Monday, October 23, 2017

Emma: 5 Years Old!

Dear Emma Lou,

You are 5 years old now, which means that in less than a year you are heading to "big girl" school!  I cannot believe it!  You are just as sweet as always, and you live in your own little world as you always have 😉.  It still blows my mind how good you are at sharing and how selfless you are in that regard.  Even as a really little girl, you have always been a good sharer, and nothing has changed.  I feel like it says a lot about who you are inside 💗.

You're a little flighty, and we often have a tough time getting you to focus, but it's never usually intentional on your part.  You live in Emma's world and it's a fun place to be.  You don't have much sense of urgency and you've taught me a lot about patience and slowing down a little in life.  I often sit and think about how awesome it must be to be YOU!

You have a new found love of horses, and Spirit is your favorite show on TV.  Anything that has to do with horses you are into.  I might try to get you some lessons sometime, but I'm torn because that might be a slippery slope 😉. You also love LOL dolls and Barbies.  You and Addy both have a Barbie house in your rooms that I got from a neighbor and you have been loving playing with those.

We still struggle a lot with your letters and a few of your shapes.  Daddy and I requested a conference with your preschool teacher to see if there is something more that we could be doing to help you. She assures us that you are doing fine and one day soon it will click for you.  We practice flashcards and tracing letters, but there isn't much retention yet. We'll keep working and you'll get there! 

Your best friends are Grace from next door, Emily and Olivia at school, and Emme and Sydney from the neighborhood.  You are such a sweet girl and a good friend, so everyone wants their Emma time 😉. 

You're riding your bike like a champ and we're trying to get you off of that little blue two-wheeler and onto a bigger bike.  You are running the Healthy Kids Running Series 75 yard dash and you've won every time!  Grand champion and you are proud!!  So am I!  Maybe you'll be my little runner!

Your 5 year checkup went just fine and all of your stats were normal:

HR:104
BP:104/60
BMI: 15.23 (52nd percentile)
Weight: 41lbs (54th percentile)
Height: 3' 7.5" (63rd percentile)

You are an AMAZING singer, and you sing and dance your way through life!  I adore hearing you sing and make up songs all day every day. To any little thing that you're up to, you'll make up a song and sing it quietly (sometimes not so quietly) to yourself.  I want to keep your love of music alive and get you some voice lessons as soon as you're ready.

We had a little birthday party for you here at the house and you invited a bunch of your friends.  You had a pinata (a first for us) and that was your biggest wish!  It was a princess party and you dressed up as Elena of Avalor.  She is your current favorite princess.  A princess party was perfect for you since you love to dress up and look beautiful.  You are always asking to wear dresses, have your nails painted, have your hair curled, and wear makeup.  We have to reign you in sometimes 😉.

Here are some photos of you from your 5th year of life:


Joy from Inside Out for Halloween.  The perfect costume for you 😍


Another affectionate nickname I have for you is "My Little Elf kin"



Ready for our Mommy Emma date day!

Ha ha, you have a random new love of the dictionary (or in your words, the "Diction Play").  It is so funny because you want to open it and look at it all the time 😂

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


We always say that with your large, bubbly personality and love of performing, you'd be a great Irish dancer!

I love this picture of you with your sparkly new haircut!

Always smiling!






The Barbie house has arrived!




Always the fashionista!









First dance class!



Happy birthday Emma!





Here are some birthday videos!




Looking at you in all of these pictures and videos just brings the biggest smile to my face!  Happy birthday Emma Jane!  You are a ray of light in our lives who always keeps things fun and happy!  My wish for you is that you continue to sing and dance your way through life with the same spirit and joy that you do now.  Happiest of 5th birthdays to the happiest little girl we know!  Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back and back and back again 💗.



Love,

Mommy


Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Favorite Things 2017

Its fun to ask the girls these same questions every year and see how their responses change :)

Here are a few of their favorite things from the beginning of the school year 2017:

ADDY (1st Grade):

Favorite food:  Mac and Cheese
Favorite snack:  Fruit Snacks
Favorite color:  Pink
Favorite toy:  LOL Dolls
Favorite TV show:  Elena of Avalor
Favorite book:  Christopher Pop-in-kins
Favorite song:  Star Spangled Banner
Best Friend:  Brielle
One word that describes you:  Pretty
If you had one wish:  A fairy door
If you could have a superpower:  Invisibilty
Favorite sport:  Softball
If you could go anywhere:  OCMD
Favorite memory:  Going to beach
What do you want to be when you grow up?:  Nurse

EMMA (Pre-K):

