Emma Update

Emma has grown and changed so much in the past few months. She's like a sponge for knowledge and everyday I'm amazed at the new things she's learned. It's a privilege to have a front row seat and I'm so grateful to be her mom.

Emma is a million wonderful and unique things rolled into one, super cute, package. She's determined and oh so stubborn. She's my little "miss independent" and yet, a major mama's girl and  my constant sidekick. She loves people and thinks about others often. She asks nearly every morning, "Where'd daddy go? Where'd grandma go? Where'd grandpa go?" until she's learned where nearly every person she knows is. She likes to be around people and loves to be the center of attention. She is always making us laugh which is her favorite thing to do. She is very friendly and can be heard loudly greeting everyone we pass at grocery stores. Emma is also really good at picking up on others emotions. I am amazed that she seems to know when I am frustrated or upset with something even if I'm trying not to show it. She'll sweetly ask, "alright mommy?" and pat me on the back. If there's a character in a book with a sad face, she insists on giving it a kiss before we turn the page. She has a gift for making others happy and leaving light behind wherever she goes. 

After Christmas, winter always seems to kind of drag on to me. Our family has a love for the outdoors and we prefer to be out hiking or fishing instead of sitting at home. In the winter, that option isn't as frequent so we spend a lot of our time together at home.. This year, though I miss the mountain air, it has actually been a much needed break. I've spent my time deep cleaning our little house, redecorating, setting goals, reflecting, and connecting with my family. It's been very refreshing and I've loved spending more quality time at home with Emma. 

So, for those of you that aren't lucky enough to get to spend every waking minute with this cute little firecracker, here is a an "Emma Update":

• Emma is now nearly 21 months old and quickly approaching 2 years! She's about 28 pounds and is already wearing 2T and some 3T clothing. 
• She's incredibly mischievous and continues to enjoy getting in to EVERYTHING. She thinks my "mad face" is hilarious and interprets "No!" to mean "It would be funny if you did it again!" Let's just say, everyday is an adventure.  

Yes, those are teeth marks in the cheese. 

• Emma started nursery at 18 months but, we didn't go very consistently because we were doing a lot of travelling over the holidays-not to mention that Emma missed a couple of weeks because of her TWO bouts with hand foot and mouth disease (aka sickness of the devil). She's really just started consistently attending this month and she's getting the hang of it! She waves goodbye to her nursery leaders as we leave and gets excited about playing with the dolls and kitchen that they have in the nursery room. It's been nice for me to get to attend relief society. 

First piece of nursery artwork

• Emma can name almost all of her colors.
• She has started singing her ABC's (she can do A-E and then jumps right to WX-haha)
• She counts 1,2.
• Emma likes to color (on paper AND on the wall), she just started playing with play dough, she loves dolls, she loves playing with her kitchen that she got for Christmas and will spend a lot of time "cooking" foods for mommy, daddy, and dolls. She also loves to sing, dance, and talk, talk, TALK. 
• She loves to blow kisses, give high fives, and "knuckles". 

 

 

• Emma is a HUGE princess fan. She knows all of the Disney princesses by name and loves to watch the movies. She loves to wear princess clothes and hair clips and play with all of her princess toys. 
• She loves books and brings them to me all day long to read. Sometimes she'll sit and look at them on her own too. 
• Current favorite movies/TV shows are Sofia the First, Brave, Winnie the Pooh, Beauty and the Beast, The Grinch, and Frosty the Snowman.
• Favorite music includes anything from a Disney movie and anything by the Piano Guys. She requests "ano Guys" every night at bedtime. 

• Emma loves animals of all kinds but especially her dog, Daisy and grandma's dogs, Buddy and Lily. She's very gentle with them (almost always) and is also definitely not afraid to boss them around, which she does frequently. Had I mentioned yet that Emma is extremely bossy?? well, she is. 

• Emma has a great imagination and has wonderful conversations with her toys. It's incredibly entertaining to watch. 
• Emma also loves the bath. Bath time is a sure way to cheer her up on a day she's feeling particularly crabby. 

•  She's loves milk, waffles, peas, corn, cheese, any kind of fruit (especially apples), eggs, soup, chicken, bread, and CANDY. Anything sweet really. She begs for sweets ALL. DAY. LONG. 
• She's full of energy and runs circles around me every day (sometimes literally). 



Rocking horse at grandma's house

• She is completely spoiled by ALL of her grandparents and she loves them dearly. They are all basically her favorite people in the world. 
• Some of her favorite things to say right now are "Amazing!", "I love it!", "Delicious", and "NO!"
• Emma usually calls Sam either "daddy-Sam" or "babe". Seriously, she'll be like "Where's babe?"or "Hi babe!". She cracks us up. 
• Emma has started "saying prayers". Her prayers are basically impossible to understand except that she usually blesses her uncle Beau and always ends with a very loud "AMEN!"
• Sometimes, she sleeps. 

She bosses us around and keeps us on our toes but we love her spunk and zest for life. I love that she tells us "I missed you!" when we haven't seen her in a while (by that I mean, after I've just come out of the bathroom where she's been waiting right outside the door). I love that she does her patented "Skippity-hop" all through the house when she's happy. I love how she wants to be right with me, wherever I am. She's such a fun, busy little toddler and we love her so very much. I always want her to slow down and yet, I have enjoyed every stage with her as she's grown. Being a mom is the best.