Big Sister.

Eighteen Months.

She is growing up before my eyes.  We've been so busy having fun and not worrying about a calendar that it didn't hit me until today that my littlest girl is now eighteen months old.  Eighteen months.  That's crazy!

And in the last two weeks, it feels as if I've literally watched her grow before my eyes.  She plays with a purpose, she mimics everything, she expresses her needs and her wants, she intentionally makes us laugh, and she talks.

Babe and Harry have taught her how to "Gangham Style."  She sings "The Wheels on Bus," complete with hand motions.  She can ask for "milk" and "water" and "cheese" and "cheerios" and "fish."  She loves it when Hadley shares her lip gloss and is a big fan of reading books and coloring.

She wants her turn and is always saying/asking, "I wan' see."  Or else, "I wan' sit."  The girl has to be part of whatever's happening around her.

Now that our morning routine is a little more relaxed, she snuggles in bed with her Daddy before she starts moving for the day.  She can identify some body parts (nose, eyes, head) and make a few animal sounds (dog, cow, snake).

She eats and sleeps so well.  She answers most questions with "no" and refers to Thatcher as "Buddy."

She calls me "Ma."  Actually, it's more like, "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

She's amazing.

Apple Slices.

This girl's best friend.

Daddy and the Babies.

Emmy's April.

This girl is killing me.  Her personality continues to blossom, and we've done nothing but laugh this month as we've watched her grow.  She rivals Hadley when it comes to stubbornness:  if Harry and Babe can do something, then there's absolutely no stopping Emmy.  And the girl is a ham.  She'll do absolutely anything for a laugh.

She's a climber, too.  Anything, any time, anywhere.  The girl has NO FEAR.  I'm not exactly sure what her intent was in the picture below, but I do know that she moved that little white chair all the way across the kitchen and got herself up on top of it...and then just waited for us to notice her before breaking into a big ol' grin.  She's a hot mess.

She loves making us laugh and will do just about anything to get a giggle from somebody.  I often turn around and find her in Thatcher's bouncy seat with a pacifier stuck upside-down in her mouth.  Or sitting on top of Harris' bed wearing his glow-in-the-dark LED mohawk headband.  Or on the seat of a race car video game steering the wheel at a restaurant.  Or digging in the snack box looking for whatever she decides she'd like to eat:  cheerios, nutrigrain bars, and raisins are among the top choices.

She waves and says, "bye" and blows kisses, loves to play with balls (and will say "ball"), barks like a dog, dances on command or when she hears music, will call out for "Ma Ma" and "Da Da" and can also say her own version of "Harris" and "Thatcher," loves clapping and cheering at Harris' baseball games, will sing "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" if she hears us singing The Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" (as well as the minion version from Despicable Me), does whatever she can to take care of her baby brother (rocking him, wiping his face, bringing him a paci, covering him up, carrying the bottle bag to and from Ginnell's), and loves to wear hats or other crazy accessories just to get a rise out of us.

She imitates everything:  washing hands, brushing teeth, drying hair, typing on the computer, drinking out of cups...the girl pays attention and then turns around and appropriately uses (or attempts to use) the most random things.  Coloring/writing/drawing are still big favorites of hers.

She is little.  And she is feisty.  And she's growing up way too fast.

I love this crazy life.

Breaking Out the Bumbo.

Because this HUGE boy is ready!

And this baby girl doesn't want to give it up. :(

Busted.

There's no doubt this girl is my kid.

She is a candy fiend.  It's almost as if she can sniff it out...

And she knows exactly what to do with it once she finds it.

I found her plopped down in the middle of the hallway one afternoon, plastic eggs, candy, and wrappers strewn all around her.  Not only did she find the Easter baskets, she also knew how to open the eggs and was smart enough to take anything with a wrapper on it to Harris so he could open it before she ate it.

When I asked Harris if he knew how she got all the wrappers off the candy, he simply said, "She wanted it open, so I opened it."

Never a dull moment.

Fearless Monkey.

This girl.  She's not even as big as a minute, but she's fearless.  And now that Pop has taught her how to climb the ladder, she goes straight for it whenever she gets the chance.

The girl is covered in bruises. :)

First Ponytail!

A (Quick) Fifteen Month Update.

At fifteen months...

You weigh 21 lbs. (21st %) and are 29.5 inches long (23rd%).  You are, without a doubt, our "little" girl.

You've also (finally!) decided that you prefer to walk rather than crawl...and it was a VERY obvious decision.  For whatever reason, on March 8, you just took off on those teeny tiny feet of yours.  There's been no looking back. :)

You're my climber.  If a big kid can do it, so can you.

And you're my clinger.  You're not a snuggler by any means, but you love to be held.  And you prefer that the person holding you be standing.

