition as I have gone back to work part-time. It's been great though, as you now usually get to spend one day of the work week with your daddy, two days with me, and two days playing with your friends down the street. Frankly, you seem to be having a blast with this arrangement and now I can honestly say that I enjoy (even treasure) the days that our just ours. Thanks for being my sweet little peanut - I love you more than words can ever say!

Love,

Mommy

Nine Months Old!

Emily,

You are nine months old today, and you keep going full steam ahead!  I frequently tell people that you have two states of being: incredibly energetic and asleep.  I don't know how you do it.  Sometimes I'm ready for a nap in the morning before you are just from chasing you around.  Do you think maybe you could take it easy for a little while?  But then again, your boundless energy (and we're not talking about energy in the way that all kids have energy - you put all the other babies I've ever watched to shame) is part of what makes you well, you, and I would not change you for the world.

You love to explore, and will take off to other rooms of the house all by yourself (though you do seem to want me to follow and whining ensues when I don't).  In fact, you love to be chased, and will try to outcrawl me all the time.  You also find real humor in peek-a-boo and that's handy for diaper changes (which you hate).  You have also developed a real knack for finding things to put in your mouth that shouldn't be there.  Here is a list of things your father and I have had to fish out of your mouth just in the past week:

a) paper

b) cat food

c) rubber band

And, those were only the things I could identify.  I mean, your dad and I aren't exactly neat freaks, but I vacumm - I do! often! - and you still manage to pick up all sorts of things I missed.

You are eating more and more real foods, including bananas, cantaloupe, crackers, cheerios (oh my goodness do you love cheerios!), broccoli, oatmeal, and yogurt.  This is fun, but it's also messy and you don't seem to enjoy being cleaned off after meals.  Just so you know, I'm not trying to cause you any angst or consternation while I wipe your face and hands.  I'm only trying to protect the furniture!

You've learned to wave this month, and it's pretty cute.  The other day I put you in your high chair for breakfast, set some of your beloved cheerios in front of you and watched you begin talking and waving TO YOUR CHEERIOS!  Not your mother.  No, your head was definitely directed downwards as you chatted up your breakfast.  You are also "cruising" now, and walking along pieces of furniture.  I suppose that means that walking can't be too far behind, but I'm not quite ready for that level of mobility yet so take your time.

You are becoming so much fun, and your dad and I love spending time with you.  Napping continues to be a struggle, as you are seriously trying to drop down to one nap a day sometimes.  I try to reason with you - tell you that all the baby books say that you will be taking two naps until you turn one (at least!) but you'll have none of that and continue to remind me that you are unique and you'll do as you please.

It's hard to believe how big you are getting and watch you ever so slowly turn from a baby - my little, precious baby - into a girl, but there's no denying it.  You are growing every day and I can't wait to keep watching as you do.

I love you, peanut!

Mommy

Eight months old!

Peanut,

At first, I didn't believe the people who told me that your babyhood would fly by; that I would find myself a little wistful for how small you used to be.  But now, that's exactly what I'm doing.  And this is how people get tricked into having more babies.  They remember the smell of a newborn, how cute the first smile is, how adorable the tiny fingers and toes are - not the screaming, the dirty diapers - did I mention the screaming?  But I digress.   This has been the month of mobility.  You began to crawl the day after you turned seven months old, and you haven't looked back since.  It's been great, because you are getting much better about entertaining yourself, but you also get into everything!  See exhibit A:

In addition to being able to get around the house, you can also pull yourself up onto almost anything.  In fact, I think you'd be an excellent rock climber, though I'll never let you do something so dangerous.  See exhibit B:

We joined the YMCA this month, and it's been good for both of us so far.  You get to play with your little friends, and I get an hour to myself to work out and take a shower that lasts longer than 3.7 minutes.  You also really enjoy the pool there, and splash around in the shallow end watching with wonder as other kids run and swim all around you.  Your dad and I often wonder what sports you will enjoy as you get older.  One of your dad's very favorite things to do is play basketball, and I must admit that you are showing some early signs of interest in the sport.  Last week I captured your very first dunk on camera!  See exhibit C:

You've also started sticking your tongue out a LOT this month, which I think is a sign of concentration.  This is also something your daddy does when he concentrates.  In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I saw you both doing it at the same time and it made me smile inside.  See exhibit D:

Peanut, you are growing into such a lively, animated, adventurous, and truly adorable child.  You are so full of life, and it's so much fun to see you grow and learn every day.  You can frustrate me by not napping or being unusually fussy, but you can melt my heart (and everyone else's) with a single adorable smile.

Love,

Mommy

Seven Months Old!

Peanut,

You are now seven months old, and as busy and squirmy as ever.  You are trying to learn so many new things that you can hardly sit still long enough for your parents to catch their collective breath.  But, your go get 'em attitude seems to be paying off in terms of your physical development.  You are SO close to crawling that I'm beginning to think often about baby proofing the house.  You get on your hands and knees and rock back and forth with an excited gleam in your eyes, but when that doesn't work, you get back on your tummy and flail your limbs in the desperate hope that it will magically move you across the room.

A few days ago I was helping a friend babysit, and there was a little boy there only a couple of months older than you are.  He was able to pull himself up and stand, and I told you to take notes.  I don't think anything you have done to this point in your life surprised me more than when you actually copied him and were standing on your own a few moments later.  Who knew you could do that?  But, you really enjoy standing now and are quite good at it.  Even if you fall backwards and sit down, if I laugh and smile at you, you seem to think it was funny and rarely get scared.

