Emilia's Journal

Dear Emilia,

Well, your Mom and I are clearly bad at keep this journal up-to-date. It would be near impossible to enumerate all of the different little milestones you’ve reached in the past three months since our last post, and the four months prior to that one. But here’s a few memories that I wanted to write down.

You decided to start using the potty last week. One week later, just one accident. We’re amazed, and to everyone who wants to know how we did it… we have no idea.

You are clearly a caring and empathetic person. When you accidentally drop your babies, you pick them up, give them kisses and tell them you are sorry. You rock them to sleep, sing them lullabyes, and then shush us when we are talking. You’ve named a few of your babies, Rachel, Poke, Jo-jo, though Poke and Jo-jo may also be names for your little puppies. Which, by the way, you’ve taken to telling us that “They’reshocute”.

You may be left handed, or maybe not, but either way, you love drawing. We have entire notebooks filled with your scribbles, and mixed in are the things you’ve asked us to draw. Mostly babies in blankets, dogs, trees, and today, an otter.

You’ve reached an age where you have definite opinions about what you are going to wear at any given time and day. We have combatted this by grabbing two acceptable things from the closet and allowing you to choose.

You love books and stories. Your mom and I have spent hours reading you stories before nap times, bed times, while you are on the potty. You’ve also become a little negotiator when it comes to bed time, continually asking for “one more book”. We’ve tried to counter this strategy by counting down from five, but you’re starting to know your numbers pretty well and you start asking for two more books, or three more books.

You are very well behaved, but occasionally you act out a bit. Yesterday, when you took your full glass of milk and poured it on the table, we told you not to do that, and then you said “I go sit in time-out”. So I got you out of your seat and you went an sat on the stairs for two minutes.

You love your friends and family; You’re always asking to call them on the phone. When we drive places, you’ll ask where all of your grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles and friends are.

You turn two years old next week, and that’s pretty hard to believe. We’ve been blessed to have you in our lives!

Love, Dad

Dear Emilia,

We were lucky to find a wonderful person for daycare. Every day she writes little report cards about your day, what you ate, and what you and your friends did.

The most recent card made us feel so happy when we read it:

I have a feeling your litttle Emilia will be an exceptional mommy someday! She is so nurturing, not just with her various dolls and stuffed animals but with her friends as well. She is often right by my side when someone needs comforting and today brought a tired and cranky William his blankie and minutes later, Lucy her pacifier. This afternoon Hudson was sitting on my lap after having just woken up when Emi came over, kissed him and then rested her head on his. So Sweet!

It is always amazing to me when I realize how much you have already learned! You are a sweet little baby who is quickly growing into a joyful little girl.

Love, Dad

Dear Emilia,

You are a big eater. You haven’t disliked any food yet. Theresa bought you a book for Christmas about BooBoo the blue gosling who eats almost everything, that would be you.

Just in the last day, you started using your utensils to feed yourself! You were a little bit messy, but dug into your oatmeal with abandon! (You also picked up the bowl and tried to stick your whole head in there.)

The other surprising thing about your feeding yourself, is that you seem to be showing a preference for your left hand! This would be weird, because we can’t think of any relatives that are left-handed, (and as I write this, you are using your right to eat peaches, wait, back to the left, maybe you are ambidextrous?)

We’re hoping that your love of so many different foods continues, because one of your parents was quite a picky eater (not your mom).

Love, Dad

Dear Emi,

This year we got to introduce you to the holiday centered around friends, family and food. Needless to say, you thought that was pretty great. We started the day with a quick Turkey Trot downtown with your friends Nicholas and Sydney. At dinner we filled your tray with all sorts of new foods, and you ate every one. You also got to see both sets of your grandparents at once, and uncle Joey was more than happy to play peek-a-boo with you.

Peek-a-boo!

“Yay, lots of people to play with me!”

“Good Food!”

We have a lot be be thankful for this year!

Love, Mom