Favorites this month include rocking in your rocking chair or on your small rocking horse, reading, coloring, and mess making.

Love you, girl!!!

Doe and Her Dolls.

This girl is hysterical.  She is sweet and loving (though not very cuddly) and stubborn.  There's a good chance she'll end up giving Hadley a run for her money...we'll have to wait and see.

One of her new favorite things to do these days is to "love her baby."  She is so good at snuggling and loving and hugging any and all baby dolls or stuffed animals she happens to stumble upon.  It really is sweet.

And so very funny.

I love that little girl.

Don't Leave Me With the Babies!

Huge props to Granti for watching the babies on Saturday night so Ben and I could get out for our first post-Thatcher date night.

My favorite man and I had a great time seeing "Identity Thief" and having dinner at Chow Baby and Thatcher was perfect (of course!) for his very first babysitter (who also fed him his very first bottle!).

And Granti survived.  We knew she would. :)

Nothing But Love.

Winter.

This girl cracks me up.

 I'm not a very good "winter" mom.  I'm pretty hot-natured, so jackets and hats and gloves and scarves and all that stuff don't really do it for me.  I don't need them...and therefore I often don't think about my kids needing them.

Don't judge...

Anyway, Emmy Doe is in love with her winter hat.  She grins from ear to ear every time I put it on her.  She's also a huge fan of her Georgia blanket (which she's basically stolen from Thatch-Thatch) and absolutely can't wait to climb in the car on the mornings I take her to Ginnell's to get all toasty warm.

I'm doing my best to remember to bundle you up, sweet girl.  Hang with me.

Fourteen Months.

Emmy,

You are a hot mess.  And absolutely TONS of fun!

Your personality continues to blossom.  You are silly and have started to do just about anything for a laugh...put blankets over your head, act goofy in the bathtub, make eye contact with anyone who'll look your way at the dinner table and simply start to giggle...it's hysterical.  Our pediatrician told us to watch out for you and your tendency, based on birth order, to be a little bit of a "class clown."  I think it's safe to say between her prediction and your family influences, we're not too far off the mark.

You love playing with your siblings.  Now that we're home, you are so sweet to Thatcher.  If he makes a noise, you're crawling over to him as quickly as you can to check him out.  We're still working on the concept of "gentle," but you love to hug and kiss him and truly have the best of intentions when attempting to give him his paci or put socks on his feet.  Even though you love your baby brother, you still prefer to play with Babe and Harry.  Your squeals, combined with theirs, make me smile on a daily basis.  You love to play "chase," "peek-a-boo" (you've got the "boo" downpat!), color (this is an absolute favorite of yours), and read books.  

You're still wearing 12 month clothes and size 4 diapers.  You eat anything and everything we put in front of you and always want whatever you see others eating.  You love to sing songs ("Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Ride Your Pony," and "The Alphabet" are favorites) and will often sing things on your own (in your own little language).  We always know when you're finished because you clap excitedly and loudly proclaim, "Yay!!"  Speaking of your own language, you talk ALL THE TIME.  We just have no idea what you're saying.  You will jabber a mile a minute and use hand gestures the entire time.  It's fairly obvious you've got something important to say!  You love to pretend to talk on the phone, too.  I have a feeling you might have your Dad's personality.

You've taken 8-10 steps a handful of times, but still prefer crawling and/or cruising as your primary modes of transportation.  You will walk long distances holding onto someone's hand or while going behind your push toy, though.  The big kids love to "help" you walk.  You still have 8 teeth, have completely given up the paci, and love the bath.  You also love to swing and I'm trying to do better about getting us outside when the weather allows.

You're into everything: every cabinet, every drawer, every trash can.  You are curious and love to explore.  You're still a phenomenal sleeper at night (down around 7:00 pm and up around 8:00 am) and take a solid two-hour nap every afternoon.  You know a dog says, "ruff, ruff," love to wave "bye, bye," and give the best kisses.  

You are such a joy!  I love you like crazy, Doe Doe!

The Spaghetti Dinner.

We were able to drop by the annual Primrose Spaghetti Dinner last week.  Surprisingly, ours was the only family from Hadley's class who actually made it to the dinner.  I'm fairly certain the weather had something to do with the low turnout...but since Babe and I were already out attending "Educator Appreciation Night" at the Twin Rivers basketball game, we headed on over despite the wind and rain.  I live for the free meal, remember?

We had a nice time eating spaghetti, marvelling at Hadley's "Sistine Chapel" artwork, and chatting with Ms. Audra.

Emmy chowed down on her spaghetti and meatballs, and I'm quite certain Harris went back for "seconds" three times.

