Lucky Four!

Miss Emilia is 4 months old today!  It's a lucky day of 4's for this little gal - 4 months on 4/4 and she's our fourth little one!  

We were downtown yesterday and I had a wonderful time getting pictures of my two photogenic girls!

pictures on 4.3.13

At four months this is what we know about YOU!:

*You are covered in kisses!  A. LOT!  If it's not mama's kisses than you are getting loved by your siblings!  Last week at the RS Birthday dinner one of the ladies in the ward told me that she loved to watch me with you as I am always kissing your cheeks, forehead - whatever!  She said it was so cute to see me love you like you were the first child - even though you are the fourth and I've experienced how amazing a baby is.  True is that...I could cover your cuteness in kisses all day long!

* You drool.  A. LOT! I need to find more bibs!  We go through a few outfits a day between drool and spit-up, although you aren't spitting up as much, but that's a relative term on some days :)

* You love your hands!  You have found them to look at, but now you know how to use your hands to soothe you.  When you were born, you put your thumb into your mouth almost immediately, but it's taken awhile for you to find your hands again and recognize what they are.  Now, you pull your hands up to suck on them during your playtime, and you find your two fingers to soothe you when you sleep, or a few times you've had your thumb in your mouth.  You absolutely love your hands!

picture on 4.4.13 @ 4 months old! 

*You are the cutest little baby girl!  We are all so much in love with you!  That love keeps growing with each day...we are so blessed to have you in our family!  Your sister, Madeleine, would have you attached to her hip or in her arms permanently if there was a way!  Your brothers love to get you to smile, coo and hear your little laugh!  They are all amazing to help watch you when we are in the car and you are in your car seat - which is the one and only place you do not like to be!  Every so often we get a good ride where you aren't fussing - but usually you cry.  A lot.  And loudly too...it breaks all of our hearts, and your 3 siblings try to do everything they can to soothe you, but there are times where you just want out of that crazy seat!

Your dad thinks you are probably the awesomest kiddo we have right now - this is especially true when we have over-tired older kids that aren't really listening to us!  It's so nice to have a baby that is just cute and that smiles at us nonstop!  I've tried to start sending more pictures of you during the day to dad at work - this was last week when you were wearing your I love daddy shirt.  He thought that was perfect!

picture 3.27.13

*You are a very peaceful baby.  I was reminded the other day how far we've come from the first weeks of your life when you were so mixed up with nights & days, and there would be hours when I couldn't console you except to nurse you.  I had told a friend that I thought we might have a colicky baby - and when I saw her again recently and she asked me if you were still colicky, I told her I had completely forgotten about that stage!  I told her you were the best baby - all smiles and happiness when you wake up!  In fact the last week, when you wake up you lay in your crib and coo and talk until I come to pick you up.  It's not every time, but it's most of the time - and even in the middle of the night which has helped me get up to get you as I get to lay in bed and try to wake up for a few minutes before I know that I need to come in for your 2am or 3 am feeding!

This past month you have really solidified your schedule - you wake up and eat (unless I'm super busy with the kiddos and then I can put off feeding you for a bit, which is not ideal - but it helps me realize what a patient baby you are!) - and then after eating we get about a 1/2 hour to 45 minutes of awake time where you want to kick, smile, coo and play.  When you are in your bouncer you like to kick and get the seat bouncing a bit & you like to bat at the two hanging toys over the bouncer - you have learned how to reach out and touch things, but still working to grab and really hold onto them.  You have discovered your reflection in the mirror & although "they" (whoever they are?) say you don't know it is actually you - you do love to see yourself in the mirror & give huge smiles to the reflection.

You have found your tongue and every so often I catch you making funny faces while rolling your tongue around in your mouth or pushing it in and out of your mouth ~ comme un petit serpent!

You have also figured out how to hold onto your knees like in this picture - sounds like something so little, but I think it's the cutest little pose!

