My Beautiful Little Girl

Emma was super sweet as a baby when she came into the world, and she is still as sweet as can be as a preschooler. I really can not describe how much joy she has brought to her lives. She is very outgoing and fun loving but at the same time sensitive and kind. Whenever Johnny is upset you are sure to hear a "oh sfveethart" or "it's ok buddy" from her as she runs to get a stuffed animal for him to cuddle with. She is eager to please and loves following rules. When we are on walks it is Emma that stops cold at the curb and yells for us if we forget to grab her hand. Or if we use words like poop when in public she will loudly remind us this is not public language. I asked her once to stop twirling her hair as it may make it fall out and if she sees me even reach for my hair to play with it she reminds me that we don't do this. She is very observant and will compliment someone if she notices something different about them like a new haircut or pretty necklace. She loves all things girly and last week refused a sucker because she had just applied her chapstick and it would mess it up. She still refuses to wear pants or shorts and will only wear dresses, skirts with fancy shirts, and one "outfit" that yaya bought her. She loves to pretend and talks all day long to her stuffed animals. Recently we were at Barnes and Noble and she was told she couldn't take a stuffed dog with her out of the store. She threw one of her rare fits screaming that she loved it and it would miss her as I carried her out of the store. A week later when I was bribing her to sit and get her hair cut I asked her what she wanted and she quickly named the dog she had to leave behind. We went to B&N to pick up the dog after her hair cut and Emma picked it up, pet it's head and whispered..."don't worry puppy, don't be sad, I won't leave you this time, I love you". The relentless love for this stuffed dog is just a small reflection of the love that Emma has for those around her. It is amazing to be her mom and watch how she already, at this young age, loves on others in a way that makes them light up when she is around. It is an amazing blessing to have her as my daughter.

My Little Man

Johnny is growing into a sweet, lovable, rambunctious little boy. He is no longer my toddler. No longer needs to be carried but prefers walking. No longer just cries but uses words to communicate. He is growing up too fast. This first picture of Johnny captures his personality so well. He is fun loving and almost always smiling and a bit mischievous. Not in the rebellious way, but in the..."this is is so much fun wanna join me?" kind of way. He is very stubborn but wants to be included so tends to comply so that he can participate in whichever game or activity he wants to be a part of. He loves kicking. He will kick balls, walls, people, pretty much anything that is kickable. He is very coordinated for his age and I predict he will be athletic as he grows up. He loves being outside. Loves being thrown around up in the air by his daddy. Loves to run around like a "crazy man" as Emma likes to say. He is maybe the messiest little boy I have seen and needs several new shirts per day if he is going to stay clean. He loves all things boy and is very adventurous but at the same time startles at loud noises or unfamiliar places and faces. One of his favorite things to do now is to pretend to eat your nose. He also has an unbelievably sweet side. He loves to cuddle at night and sometimes you will get one of his random and wonderful kisses just because. He is adored by us and we feel so lucky to have such an amazing and wonderful little boy as our son.

Siblings

I am loving this stage of life. In July Emma will be four and Johnny will be two. They are becoming the best of friends. Emma is such a sweet older sister and loves on Johnny when he needs an extra hug or can't seem to communicate something that he wants. Johnny adores Emma and follows her around the house, copying everything she does. They have started playing pretend together and chase eachother around on bikes, play hide and seek, and have giggle attacks about anything that strikes them both as funny. Now that Johnny is talking they are beginning to have small conversations without me involved. It is so fun to hear Emma tell something to Johnny, him nod his head, smile and them both run off with eachother......

A visit from Yaya.....

In the midst of John's conferences and on campus interviews my mom came to visit. It was so great to have her visiting while John was away and the kids had a blast...

Emma got her first "Build a Bear" for Easter.