Letters to Emma: 1 year

My Dear daughter

How can I put into words a love that is impossible to describe, but can only be felt? How can I explain the ways that your birth changed me?

I was not prepared to deal with the emotional responsibility that comes with having a daughter. As a father, I feel, not only responsible for your physical well being, your emotional journey but also responsible for your protection against anyone and anything. Those words are not eloquent but they're not meant to be, they're in simple terms how I feel.

I loved you before you were even born- I remember seeing you for the first time and thinking just how small you were, I remember wanting to hold you and never letting go. I could not stop staring at you and your beautiful eyes. Even though those first few months felt like time stopped, I now realize just how quickly they flew by.

I keep saying that you are the sweetest girl who takes her time and does thing cautiously. I love your determination to achieve whatever you want on your own terms and time. At one year, although you are clearly capable of walking, prefer to crawl and stand cautiously on occasion. We know you are taking your time and that is absolutely fine.

You are a foodie. You eat and love almost everything we give you. You love fruits, lots of fruits. Strawberries are your favorite. You are incredibly smart and love to tell us everything that you want and dont want. You are not afraid to test your lung capacity. In fact, you remind us that you're not happy about something almost daily. Your mommy says that you are theatrical.

You and me, we have a routine. Our mornings are exactly that, ours. You typically wake up in the morning around 4:30 and I come in and change you and we cuddle until you fall back asleep. That hour or two we spend together in the morning is my most peaceful time of the day. When you sleep in my arms, I am reminded of how small our world is, and how perfect, all at once.

You love your brother, I cant say this enough. Your world clearly lights up when you see him. He adores you as well and is already very protective of you. He loves to show you off, anywhere we go, he demands people to see his "baby sister, Emma Gracie." It warms our heart to see you two be so close.

Emma- you've changed our life; we're learning each and everyday to be a family. we love you unconditionally.

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
my baby you'll be.
- Robert Munsch


Love,
Daddy.

Letters to Emma: 9 months

Dear Emma,

I'm a few days late to writing this, but today you had your 9 month check up at the doctor's and you are 29 inches tall and weigh 22 lbs.  That's 93% and 95% respectively. Which means you are likely going to be a tall girl, just like mom- as expected. You continue to do very well in your development and even though you're not wanting to crawl,  you have all the strength and motor skills developed to do so which means its really just up to you. You may just not want to crawl so you can walk. 

You are quick to let us know that you're unhappy about something and you've become very good at getting our attention. You like to feel like you're close to us, even when playing independently, you like to make sure you can see us; otherwise, you start to grunt as if to warn us that if we don't comply, we will soon be sorry. Most of the time, you give us about 30 seconds to move close to you; otherwise, you start to cry. You have opinions baby girl, you sure do. We wouldn't have it any other way. Mommy says that I get too upset when you cry and I want to run to fix the problem- she thinks its our daddy/daughter bond. 

You are eating just about everything we put in front of you. This is amazing considering your brother was not an adventurous eater. You are very fond of kiwi, strawberries, avocado, and carrots are among your favorites. 

You know exactly when its time to eat, you like to sit in your chair with some finger foods prior to your actual meal; for the most part, you like little baby type snacks and cheerios. 

We are also starting to introduce sippie cups and letting you hold them and try to drink out of them. You're still learning this skill. 

You look like mommy more and more each day that goes by. You are clearly her "mini-me" just like Mason is my "mini-me."

 I still hope that as you grow I'll get to see some of me in you.

This month we went to the Zoo and you loved watching all the big animals and the fish! Also, this was a neat picture because mommy walked the National Zoo at 38 weeks pregnant with you and took a picture with you in her belly at this exact location just 8 months ago. You two are beautiful- Mason and I are very lucky to have our two best beautiful girls by our side. 