We finished eating fairly quickly, which meant the kids were able to play around Babe's classroom for a few minutes.  Hadley was so proud to be able to show Harris and Emmy around...it was sweet to get to watch her take the spotlight for a little bit.

Emmy enjoyed being a "big girl," which is something she does on a daily basis.  Doe sincerely believes she can do anything that anyone else can do...which, on this night, included sitting on the sofa in the "library center."

It was cute to watch her climb up and sit down.  Babe and Harry were also reading books, so I left the three of them to enjoy themselves and took a seat a few feet away with Ben and Ms. Audra.

And then we heard the thud.  And the screams. 

And then Ben picked up Emmy Doe and I almost vomited in my mouth.  The goose egg on her forehead, after literally five seconds, was the size of a half dollar and stuck out (thank God!) from her forehead at least 2.5 inches.  Not what I was expecting to see!!!!

I was concerned for her head, of course, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that one of the first thoughts that ran through my head was, "This huge knot is going to be there for all of our pictures with Thatcher!"

Thankfully, the staff at Primrose are super helpful and Ben is able to remain calm and levelheaded in situations where I struggle. 

Emmy ended up being just fine (although she does have a large bruise right above her eye) and, after the initial fifteen minutes were over, hasn't let the incident phase her in the least.

Bring on baby #4!

Thirteen Months.

For some reason, this past month sticks out in my mind as THE month. 

THE month your personality has blossomed.  THE month that has brought the most changes.  THE month where you are morphed from a baby into a toddler.

I'm not sure if that's completely true...you've done tons of growing and developing throughout your entire first year life...but for some reason that's how my brain remembers the month of December:  as you growing, laughing, changing, and blossoming like crazy.

It has worn me out.  It's also been TONS of fun.

You're not walking yet, but it feels like you've become super active.  You're everywhere!!!  Climbing on and in and through and over and under whatever you can find, opening any cabinet or drawer that we haven't secured.  You LOVE to climb into chairs (like this little seat and our small rocking chair) and rock back and forth.  You also LOVE to stand in said chairs, which has become a little bit more of a challenge. 

You are quick when it comes to climbing up the stairs, too.  We didn't even know you knew how to get up the stairs, but we left the gate open just a little one day (the latch is tough for Babe to open sometimes) and you opened that bad boy up and took off! 

The big kids love it!  You've climbed up their step stool in the bathroom and do your best to attempt to reach their toothbrushes, you try with all your might to climb up the ladder to Harris' top bunk, you climb onto the scale in our bathroom in an attempt to make it into the bathtub...you are literally all over.  It's hysterical.

You're still wearing size 4 diapers and 12 month clothes.  I think part of the reason it's so funny to see you get around so quickly is because you're still so small.  Santa brought you a push toy for Christmas and you love to walk behind it.  You like to walk holding hands as well and will hold tight to Daddy, Harris, and me as you walk all over the house.  Dad and I can even get you to walk some while holding just one of our hands and your furniture cruising skills have become lightning fast.

We got you your first pair of shoes right after Christmas.  It took a day or two for you to get used to them, but things are all good now.  They are tiny...size 3 1/2, which includes a little room for your foot to grow.  You love them, though, as you do all shoes.  "Shoes" is even one of the words in your ever-expanding vocabulary and it's lots of fun to watch you as you try to put shoes of all sizes on those teeny feet of yours.

You're a GREAT eater.  You've never been bad, but, again, in the last month things have taken off.  I never worry about you getting enough milk from your sippy cup; you suck that bad boy dry at least twice during the day.  You also eat a pretty good variety of foods, with fruits and veggies being your favorite.  We are completely done with baby food (and have been for most of the month) and it's fantastic!  Favorites for you include:  grapes, broccoli, green beans, peaches, pears, bananas, corn, hot dogs, meatballs, and any kind of bread/carbs.  You eat breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner daily.  Bottles have been gone since the beginning of December and your passy has been regulated to your crib.  Daddy and I had every intention of taking it from your crib a few weeks ago, but it's absolutely adorable to watch you pop it out of your mouth and throw it back in your bed when we scoop you up from sleeping.  And I love the fact that you always follow up that move by "high-fiving" me.  Oh, you make me smile.

You're still a great sleeper!  You're down by 7:30 in the evenings and, on the weekends, sleep until at least 8 (we have to wake you up at 7:00 during the week).  You nap for about three hours in the afternoons, too. 

You've got favorite toys.  Here's a picture of you reaching for the newly discovered pink purse.  It's the first thing you go for every time we play in the living room. 

And the first thing you dig out of the purse-ALWAYS-is Hadley's old green string of beads.  You know exactly how to put it around your neck and will wear it all day long with no complaints.

I have no idea where you learned about necklaces...

