Emma Lynn
This has been a week of celebrating for us and we still have one more big one to go. I will get to all of that in my weekly post but this one is all about my baby girl, Miss Emma Lynn. Today is her seventh birthday and I have to say that she is the most fun kid in our family to celebrate. She is expressive, excitable, loves her birthday and the attention it brings, and she loves to have fun.
Emma was our most happy baby. She was so smiley and sweet and happy and friendly. She loves people and their attention and was one of those babies that adults loved because she would react and smile and play along with you. We left her with the Rays for 2 days when she was four months old (at Michelle's insistence) while we went to a BYU football game a few hours away and by the time we got back, Emma was everyone's best buddy, even Grandpa Ray.
Her birth was a bit crazy because she was 11 days late. We went to the hospital to be induced first thing in the morning on Monday, April 8 and nothing happened for hours and hours. Finally the doctor realized Emma was transverse, she pushed really hard on my belly and got Emma to turn and then at 4am, things kicked into high gear and she was born by 8am on Tuesday, April 9. After three days of nursing her and the pain and the blood she spit up one day, a wonderful nurse practitioner convinced me it was okay to bottle feed. She helped me let go of the guilt of hating breastfeeding (so painful, so awkward and did I mention painful?) and that may also be some of the reason I really enjoyed Emma as a baby. Lily and Curtis would fight over whose turn it was to feed her and Josh and I were able to take turns at night on the weekends when he didn't have to go to work. It made my recovery faster, both physically and emotionally. She was bald and cute with bright blue eyes and her smile was adorable.
For Emma's first birthday was a simple family affair at home with a few presents and cake. She attacked her cake and loved it (unlike my first two) so that was fun. Her second birthday we had a little playgroup party with a few friends just to play and have cake, then dinner and presents with the family. Her third birthday was one I will never forget. I have never seen a happier birthday girl than Emma on her third birthday. She got a twin bed that day so Grandpa and Josh spent the day putting it together. Nana got her the bedding and Emma was so, so, so happy. She threw out her pacifier and got underwear that day too so we started the journey out of diapers. She loved her presents from her grandparents and Nana made her an amazing Minnie Mouse cake, along with smaller cakes all the kids could decorate. It was such a happy and fun day.
For her fourth birthday we invited a few friends to come with us to Pump it Up and then we got lunch and had treats afterwards. Her actual birthday was on a Sunday so that day we invited a few families over for dessert and I made her the most amazing strawberry shortcake that I then lost the recipe for and it still makes me sad. Her fifth birthday we had her first real party. We took a few friends with us to a local indoor swimming pool and they got to play and swim for almost two hours. Then we met back at our house for cake and presents. I know we fed them at some point but right now I can't remember when or how. It was fun and she loved it. Her sixth birthday we had another real party at Pump it Up that she loved. Sitting on the throne was pretty special.
For her birthday this year we were going to get doughnuts to eat in the car while we drove from Dayton up to Michigan. We were going to go to this awesome children's science museum in Toledo on our way then spend the evening at my sister's house. Instead, we are here at hosme and that is okay. Emma still has been happy and fun and excited that it is her birthday. It also helps that we have the most amazing friends who organized a birthday parade for Emma. At 11 am they came driving by honking and with signs and balloons, then after a lap they stopped and sang to her. They threw out gifts and cards shaped as paper airplanes. It was one of the most thoughtful and sweetest gestures of love I have seen in a long time. I am still tearing up about it. It was so wonderful to see our friends and talk, even from a distance. One friend made Emma an adorable birthday shirt and the signs and cards and everything was really special. Emma absolutely loved it and said it was really fun. She was even worried her dad would be jealous because yesterday was his birthday and he didn't get a parade. She has also gotten to pick a game for us all to play, she picked a movie to watch with her big sister, she's outside now playing with the water table (that she got on her second birthday) and tonight it is chicken pillows, strawberries with angel food cake and presents.
This girl sometimes drives me crazy with her constant talking, social neediness and boundless energy and drama, but she is incredibly sweet and loving, fun and a wonderful kid to spend any holiday with because of her enthusiasm for celebrating. I love her bright smile, her growing love for ballet, her desire to do whatever her big sister is doing. her decent British accent, her natural desire to be good and her love for people. I worry that even though she is very friendly she doesn't seem to have a best buddy, but that just be more her nature and not a reflection of anything else. Grateful for my spring baby and all her joy and spark!