Favorite food:  mac and cheese
Favorite snack: chewy bars
Favorite color:  purple, pink, and gold
Favorite toy:  Spirit
Favorite TV show:  Spirit
Favorite book:  Pinkalicious
Favorite song:  Christmas songs
Best Friend:  Emily, Emme, and Sydney
One word that describes you:  Rock Star
If you had one wish:  Live with Emme
If you could have a superpower:  flying
Favorite sport:  running
If you could go anywhere:  pool
Favorite memory:  Christmas
What do you want to be when you grow up?:  Pop Star

IZZY (Preschool):

Favorite food:  mac and cheese
Favorite snack:  fruit snacks
Favorite color:  blue
Favorite toy:  school bus
Favorite TV show:  PJ Masks
Favorite book:  Blue Numbers book
Favorite song:  Fight Song by Rachel Platten
Best Friend:  Daddy
One word that describes you:  Animated (says Mommy)
If you had one wish:  none
If you could have a superpower:  rule the world (says Mommy)
Favorite sport:  play trolls
If you could go anywhere:  animal barn and the bus stop
Favorite memory:  watching Trolls
What do you want to be when you grow up?:  Snow White

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Isabelle: 2 Years Old!

Dear Iz Biz,

Holy cow you are 2 years old!!! You never cease to amaze us with your incredible vocabulary,  and now you are about to start preschool!  I know you are so ready and I can't wait to see you thrive!  We were in Ocean City for your birthday and you had lots of fun!  You are such a busy bee these days!  Here are some videos from your birthday:








So there's a little glimpse into your two-year-old self 😊😊.  Moana is definitely your current favorite movie.  You call Daddy Maui and he calls you Moana.  It's very sweet.  And, as you can see in that last video, wearing other people's shoes is one of your favorite activities.

One of the funniest things that you've said lately was at Ocean City (as relayed to me by Daddy).  You were pushing around an ottoman and you couldn't get it to go where you wanted it to go, so you sighed in exasperation and stated, "I hate this job!"  You are such a character!

You enjoyed the beach trip, but remain pretty darn scared of the ocean.  You would be just as content staying in the condo I think 😉.  But we kept trying, and you got a lot better by the end of the week.




You do love the pool though, and you have absolutely no fear there!






We got to go to Ocean City twice in one month this year!  The first time was for our weekend trip that we take just the five of us, and the second trip was the one that fell over your birthday and was a whole week long with Aunt Tina, Uncle Jay, Grandma with Kayla, and Great-Grandma and Great-Pop.

The one night when we were there just the five of us, Daddy took the big girls to the Boardwalk and you and I headed home to bed.  I was very pregnant with Reagan and was just as tired as you were 😉.


You are very lucky that your sister's spoil you and cater to your every need.  We might as well call the beach, "Izzy's spa":


And there it is.  That skeptical look you get right before you reassure yourself and say, "The ocean's not gettin' me.  It's not gettin' me." 😂

Uncle Jay will protect you Biz.


Aunt Tina will save you too 😉.

And, as always, so will Daddy 💓.


There is something about this picture.  I just love it. 💓

Here's you and Grandma:  Love these too!





We made the makeshift shower curtain pool for you, and you were satisfied with that this year.



Your sister's tried to entice you into the ocean.  You had fun there for a few minutes.  I know it won't be long until we can't pry you out of the ocean 😊.


Here was your sleeping arrangement at the beach (minus your sisters 😉).  Yup, a pack and play in Grandma and Grandpa's closet.  And it was perfect.  I'm glad you're still in that stage where we can put you anywhere 😂.



You had your two year checkup right after the beach and here were your stats:

Weight: 26lbs 8oz (48th percentile)
Height: 2' 9.75" (56th percentile)
BMI: 16.36 kg/m2 (49th percentile)

You are growing right on target, and you had your last ortho checkup at two years old!  Your hips look completely normal now, and you don't need to be followed by ortho anymore!  Hooray!

You are sleeping wonderfully, about 7:30pm-7:30am with one (about 2 hour) nap during the day.
You are starting to get picky with food, but we knew that was coming.  You are such a ham and you love to make people laugh.  No one can meet you without loving you.  There's not a shy bone in your body and I love that about you!  The amount of times I hear from people, "That Izzy.  I just love her!!"  It's so true.  You reign people in with your vocab, your comedy, and your love of the spotlight.

Here are some more photos from when you turned 2:










When did you turn into a little girl???


This pic is so you!


Iz Biz, I love you to the moon!  To know you is to love you.  You are feisty, fun, and full of life!  Our lives are certainly never boring (or quiet) with you around.  You make every day an adventure. Happiest of second birthdays to you!!


Love,

Mommy