Emersyn and Everett, Our Biggest Little Blessings!

Dear Emersyn Grace,

Wow, your Mommy just can't believe that you are one years old today. It seems like just yesterday that I found out that we were expecting your arrival.

You have made your Daddy and my dreams come true by being our daughter. We have so much fun with you and you make everything better and more exciting!

It is hard for me to put into words just how I am feeling about this day. I am thinking back on how God was with me every step of your birth and how grateful I am that you were born so healthy and perfect. A healthy baby is a miracle Emersyn Grace, and God has truly blessed you with health. I will never forget the moment when I gave that final push and within seconds, there you were, laying on my chest, all mine. It was the best moment of my entire life. Marrying your daddy was equally amazing but I am sure he would agree, the first time we laid eyes on you was euphoric.

The first month of your life was so much fun with your Grammy staying with us. It was so neat to learn to be parents and get to know you better. You were a perfect baby in every way. You were a great eater, loved nursing and latched on right away, pretty good sleeper, wonderful traveller, and overall blessing in our life. Having you made me fall in love with your Daddy all over again, seeing him love you and love me too really makes me proud to be his wife.

I loved my maternity leave with you. I was very aware that this was the only time in life where I was going to have one baby to cherish and I took that time very seriously. I loved cuddling with you, playing with you, singing silly songs when I changed your diaper, and just soaking up your adorableness. I can't believe how fast it went by. I think to myself that with my next baby, I am never going to put them down. I never realized how quickly this time would go by. I was so happy to be able to be with you full time for the first 4 1/2 months of your life before I went back to work part time.

I have written and tried to keep up with this blog as a big long letter to you, a journal of our fun adventures during the first year of your life. It has been so much fun documenting it and even today as I was going through pictures, I couldn't believe how much you have grown and changed me for the good.

Emersyn, my prayer for you is that you would grow up to know the Lord and the love that He has for you. I pray that your life would be richly blessed with health and happiness. I pray that God would use your Daddy and I to help mold you and train you up to grow to be an influential woman, wife and mother. We want nothing more then your happiness. I promise to always be there for you, no matter what. I promise to support you and help nurture your talents and interests. I promise to love you more and more each day and strive to be a woman worth looking up to. I won't always be perfect little girl; but I am sure gonna try. :)

"Well hello there...it's nice to meet you!"

Fresh out of the womb!

Going home outfit at hospital.

1 Month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

**12 Month Stats**

*Size 12 months in Carters, 6-12 months at Baby GAP, 12-18 months at Old Navy

*Talking lots and lots. Can say Mom, Mama, Dad, Daddy, dith (which we think is "this")

*Gives high fives

*Pretends to play the piano by pounding on the table when we say play the piano, play the piano. Too cute.

*Loves avocado, Nutra Grain waffles, beans, string cheese, peaches, plums, cottage cheese, organic macaroni and cheese with peas, corn, chicken, yogurt with flax seed, bread.

*Can walk along furniture really well and when you hold one of her hands.

*Can crawl up the stairs and takes great pleasure in doing so.

*Loves straps on anything, her high chair, stroller, car seat. Her stroller was propped up in our hallway for awhile last week and it's straps were favorite thing to play with.

*Loves to fake laugh and fake cough.

*Can pound a 6oz bottle in seconds. Okay, maybe not seconds but it feels like it sometimes!

*Sleeps from about 9pm to 7-9am. Rarely wakes up in the night.

*Takes one good long nap per day, sometimes two shorter naps.

*Has 5 teeth on her lower gums, 4 teeth on her upper gums.

*Loves playing with her monkey "Twin" and giving him hugs and saying "awwwww" like Mommy says when she hugs him. :)

*Loves her binky when she is tired or cranky. Falls asleep with binky and Twin monkey always.

*Very ticklish and loves to giggle.

*Super happy and chill baby, more then I could have ever asked for in a child!!