dear emmy.

dear emmy,

you are seriously a hoot.  i can't think of a better way to describe you; you always have us laughing.  i absolutely LOVE your sense of humor... even at this young age, you have a knack for being hilarious.  i just love watching you and your facial expressions, and how you take in life so lightheartedly.  thanks for helping me laugh more.  i have so much joy in my life because i get to be your mama (or mum-mum as you've been calling me for months now.  i kind of love it).

you have a way of capturing people's hearts.  you are adorable and loveable and just so fun.  i dropped you off at the church nursery this last sunday and a worker immediately came and got you.  "oh, i'm so glad she's here today, we just love her she's the sweetest thing!"  that was just music to my ears.  speaking of church, you're kind of obsessed.  almost every day your eyes get big and wide and you excitedly ask me if we're going to church.  it's so cute.  you get most excited about the "go-fish" that they feed you for snack... this last week you told me about it several times ;)

easter was so fun with you this year!  you were so into it all.  despite our best efforts to teach you why our family celebrates easter, you were so much more excited about bunnies and candy.  every time we'd ask you why we celebrate easter your eyes would get HUGE and you'd shriek "e-sa bunny!!!!!"  we'd say "noooo... why do we celebrate easter, emmy?" again, your eyes would get huge and you'd excitedly whisper "e-sa egggggs!" again, "no, emmy... why do we celebrate easter?!" again: "treeeeeeats!!!!"  we couldn't help but laugh.

you are into EVERYTHING and are like a little tornado leaving your path of destruction through our house!  sometimes i want to pull my hair out.  you go through my purse a hundred times a day and run off with my credit cards and receipts.  you also love to antagonize.  you'll run up to bella and grab a toy and then run for the hills.  or wreck my laundry piles and book it so fast i can barely catch you.  i think you have a future in sprinting.

you've been so funny in the mornings.  you'll be sound asleep and we'll hear not even a peep from your room until all of a sudden we jolt awake to you squawking from your crib "DADDY!!  EMMY WAKE!!!!" and when that doesn't work "MUM-MUM COME GET EMMY!!!!!" and then you'll immediately start calling for bella.  it's so cute how much you love her.  you're getting pretty spoiled by her these days... lately, she's taken to bringing you breakfast in bed the minute she hears you waking up!  rice cakes and apples are her usual choice... what a luxurious life you lead!

you are quite a performer.  singing and dancing are two of your absolute favorite things in the whole world.  we were in texas a couple months ago for a good friend's wedding.  bella was a flower girl, but you had no intention of letting her steal the show.  during the reception, your favorite song came on: "roar" by katy perry.  you were out in the hall when the music started and i could see our little head bobbing as you ran to the dance floor.  you immediately started dancing and singing all the words... you were so cute that everyone on the dance floor turned and formed a circle around you.  i stood by, thinking immediately you would get shy and stop, but this only encouraged you.  you sang and danced your signature sway and got SO into it; facial expressions, hands in the air and everything.  until the song was over.  the rest of the night everyone was asking who "that cute little girl was that sang katy perry."  no joke, it was one of my favorite moments of my life.  you were just as adorable as can be; such a perfect reflection of your little personality.

praying before dinner is another one of your favorite things.  but your version is pretty abbreviated.  you get so excited and want everyone to hold hands.  the minute daddy starts praying you yell "AMEN!" and beam with pride.  it's so cute.  the other night you wanted to pray before bed, so you said "dear jesus, thank you for this day... and then just kept repeating family member's names over and over... there was no stopping you.  it was so cute.

you are OBSESSED with helping us cook in the kitchen.  every saturday morning daddy makes a big breakfast, usually pancakes.  you drag one of our dining room chairs into the kitchen and stand on it and proudly proclaim over and over again for the next twenty minutes "mum-mum, i help daddy" and you want to do everything yourself.  and good gracious are you independent; i think even more so than your big sister.  in fact, i think you have more first born traits than bella... you are a HUGE boss; we affectionately call you "bossy flossy" because you are always telling her what to do!  anytime i correct bella or give her directions, you turn to her and repeat it in your best bossy voice and always add an "OKAAAAAYYY?" at the end.  it's hilarious.  but i've found myself having to tell you a lot lately: "emmy, mind your own business!"

you can be pretty timid at times around people you don't know.  bella's been taking gymnastics for almost a year now, and the other moms think you are the quietest thing because all you do is sit in my lap and watch.  you're just now starting to warm up to them, and i tell them over and over that you really are NOT quiet!  but you definitely have your shy moments.  i happen to love that you sit quietly in my lap like that.  i don't want it to ever stop!

favorites of yours right now?  pizza (we had it last night for dinner and you ate 3 pieces; no joke), cooking shows (you LOVE watching the food network with me), books, anything "frozen" (you know all the words to all of those songs, too), necklaces (you had about seven on today at one time), sophia the first (or "fia" as you call her), barney (ughhh), chocolate everything...

i love you so much it hurts my insides.  you are turning two this weekend and it makes me want to cry.  i can't believe my little baby is growing up so fast.  i am soaking in every last bit of your babyishness: your chubby thighs and wrists and dimpled hands, your chatter and funny conversations as you are piecing things together, your giggle and the way you lay your head on my shoulder and suck your thumb.  you are such a gift and i'm so blessed to be your mum-mum.

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