You're still not very good at playing by yourself, and have a remarkable knack for knowing when your daddy or I sneak out of the room after we've supplied you with an armful of toys.  You start to search for us almost instantly - how did you know we left?!  We thought we were so sneaky...

You continue to enjoy eating solid foods of all varieties except for things green in color.  Although, your daddy did get you to eat oatmeal with peas the other morning.  I can't believe he would try that, but he swears you ate it.  At your six month well baby check up, you were a healthy 16 pounds 4 ounces (putting you right around the 50th percentile) and 26 and 3/4 inches long (85th percentile).   Also, you make the cutest face after you swallow a spoonful of food.  So cute, in fact, that sometimes I continue to feed you just to see you make the face!

You've been enjoying the stroller more lately, for which I'm thankful.  My shoulders were getting quite sore toting you around in the baby bjorn, though sometimes we still use it in the evening when you are so cranky that even a nice stroll won't calm you down.  We also used the baby backpack we purchased for the first time last week as we hiked along the Plaster Creek trail after church.

Thanks for another wonderful month.  There definitely are days when you try my patience (like those two days in a row when you decided that naps are optional) but I'm trying to enjoy them all.  After all, you'll only be seven months old once!

Love,

Mommy

Six Months Old!

Peanut,

You are officially halfway to your first birthday!  Wow.  In some ways, I feel like your dad and I just brought you home from the hospital and in other ways it feels like I can't quite remember how it felt to exist without you.  As usual, you've had a busy month filled with learning all kinds of new things.  One of the most significant is that you've finally started to enjoy eating baby foods.  It took quite a few attempts, and lots of bib cleaning as you would push out anything that I managed to get in.  In the last week or so though, you have started swallowing.  And, lo and behold, you enjoy it!  You eat banana, pears, applesauce, carrots, and sweet potatoes and seem to like them all.

This month you have also decided that you don't need to be swaddled anymore to sleep, which is a great relief to me because I kept picturing you going off to college and still needing your dad and I to swaddle you in your dorm room each night.  Peanut, your mom is really good at finding things to worry about.  I hope that is something you don't get from me!  But now, this is the face that I see when I come to your room in the morning or after a nap.

Another exciting adventure you've had is going to the beach!  Your dad and I had some business to attend to near Grand Haven and we took you to Lake Michigan for the first time.  Your face was priceless as you touched the sand and the waves for the very first time.  Luckily, you seemed to be enjoying yourself until you got a little bit chilly.

This means that you and I can enjoy many days at the beach this summer, though I'm sure it won't be quite as relaxing as it once was.  Unless maybe you want to lay quietly on a towel reading magazines with me and getting tan?  Alas, keeping you entertained is no easy task!  Your dad and I used to tell everyone who asked that you were such a good, easy baby.  I'm no longer convinced that's quite accurate - as you seem to only be content for more than five minutes when someone is actually playing with you, carrying you, talking to you or dancing in front of you (yes, I really dance).  But thats okay for now.  I'll sing and dance for you as long as you don't hold it against me later.  You and I also have started taking short jogs together, and if I keep running fast enough, it seems like a good break for both of us.

Thanks for blessing and enriching our lives so much little girl.  I never dreamed that being a mom could be this demanding and this much fun all at the same time.

Love,

Mommy

 

Five Months Old!

Peanut,

You are five months old today!  Coincidentally, this is also your Aunt Elsa's 20th birthday (don't worry, I signed your name on her card).  As I write this, you are playing happily in your exersaucer, a toy that you have come to really cherish.  You try to put each and every one of the multicolored objects around you in your mouth.  Who cares if it's cloth or plastic?  If it's within arms grasp, you will try to eat it (or at least slobber on it a whole bunch).

You are such a contented baby, and your level of happiness seems to grow with every passing week.  When I think back to those first few weeks when you would scream for no good reason at all (or so it seemed), I am so glad that your temperament is so pleasant now.  I remember actually asking the pediatrician when you would be both awake and happy - how far we have come!  You are making more noises all the time, and you discovered how fun it is to squeal in a really high pitched voice.  You also like to blow bubbles, and often resort to this when you're bored and there is nothing better to do.  I think you are starting to babble conversationally too, because you will be quiet when I talk to you and then try to talk when I'm done.

Another thing on your list of likes is being outside.  We take walks almost every night - either in the baby bjorn or your stroller - and you love to watch everything as we go by.  You also really like to watch your daddy shoot baskets, and we often pass you back and forth as we attempt a game of horse after dinner.

You and Oscar have finally started to bond as well, and you will reach for him whenever he's around.  When you first came home, Oscar was afraid of you - well, more accurately, the loud crying you produced - and now he seems to tolerate you, and even be mildly curious about you.  Your daddy and I joke that he's finally earning his keep because he'll keep you entertained, even if only for a couple of minutes.

You aren't now, nor have you ever been, a cuddly baby.  No, you are way too squirmy to sit still long enough for that!  I think you get that from your daddy.  When you weren't feeling well last week you would just sit in my arms forever, and though I enjoyed having you there, I'm happy to see you back to your normal self now.  You also are really trying hard to both crawl and sit by yourself.  You look quite like a fish on dry land when you try to crawl, thrashing your arms and legs to no avail, but I trust you'll figure it out soon.  You also sit for the briefest of times on your own, before tumbling sideways or backwards (don't worry, we always catch you!).

Happy five months!

Love,

Mommy