Happy Birthday Emmett

Emmett is 3 years old today! In keeping with my pictures from the past, I had to share some of his. Here is his as a brand new newborn.


This next picture is the next day in the hospital. I just LOVED his hair. Kind of spiky and so soft. He had a hat on usually, but when it was off I just couldn't resist his hair.



The next 2 are pictures I took in my quest for the perfect birth announcement picture. (I didn't use either of these.)



Finally, a picture when is isn't so newborn, but still a baby. Just too cute not to share.

I realize that many of my posts about Emmett are about his ability to drive me a bit mad. That is true, but I do have to say that he is so sweet, too. He is a very helpful little boy. When I have work to do, he is always willing to help and is a good helper. Emmett loves to help me in the kitchen, too. He is also my dishwasher helper. Emmett is also a very quick learner. He just seems to pick things up without much effort and on his own. Things like potty training, puzzles, and letters to name a few. Emmett makes us laugh. He is a funny little boy. He is always trying to climb onto our backs/shoulders/necks anytime he has access to them. He just climbs up there and hangs out. The other day he stood behind me and turned my face to his and kissed my cheek -- about 10 times. I was laughing so hard. He also likes to turn our faces toward his when he is talking and he doesn't think we are listening. Emmett cannot talk, tell a story, or listen to a someone else unless everyone else is quiet, and that sometimes applies to loud background noises. He does not like scary images or talk of scary things (ghosts, witches, "scary" parts in kids' movies)--unlike Ethan who loves this stuff. He is recently a daddy's boy. If he is scolded at all during the day he cries, "I want my daddy!" Emmett is also our adventerous eater. He will try anything and likes a lot of things most kids don't like.

He just had is 3 year well child visit. As always after such visits, I rush home to see how he compares to Ethan's height and weight at that age. Emmett is a bit taller and a bit heavier than Ethan was at 3, which surprised me, especially the height! As I looked back at his growth I was amazed! He started life out in the less than 3rd %ile! And now he is in the 75th %ile for both!

The Aftermath

The party is done. Crumbs, toy twist ties, wrapping paper, packaging, and toys line the floor. Here they are playing with some of the new toys.

Preparations for Emmett's 3rd Birthday Party

Today was our prep. day for Emmett's birthday party. Due to the the large number of family members who attend our parties, we usually need to make 2 cakes. This year I made my standard super-rich chocolate bundt cake. I then made a second of these cakes to make the these two fun cakes. My mom, though, gets the credit for the decoration of these cakes. She also watched the boys this evening so I could get a last-minute birthday gift and so Aaron could study for an upcoming test. She even made some extra food for the party! What a great woman.

When Emmett and I were making the frosting this morning, he wanted to dump ingredients in for me. I kept beating him to it (honestly, who wants to hand over a measuring cup filled with powered sugar to a 3 year old?). So, when I got the cocoa out he insisted he dump that one by saying to me, "I want to dump the diet coke, mom." HILARIOUS! (coke/cocoa -- for those of you who didn't get it!)

Emmett, Emmett, Emmett

After supper tonight my drama boy (Emmett) who already cries outrageously about everything started to cry. I thought this was due to the taunting of Ethan. So, I in large part ignored it, until he came up to me and through his screams said that his belly hurt and pointed to his right side. He continued to scream hysterically and said he needed more food to eat so his belly wouldn't hurt. As I suspected this did not help. After about 10 minutes of this drama I figured it must be something serious. Aaron was with a friend on his way back home, so I called my parents who came to grab Ethan and prepared to take Emmett to Urgent Care. As my parents pulled up, though, Emmett stopped crying and asked if the doctors would pop his belly open. Then, he said that he really put a tube too tight around his neck and his shoulder was hurting and would they take off his shoulder. I was beginning to wonder what really hurt and if we still needed to visit the doctor. Well, his face was white as a sheet, so we figured we should still go. The whole way he told me nothing hurt. Well, we still went and it turns out, nothing really did hurt (anymore). That's just the way it goes. Better to be safe than sorry and I am glad that nothing was wrong. So, we shopped at Kohl's, just got home and he pulled about exactly the same stunt ... cried that his belly hurt and said he needed more food. That is when I picked him up and handed him off to daddy!