You babble all the time.  Long strings of babbling, with lots of tone and inflection.  We have no idea what you're saying, but we love listening to you.  You do have a few words, but refuse to say anything on command.  You understand lots of words, too, and will give kisses (with a HUGE open mouth), hugs, and high fives when asked.  You'll also reach "up" when you want to be scooped up from your high chair or the floor. 

You've finally moved out of your infant seat and into a convertible car seat.  We've still got you rear-facing, though.  You seem to enjoy the roominess of your new chair.

Harry and Babe continue to be your favorite playmates.  It's obvious that you're not always sure what to do with yourself when they're not around.  While you still prefer being around Daddy or me, you've outgrown a lot of your clinginess and are willing to let just about anybody hold you.

You laugh all the time.  You've learned to do something and then look around for our reactions.  You scrunch your nose and cheeks up in a big, goofy grin whenever you're especially proud of yourself.  You beg for food from anyone who is eating anything.  You've got seven teeth...four on top and three on bottom.  Your hair is thickening up like crazy and starting to grow into a mullet.  It's still red.

And your sweet little world is about to get rocked...

I can't believe you're going to be a big sister.  You'll be great!!!

Emmy and TyTy.

Grown.

What a Year It's Been.

Emmy,

My sweet Emmy.  Princess Emmeline.  Emmy Doe.  Pickle Pants. 

I love you. 

It's crazy to think that you've been here, on this earth, with our family, for an entire year.  Crazy because a year seems like such a long time...and crazy because it's not even close to enough time to love you, snuggle with you, learn you, know you.  Crazy because it feels like you've always been here, like you've always been a part of me and a part of us and part of everything we do...and crazy because in reality, we were without you for such a long time.  Being a mother constantly shifts my perspective on life and love while simultaneously expanding my heart on a daily basis.  I am in love with you and can't wait to see what glorious calling God has placed on your life.  I am honored to be your mother.

And I'm also tired.  I have tried my best and given it my all, but I can't help, every once in a while, to feel like you've been cheated.  Parenting an infant is tough.  Parenting an infant while raising two other children is even tougher.  And parenting an infant while raising two other children and growing another baby in my belly has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life.  But know this:  while your baby book may not be perfect, and while your monthly updates may seem inconsistent, and while I may have forgotten to write some of your milestones down...I have written your smiles and your giggles and your cries and your words on my heart.  Forever.  I have held you rather than write about you, I have tickled you rather than document you, and I have rested up for you rather than offer you half of myself.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

What an exciting last couple of months it's been.  Your hair is growing like crazy!  It's really thickened up all over and gotten a little curly in the back.  It's still red/auburn-y and completely awesome.  You get complimented on it like crazy.  It's adorable.

You're a talker.  You've got a few words we can understand:  "Ma-Ma," "Da-Da," "Hess" (Harris), "Bye," "Cheeeese,"  and "Yes."  You won't, however, say or do anything on demand.  We've limited your pacifier to your bed (we did that on your actual birthday) and, as a result, you babble ALL THE TIME.  Your tone and inflection are hilarious.  You've definitely got a lot to say.

You're also on the go...you are seriously tearing up this house!  You're a super fast crawler, pull up to standing on everything, and have started cruising (as of December 1).  You climb over, in, and through whatever stands in your way.  Nothing slows you down!

At your well check, you weighed in at 19 lbs, 11 oz (26%) and are 28.5 inches long (30%).  You're little!!  Dr. Jackson's not worried about it, so we're not either.  You've moved to eating mostly table food (we use the occasional stage 3 jar when we're on the go) and have transitioned to only a night time bottle.  We're planning on ending that this week.  So far, so good.  Your favorite foods seem to be grapes, cheese, and green veggies (broccoli and green beans top the list).  You're still a champion sleeper and have just recently dropped your morning nap.

You still dance anytime you hear music.  You're most definitely a mama's girl.  You enjoy loving on Daddy, but I'm most definitely your preference.  You still cry in the nursery every Sunday and won't willingly let anyone other than Daddy, Ms. Ginnell, Granti, Auntie, or me hold you.  You've got a couple more teeth coming in (the two on either side of your top front teeth), will give large, open-mouth kisses when asked, and have an infectious laugh. 

Daddy and I got your ears pierced just before your first birthday as our gift to you, just as we did with Babe.  The earrings haven't bothered you once. :)

You wear size 4 diapers, 12-18 month clothes, and are still riding around in your old school Graco infant carrier (Santa will be bringing you some new car seats for Christmas!).  You still love your Little Tikes dollhouse and getting into the Play Doh containers and hate being confined to anything!!

In a nutshell, you're a keeper.  And fantastic.

I can't wait to share another year with you.

Mommy

PS...Your brother and sister love like you like crazy.