Another discovery - your feet...you like to look down and see your toes move around and stare at them...I think you have figured out how to tell yourself to move them and get a kick out of it (literally!)

pictures 3.25.13

During the morning I give you your bath during your first wake time, and you LOVE to kick in the water....you get your little legs kicking so fast that sometimes there is water that splashes up to your face and surprises you with a fun face as result!

bath pictures 3.29.13

You love to be wrapped up/swaddled into your soft pink blanket and have a pacifier in your mouth to go to sleep.  I think that this must be our little ritual as Grandma Joy was watching you this afternoon so that I could take Madeleine & Bryson skiing and Grandma said you cried going to sleep, had two big burps and then finally fell asleep on her shoulder.  Bummer that it may not be as easy for others to put you to sleep, because it's super easy for me and it's one of my sweetest times to hold you and watch you drift into la-la land.

3.18.13

It's been a busy month for you - growing up and of course it's happening too fast!  We are excited to see what another month will bring with what you discover, and to continue with the excitement and love that you bring to this life and our family.

 pictures 3.10.13

 blessing day ~ 3.17.13

 

 You are one great blessing in our life Emilia!  

nothing better than cream & butter

We were at the doctor's to see if Bryson Jr. had strep throat & I decided to put the little Miss on the scale.  

Besides the result of being practically perfect in every way (corny but truthfully how I feel about her!), she weighs in at 13 lbs. of pureness - sweet creamy skin & delicious buttery cheeks and thighs!  

No wonder I can't get enough kisses onto her sweet cheeks - I love kissing those squishy cheeks!

And her sparkly eyes with her long eyelashes - I just love to spend time with this darling babe!

She is babbling up a storm and jibber-jabbers during her waking time...I love hearing her little voice!  And she is quite the kicker --- now I know why I was so uncomfortable those last months, she loves to kick those feet back and forth like she is hitting a prize button that dispenses milk :) {she's even gabbing and kicking in this picture!}

 I love this sweet face - again look at those amazing lashes!

 Oh - I just love all 13 lbs. of this sweet, soft and creamy skin....baby skin is one of the most wonderful things on this earth!  I just love my fresh cream and butter girl!

Cam-WOW!

Madeleine found out about a cam-wow app last fall & each time the kids can get ahold of my phone & take some pictures the laughter starts....and goes and goes!

They are really funny pictures - I prefer the real deal but these do make us all giggle at the outcome!

Meow kitty

I went over to use the treadmill at Nana & Gpa's house on Monday - and these two cute cousins had their kitty jammies on. Emilia is actually wearing the jammies that Olivia wore at this age :). Olivia loves her kitties & kept petting Emilia and saying something like 'She's a meow kitty! I meow kitty!'.

Cute kitty cousins!

sweet hour of prayer

Jacob you have a very tender and sweet heart - you truly want to obey and do what is right.  You have moments where it's hard to always listen, but so often you seem truly distraught when you forget to do what is right. 

This week - here are the stories that warm my heart, make me giggle and realize how lucky we are to have you in our family.  I love your sweet spirit so much! 

*On Monday you needed to take a note back to school that was due that day.  I asked Madeleine to walk you in and deliver the note, but you replied right away that you'd remember and to let you take the note in.  I was hesitant to try this - as it had to be turned in today, and you have a record of not really remembering to turn things in....your homework tends to stay in your backpack for days!  However, you were so determined that I let you try and told me that you really, really would remember that I decided to give it a go.  I folded the note and put it in your pocket thinking it might be a better place as you'd feel it there through the day.  However, when you got home and I asked if you turned in the note and then I touched your pocket I heard the paper crinkle and saw your face crumple and I knew the note didn't make it to its' destination.  "Mom, I tried to remember!  I really was going to remember, but I just forgot!"  Thankfully we had to go pick Madeleine up from an after-school activity and the Secretary told me I could slide it under the door and they would count it on time.  I need to figure out how to put a screen on you that flashes reminders of what you need to turn in or do!  You forgot your lunch box on Thursday, and when you came home again your face crumpled when I asked where it was - you promised you'd get it the next day.  The only problem was that the next day you took another lunch box and forgot to bring that one home...and your other lunch box - so now both are sitting at school and none at home.  Oh, what will we do to help you remember these things?!  