My Fashionable Boy

Emmett ... my child who causes me both so much angst and so much joy. We have many a confrontation throughout the course of a day, well, throughout the course of an hour. Aaron prayed one night for mommy and Emmett to get along during the day when we are at home alone together :) Funny, but, sadly true. All this to say that due to the number of conflicts we face during the day, I have decided to not let this new found fashion fetish be one of them. I am just going along with it!

We don't really wear jammies at our house, just shorts and big t-shirts. But, Emmett has recently discovered his pajama drawer, and to him it is a treasure chest of undiscovered new outfits. The first day this started Aaron came home and said, "Is there a reason Emmett is in his pajamas?" I said, "Because that is what he wanted to wear, we weren't going anywhere, so I let him." The next day he changed out of his regular bed clothes into jammies. Then, later in the day into a few more pairs. Thankfully they were still clean enough to put back in the drawer. At one point he was wearing jeans with a jammie top. Not something I would have EVER thought I'd let my child wear, but I did ... one less conflict. The third day, I just asked him, "Do you want to put on regular clothes or just stay in your jammies?" He wanted to keep the jammies on. Again, I went along with it. He still ended up changing into many outfits throughout the day.

So, here is my jammie-lovin' boy. We shall see how long this love affair lasts.

My Sick Baby

This morning Emmett and I took Ethan to school. Afterward we headed over to Piggly Wiggly to stock up on the $.99 chocolate chips and candy. We stopped by Mathew's to share some candy with Aaron and when he kissed Emmett he mentioned Emmett felt a little warm. When we got home we did an activity book together and I realized just how hot he was. I came downstairs to check some stuff online and he fell asleep in my arms. This is a rare thing with a 2 1/2 year old, and I soaked it up. A snuggling little boy sleeping in my arms. Can it get much better than that?

Just Like Grandpa

It has been said for a long time that Ethan resembles Aaron's dad, Dan, when he was boy. We have a picture to prove it. When we ask kids who it is in the picture, they say Ethan though it is Dan.

Emmett, however, clearly resembles my side of the family. Many people will tell us that he looks like my dad, Gene.

Within 24 hours this week we heard this again from people who don't know real well.

On Sun. when we were at the pumpkin patch, my parents' neighbors, Adam and Melanie, also happened to be there. From across the hay ride wagon, Adam said to me, "I never realized how much your little one looks like your dad!"

Then, on Monday morning as I was dropping Ethan off at school, one of his teachers came out and said, "I just have to be nosey." "Okay", I said, a little apprehensive of what was to follow. "Is your father-in-law Dan?" "Yes", I said. She said, "I figured it had to be! I'll just look at Ethan sometimes and the look on his face just looks just like Dan." She, too, doesn't know the family real well. Her dad and Dan were friends, I think, and Dan played music for her wedding.

It always shocks me when it is someone who doesn't know us real well who sees the resemblence. And, I thought it was funny that the two boys were pegged for their grandpa resemblences within 24 hours.

My Little Tea Drinker

Whenever I make a good cup of tea Emmett spots it and wants it. Usually I can hold him off telling him it is too hot. Even still, the last third of the cup usually goes to him. With the dreariness of the morning, I had to have a cup to go on the way to drop Ethan off at school. Emmett missed out on that cup, but asked repeatedly for some. When we arrived home after taking Ethan to school and stopping at Wal-Mart Emmett remembered he wanted some tea. I was putting things away in the kitchen and he said, "Mommy, can oo (you) make me some tea?" He helped me fill the cup with water, warm it in the microwave, scoop his tea into the tea strainer and squirt his "bear oil" (a.k.a. honey). He still had to wait for it to cool. Here he is enjoying a cup of Mango Green Tea with a little Sweet Fruit Garden and clover honey to sweeten it.

Snuggles with Pa

My parents stopped by last night to celebrate Ethan's birthday with him, because they were out of town for his party. After supper Ethan and Grandma looked at his new toys in his bedroom, and Emmett and Grandpa snuggled together on the couch. Grandpa ended up catching up on some much needed sleep with a quick nap after their long drive home the previous night.