Happy (Belated) Birthday, Emily!

My Dear Sweet Emily,

How in the world are you 2 years old already? It doesn't seem possible that 2 years ago, on July 3, 2007 I was on my way to the hospital to give birth to you.

Then at 7:43pm, after delivering you with a failed epidural (only my entire left leg was numb), here you were!

You gave us quite a scare right after you were born. A few minutes after you came out, you stopped breathing and turned a horrible shade of gray. But the nurses got you breathing again right away and we were able to take you home 2 days later.

You were a ray of sunshine during an emotional time in our lives. My mom (your Mimi) had just gone to heaven to be with Jesus 4 weeks before you were born. Your middle name, Mary-Margaret, was Mimi's name. Though I was very sad and missed her so very much, you lit up my world!

You have been a thumb sucker since you were only a few days old! Even still today, you are devoted to your thumb and the blankie that Mimi made you.

You were born in Vancouver, Washington, but we moved to Phoenix when you were just 2 weeks old so Daddy could be a firefighter.

4 weeks old (with my Gram)

You were a good baby but you didn't want to sleep through the night until you were about 3 months old. I was up nursing you about every 3 hours for the first 3 months of your life.

September 2007 (wearing my Christening gown that Mimi had made)

October 2007 December 2007
January 2008

February 2008

Halloween 2007

You are so blessed to have 2 big brothers! They love you and watch out for you. I pray this is always true, though when you become a teenager, you may not appreciate it as much!

November 2007

May 2008

May 2008, finally crawling!

June 2008

Your first birthday wasn't a blessed event for you. You were pretty crabby about it!

But for your 2nd birthday, you were very into it! The theme for your party was Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. You really like all Sesame Street characters, but we went with Abby because she is so girlie and the way you say "Abby" is so cute!

You are a bit like your biggest big brother, not wanting to touch the cupcake because your hands might get messy.

You kept the fairy wings and headband on for about 2.8 seconds

You really liked this stroller from your cousins. So much so, that you didn't want to take your hands off of it to check out the new kitchen that Nan and Papa got you!

I love that you are so into babies and dress-up

We didn't have your party on the day of your birthday, so on your actual birthday, we went to this fun place called "Busy Bodies" with Ms. Amie and Brooke who is just 4 months younger than you.
You loved this little trampoline!

I'm so thankful that the Lord brought you to us, to complete our family. I love watching you grow into a little girl. You have so much personality, albeit, sometimes overly dramatic. But I hear that the drama has yet to start and that I'll know real drama when you get a little older! But you are such a joy and such a mama's girl. I soak it up and welcome the "up monster". You always want, "up, up, up". You are talking so much now and even just in the last few days, have been saying sentences with 3 to 5 words in them! Just today in the car, on the way home from church, you asked a question that Casey always asks me, "Mama, who sings this?" You like to have your back tickled and just like your brothers, you lift up your shirt and say, "mew gee-co" (more tickle).

I look forward to watching you grow from a toddler to a little girl. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you. I pray that you will know Him in a real way someday and live your life for Him.

I love you, Little Miss. Please don't grow too fast.