* Yesterday (Friday) was a big day for you - with memories as well as activities!  You were the only one home in the morning to get off with the carpool, as Dad had already taken Madeleine to her violin lesson and Bryson Jr. to Chess Club before school.  When the car pool came, I was tying your shoe and you were getting your coat on.  I was trying to open the door, when you reach up and gave me a big hug and kiss and said, "Mom, I hope you and Emilia have a good day at home and that you're happy!"  And with a big smile you walked down the stairs and driveway and got in the car.   

You left my heart so happy and I vowed then and there to do everything in my power to send you off every day with the same feeling of love in your heart.  It was the best way to start my day!  

* You had a birthday party a little bit later in the day (still on Friday).  Drew's mom was going to drive you both to the party and then I would pick you up.  As I was helping you get the present and your things together, you stopped and asked, "Mom, can we say a prayer before I go to the party?"  My heart warmed again.  You said a sincere prayer that Drew's mom would drive you all safely to the party and that you would have a fun time bowling for Gabe's birthday party.  You have a lot of faith, and I often realize how perfectly your name fits you - not only being a family name, but also that Jacob and Nephi were great men of faith in the scriptures.  

*When you came home from the birthday party, you started to twist your front tooth that has been loose for at least the past two weeks.  This is your first loose tooth!  I was feeding Emilia when you came in and showed me that you could basically turn it 360 degrees around in your mouth.  That tooth was finally going to come out!  You twisted and turned it a few more times, and it came right out - and you were a little surprised telling dad "Look, my tooth came out!  I was as brave as a soldier, wasn't I?  I didn't even cry!  And there was not a lot of blood!"  You had been a little nervous for this tooth to come out, although it desperately needed to as the new tooth was already coming in behind it.  Thankfully this first tooth came out so easily that I think you'll be much easier with all the other teeth that you'll lose in the next few years!  

The sad part is that this morning you woke up in tears because the Tooth Fairy forgot to come and visit.  I've heard that this happens in many other houses as well - perhaps she's overworked and just can't make it around all in one night.  Which after you cried and cried, you dried your tears and said, "Maybe she was visiting another child who lost his tooth."  You have this awesome way of getting upset, mad, sad, or whatever -- and then turn around and can be smiling and all right within a few minutes.  I hope it's a trait that you'll keep through life, because it is a blessing to be able to look at the bright side like you do!  

2 weeks ago we went up to the Krim's to celebrate the girls birthdays - Madeleine, Noel & Juliet all have February birthdays!  You showed everyone that you had a loose tooth, and when Scott offered to help you get it out with some pliers - you surprised us all and agreed.  As a joke, he pulled out this big tool and your eyes got huge and you would not open your mouth!  You gave a nervous chuckle when he told you this big tool was just a joke!  He did bring out the smaller pliers and you let Dad have a try pulling out your tooth...

 ....you were very brave to let Dad try this way - there was a little slip of the pliers and I think that's when you realized this was a crazy idea!  You decided to wait and just let the tooth come out on its' own.  Wise choice my son - very wise choice!

The last story is from last week when we were reading scriptures.  You tend to balk a little at first about reading the verses when it's your turn, so we try to find new ways to get your attention.  Somehow it started that some of the words you were reading sounded better with your little french accent, so you started to say them more with the rolling 'R's and with extra emphasis on an accent.  You were reading along and really rolled your 'R' on suffeR with hungeR and the more you said it in your accent, the more we started to giggle, laugh and then we just couldn't stop for a few minutes.  You are such a funny kiddo - even when you aren't trying to be funny you tend to make people laugh and are the life of the party.

We sure do love you and are so thankful that you are such a hit in our family!