Speaking of Mason, you two continue to amaze mommy and I. Your bond is incredible and it just continues to grow. I love watching you light up when Mason walks into a room. Its very clear that you're attached to him and that you love him. Mason equally adores you- he loves playing with you, giving you raspberries on your belly and his favorite thing is doing anything that makes you laugh. 
We are incredibly blessed that we get to have you both. Mommy, Mason and I know that you are a gift to us and we couldn't be happier. Your growing into such a beautiful and smart girl. 
Love,
Mason, Mommy & Daddy

Letters to Emma: 8 Months

Dear Emma-

You're growing into a beautiful, smart little girl. You are determined just like your brother to get what you want. Very soon you'll be giving Mason a run for his money, running around after toys and taking back what he so kindly calls "sharing." You have learned that to draw attention to anyone going by, mainly mommy, if you're sitting down. You want to be held up or walk along. 

You are so ready to walk and move around that you can barely sit for longer than a few minutes until you leap forward, as if to crawl, but instead, extend your little fingers forward as long of a stretch as you can make it in an effort to reach further. This is of course, coupled with a couple of back and forth rolls. You are still not wanting to crawl, truly, I believe you could but you are choosing not to bother with it, there is enough people to help you move and you really have your little mind set on a goal- walking. 

You had a very busy month. You also had a lot of firsts. We took you on your very first Disney trip- as this is traditionally what we would do around this time of year, we decided to try it out with you and your brother. You also had your first airplane ride. You did very well on your first airplane ride, as we knew you would. 

 Your brother did get pretty sick and was diagnosed with pneumonia the day before we were to leave. So you and mommy and nana went on the flight as planned and daddy and Mason stayed behind a few hours to get the all clear from  the doctor the next morning. Mommy said you were an angel and occasionally you got fussy because you didn't sleep after the plane took off and you fell asleep as the plan was landing. All that being said, for a traveling baby, you did very well! Everyone though you were adorable!

As far as the trip- you loved it, you've always had an affinity  for Minnie Mouse. Ever since you were born, mommy will put "minnirella" on and you start to kick and smile and laugh. You really love this episode, no matter how many times we play it. So seeing Minnie Mouse for the first time was both exciting and confusing. Confusing because she was not wearing her normal outfit and you were a little overwhelmed to say the least. 

Mommy worked very hard to make you and your brother matching Disney Prince/Princess dresses. Each dress that you wore to see a character or a princess was meticulously sewn just for you and your brother. This caused a big reaction from just about everyone in the parks. From Disney employees to the princesses and characters themselves to random strangers, you two were celebrated and met with many "awwws" as we walked by. 

You loved meeting Ariel and Anna and Elsa,  you immediately were drawn to the sparklers on the dresses. As suspected, you love everything that glitters, just like mommy. You were definitely overwhelmed by all the new scenes and experiences, you enjoyed riding the little mermaid ride, Its a small world, peter pan and even the haunted mansion. We are so excited for you to start seeing Disney and enjoying it as much as we do!

I love how much you and Mason enjoyed being around each other during this trip. Mason was attentive and wanted you to see and experience things in the best way. He would point out things to do and make you laugh. It was heartwarming to see be a big brother to you in so many ways.

Another first was your first pool experience. It was no surprise to us that you loved it since you love baths so much! Although we didn't stay out long because it was hot and you were tired, you still enjoyed playing with the spouts!

We loved seeing you and your brother experience Disney together. We loved what a big girl you're becoming and can't wait to continue watching you grow. We love you silly girl. You are the sweet little baby. 

Love, 

Mommy, Daddy and Mason

Letters to Emma: Seven months

Dear Emma,

Spring is finally here and now that the weather is somewhat tolerable, we are going out more and more. You've caught a couple of colds the last few months, mainly due to your caring brother sharing all his extra germs with you- all because he can't keep his hands off of you- he demands time with you and gets very sad when we don't let him hold you, so we try to sit you on his lap or let him hold your bottle. You don't seem to mind, in fact, you love him and love having him around. We realized that you actually miss him when he's at school. Don't worry, summer is coming and that means he'll be around much more and your naps will be hopefully interrupted. 