PS Someone needs to teach me how to format pictures on here. Such a pain!
Emma was our most happy baby. She was so smiley and sweet and happy and friendly. She loves people and their attention and was one of those babies that adults loved because she would react and smile and play along with you. We left her with the Rays for 2 days when she was four months old (at Michelle's insistence) while we went to a BYU football game a few hours away and by the time we got back, Emma was everyone's best buddy, even Grandpa Ray.Her birth was a bit crazy because she was 11 days late. We went to the hospital to be induced first thing in the morning on Monday, April 8 and nothing happened for hours and hours. Finally the doctor realized Emma was transverse, she pushed really hard on my belly and got Emma to turn and then at 4am, things kicked into high gear and she was born by 8am on Tuesday, April 9. After three days of nursing her and the pain and the blood she spit up one day, a wonderful nurse practitioner convinced me it was okay to bottle feed. She helped me let go of the guilt of hating breastfeeding (so painful, so awkward and did I mention painful?) and that may also be some of the reason I really enjoyed Emma as a baby. Lily and Curtis would fight over whose turn it was to feed her and Josh and I were able to take turns at night on the weekends when he didn't have to go to work. It made my recovery faster, both physically and emotionally. She was bald and cute with bright blue eyes and her smile was adorable.For Emma's first birthday was a simple family affair at home with a few presents and cake. She attacked her cake and loved it (unlike my first two) so that was fun. Her second birthday we had a little playgroup party with a few friends just to play and have cake, then dinner and presents with the family. Her third birthday was one I will never forget. I have never seen a happier birthday girl than Emma on her third birthday. She got a twin bed that day so Grandpa and Josh spent the day putting it together. Nana got her the bedding and Emma was so, so, so happy. She threw out her pacifier and got underwear that day too so we started the journey out of diapers. She loved her presents from her grandparents and Nana made her an amazing Minnie Mouse cake, along with smaller cakes all the kids could decorate. It was such a happy and fun day.
For her fourth birthday we invited a few friends to come with us to Pump it Up and then we got lunch and had treats afterwards. Her actual birthday was on a Sunday so that day we invited a few families over for dessert and I made her the most amazing strawberry shortcake that I then lost the recipe for and it still makes me sad. Her fifth birthday we had her first real party. We took a few friends with us to a local indoor swimming pool and they got to play and swim for almost two hours. Then we met back at our house for cake and presents. I know we fed them at some point but right now I can't remember when or how. It was fun and she loved it. Her sixth birthday we had another real party at Pump it Up that she loved. Sitting on the throne was pretty special.
For her birthday this year we were going to get doughnuts to eat in the car while we drove from Dayton up to Michigan. We were going to go to this awesome children's science museum in Toledo on our way then spend the evening at my sister's house. Instead, we are here at hosme and that is okay. Emma still has been happy and fun and excited that it is her birthday. It also helps that we have the most amazing friends who organized a birthday parade for Emma. At 11 am they came driving by honking and with signs and balloons, then after a lap they stopped and sang to her. They threw out gifts and cards shaped as paper airplanes. It was one of the most thoughtful and sweetest gestures of love I have seen in a long time. I am still tearing up about it. It was so wonderful to see our friends and talk, even from a distance. One friend made Emma an adorable birthday shirt and the signs and cards and everything was really special. Emma absolutely loved it and said it was really fun. She was even worried her dad would be jealous because yesterday was his birthday and he didn't get a parade. She has also gotten to pick a game for us all to play, she picked a movie to watch with her big sister, she's outside now playing with the water table (that she got on her second birthday) and tonight it is chicken pillows, strawberries with angel food cake and presents.This girl sometimes drives me crazy with her constant talking, social neediness and boundless energy and drama, but she is incredibly sweet and loving, fun and a wonderful kid to spend any holiday with because of her enthusiasm for celebrating. I love her bright smile, her growing love for ballet, her desire to do whatever her big sister is doing. her decent British accent, her natural desire to be good and her love for people. I worry that even though she is very friendly she doesn't seem to have a best buddy, but that just be more her nature and not a reflection of anything else. Grateful for my spring baby and all her joy and spark!
PS Someone needs to teach me how to format pictures on here. Such a pain!
Happy birthday to sweet Emma!
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