dear emmy.

dear emmy,

i could kiss you and squeeze you every second of every day and it would still seem like it wasn't enough.  you are my loveable, squeezable, happy little girl and i just love you so much!

you are turning one in just a couple of weeks and i've been so weepy lately just thinking of it.  you are my baby, and i wish i could freeze time... you are so fun and cute in this stage right now.  daddy and i always talk about how hilarious you are.  you are just so funny!  you're always dancing, or using funny facial expressions or doing something crazy and giggling at yourself.  you are honestly the happiest little baby there ever was.  sometimes when i'm holding you, i just stare at your sweet little face, memorizing everything about you.  and i find myself tearing up because i just love you so much!

you have the cutest little giggle.  i want to always remember what it sounds like because i just love it.  at night before we put you to bed, we sit with you in the rocking chair and read to you.  the minute i get out a book, you let out that sweet little giggle.  so cute.  you also love it when i get you up in the morning and carry both you and bella in my arms, down the hall.  you laugh and laugh.  such a happy little girl, you are!

you are getting to the stage where your naughtiness is coming out!  you love playing in my curtains.  we have long curtain panels in our windows in the living room/dining room and your favorite thing to do is crawl over to them and get all tangled up in them.  and you KNOW you're not supposed to!  i tell you sternly "no" over and over and you'll still go back to those curtains and look back at me with the hugest, most devilish grin on your face!  you've also been doing this with bella... you already can tell just how to push her buttons!  you'll grab at her blankie when we're all laying in bed together on saturday mornings and she'll squawk and shriek because you bug her and you will just laugh and keep doing it over and over, just watching for her to react.  you remind me of your auntie when we were little girls and she was doing the same thing to me!

you crawl so fast.  seriously.  it's so funny.  and i can always hear you coming because you smack your little hands down on the floor so hard as you speed along.  you love getting up on one knee.  it's so cute.  we find you like this alot.  and sometimes you'll get up on both knees and just bounce up and down wildly.  you've pulled up a few times, but daddy and i have missed it!  we're working with you on doing it more, but you just don't seem interested.  you also have perfected the downward dog yoga move.  but i don't think you'll be walking any time soon!

i love going in your room after you've just woken up.  you're usually sitting there, bunny blanket in one hand, your thumb in your mouth, just staring at me.  it's so cute.  lately you've gotten to where you'll get up on your knees and hold onto the bars of your crib, peeking your face between them like you're in jail, just waiting for us to come rescue you :)

you love giving kisses. you'll lean in and smack your lips loudly; it's my favorite.  you also love waving; if i say "bye bye, emmy!" you'll start this "double wave" thing, opening and closing fingers on both hands back and forth.  it's awesome.  you say "dada", "mama" and "more" and love to jibber jabber on and on with this serious look on your face like we know exactly what you're saying.

your appetite is never ending.  and you get SO MAD if you see me giving bella food before you!  you scream and cry until food is infront of you!  you love fruit, i think bananas are your favorite.  you love cheese,   mac&cheese, bread and if i tear pieces of turkey onto your tray it's gone within seconds.  you are a very good eater and you've also started drinking milk.  yay!  no more formula.  you LOVE sippy cups and also get very upset if i give one to bella before i'm able to get yours ready.  funny girl.

i love it when we get you out of the bathtub.  your hair curls right up into ringlets and i let it air dry, although it never stays curly.  everyone always comments on how thick your hair is; it looks like you have a cute little pixie cut.  everyone also always comments on how happy and content you are.  we went on a little getaway to portland last weekend with meme, auntie, uncle brian and jude and lucy.  you were awesome.  you slept in the car, played and entertained yourself and went on a shopping trip to the mall and sat happily in your stroller with lucy for a couple of hours.  you are just such a good little girl.  even now as i write this, you have been in your crib for the last hour trying to go to sleep.  you're talking and laughing and making all these noises to yourself.

i love you so very much, my sweet ems.  you are such a precious gift to us and i can't even imagine a better little baby girl.  i wish i could freeze time, but i also know that i can't keep you a baby forever.  you have a whole, beautiful life ahead of you to live and i can't wait to see what woman you will turn in to.  god has great plans for your life, little girl.  can't wait to see what they are.

love you to the moon and back (and back again),
mama