I'd say you're probably around the same weight (21 lbs or so) because you've maintained your clothes. Although your torso is long so that tells me you're definitely growing. You are wearing from 9-12 month clothes and sometimes, 12 month dresses will fit!

You are rolling and backward scooting everywhere. We are still not seeing many signs of you crawling, you are interested in sitting, don't lay me down- thats for babies ( or so mommy thinks you'd say if you could!). You are my strong girl, you see something you want and your chubby little fingers extend right on to that thing and grab it! I'm surprised you're not crawling if anything to get what you want. You'll go from a sitting position to laying down to stretch your arms to see how far you can get them to reach what you want. Mostly, anything you see Mason playing with!You’ve figured out that you can steal your big brother’s toys and make him mad, so it begins. 

You are still the happiest baby around, you have discovered the mirror in mommy and daddy's room so your new favorite morning activity is to play in front of it and say hi to your reflection. You're such an inquisitive girl. You love exploring and have no fear. You have to keep up with your brother after all!

You spend a lot of time with your nana and you're definitely enjoying all the yummy things she gives you! You enjoy eating little veggie snacks and cereal. Lately, your favorite foods are: Zucchini, squash and beets. You dont enjoy peas! 

I know I've said it before and continue to say it, you're perfect and you made our little family whole!

Love, 

Daddy, Mommy and Mason

Letters to Emma: Month 6

Dear Emma-

I'm happy to say that you've made it through half a year with the rowdiest brother around but now you can be somewhat mobile yourself! These past six months have been both a blur and yet I can remember each month that has passed filled with new experiences and new memories of us as a family!

You had your six month check up and weighed in at 20 lbs and you're 26.5 inches tall (tall girl just like mommy!). You did really well at your appointment- daddy took you on his own and I had to rescue you from the evil nurse who gave you a couple of shots. You are a tough girl though, you just wanted your daddy and you calmed right down. You are doing excellent according to Jan (our favorite Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) You are perhaps a little ahead as your gross motor skills (rolling both ways, sitting with minimal help and certainly standing on your own is better developed than average).   You are eating all the foods. You love spinach, sweet potatoes, apples, beets, squash- essentially, all the great foods you should be trying at this time in your life! Your brother didn't enjoy eating those types of foods, he liked the fruits more than the veggies! Here is to hoping that you'll continue eating those great foods!

Emma, you're truly beautiful, you have kept your blue eyes and although you dont have much hair yet, you have a beautiful face that mommy loves to wrap in bows, headbands and just about anything she can find to adorn your little head with. People are always commenting on how beautiful you are or how beautiful your eyes are or the best, how happy of a baby you are! This is so true, you laugh and enjoy each moment of life and that makes this journey so incredible. Watching you laugh at your brother, or the dogs or just about anytime you see your mommy or daddy or nana or mita or pollo or grandpa! 

You are a great sleeper, even at six months you are doing easily 6 hour stretches without waking up. You occasionally want a bottle at night and drink a few ounces then go right back to sleep. The days of waking up crying and not being able to put you back down for a few hours are gone and now we get greeted by a calm and smily girl.  

Your personality is definitely showing more and more and baby, you're gonna fit in just fine. You love to laugh like crazy and that's all we do around here. You can also be silly, loving and super affectionate. My favorite thing you do lately is kisses. I think you've seen us kissing you and your brother every.single.time. we see you that you now do it to us! It melts us. 
You also started to cry if you see us leave the room. You are very attached to mommy and you can't stand the sight of her leaving. You also know that if you cry we're going to come to the rescue!











You dont seem to want to crawl, mommy says that a princess doesn't want to crawl because that would get our knees dirty. I think you're just determined to run around with Mason and the dogs and crawling isn't going to cut it. So instead, you're standing on your own for a few seconds here and there. You're going to be unstoppable!

Our world changed the day you arrived and it just keeps getting better!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Mason

Month 5: emma

Dear Emma,

 You’re still full of smiles but you’ve picked up many new skills in the past month. You can sit up (with a little support), reach your toes, hold your own bottle, blow bubbles, roll both ways and jump a ton in your jumperoo

You've grown quiet a bit since your birth weight, you’re around 18 pounds and probably somewhere around 25 inches. Most of your clothes are 6-9 months although your torso is too long for many of them. You're going to be a tall girl just like mommy and brother.  Your hair is starting to come in a little thicker and lighter. We're not sure if your hair will get darker over time or stay on the lighter side. Your eyes are still blue as ever which is making everyone very happy as you'll be the only one with blue eyes in the family. 

 Winter is still very much here, we're not sure when the spring will come so you can finally leave the house without looking like an eskimo. Although you're still very little, you're quite the trooper. You are very easy to take out, you nap almost anywhere and on anyone of us. You also drink you bottle on the road. We were always too scared to disrupt your brother's nap at your age so this is a first for us and a welcomed relief that you're so tolerant. Goes without saying, you're very easy going and we love it. 

You continue to have a very special bond with Mason, just as we hoped. Mason loves you so much. I can already tell that he's going to be a protective brother. Which as your dad, this gives me much comfort knowing that there will be one other person looking out for you as you grow and learn about this world. You light up the minute you see your brother come into the room and Mason requests to see you first thing when he gets up. He is very helpful and wants to hold you just as much as we'll let him. He can't wait to be able to play with you and neither can you! Watching this bond melts our hearts. 

You sure love your baths. You know exactly when its time for your bath and you start to let us know by doing a cute little grunting noise. That's how we know that around 5-6 you're ready to head upstairs and start bedtime activities. Just like your brother, you're a water girl. You hear the sound of the bathtub filling up and you automatically start to smile and kick. You're currently still sitting in the infant tub but we're pretty sure you're ready to be sitting soon on your own. 









We love you so much baby girl. Our hearts are so full of love and now that you're here we know we're so complete. 

Love, 

Daddy, Mommy & Mason

Emma: 4 months

Dear Emma,

You are 4 months today and it seems like was just yesterday that we were holding your head up for you, now I look at you and you are doing all of it on your own.  We took you to your 4 month check up and you weigh 17 lbs and you are 25 inches tall! 

You continue to amaze us with your calm demeanor and sweet personality. We find ourselves being much more willing to disrupt your routine in order to go out to dinner or take your brother out to play with friends. This is mostly because you are so easy going. When we get home late you may not be happy that we have to change you into your PJs but you let us anyway. As long as one of us holds you and you can see us, you have no problems. 

Most babies do not want to be woken up and require a lot of time getting put back to sleep. Not you, you like to cuddle next to mommy or daddy and fall asleep. As long as you can hold on to us, you're pretty happy. 

We are also starting to sleep a little more, about 4 to 5 hours at a time. This in it of itself is a bit of a miracle, your brother was a little more dramatic about bedtime and worked us a little harder. You fall asleep quickly. We hope this is a sign of the future and you being a good sleeper. 

You're mommy's little doll. Mommy loves to dress you up in various disney princess inspired clothes. You basically look like a princess everyday of your life. 

You are an all out laughing little girl. You love to laugh and be tickled. You also love to laugh with your brother. I love watching your relationship grow. It makes us all so happy to see you two grow closer and closer each day.

We celebrated your first Easter. Everyone at the mall thought you were the cutest little princess and mason was not shy about showing off his little sister. It's still winter around here so we are making a few trips out fo the house but seeing as its freezing outside we try to keep you from the cold temps as much as possible. 

You and your brother are one of a kind. We are so blessed to have you two on this Easter day. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect girl. We thank God, specially today for you and our family. 

Love,

Daddy, Mommy & Mason