Emma's 3rd Gotcha day - 1/31/08

My baby is SO grown up in this pic. I can't believe it...she looks like a litle girl now! *sniff sniff*

2nd Gotcha Day - 1/31/07

Emma's 2rd Gotcha day. We went to COSI - here she is at Kidspace. I can't believe how much she's changed. Here she is 2 1/2. She still looks like such a toddler.

1st Gotcha Day - 1/31/06

Emma's 1st Gotcha day! We went to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton. She had fun. She was so little...18 months old!

Finalization - 1/31/05

Here are a couple of pics from her finalization in 2005. She was 6 months old.

Gotcha Day Present

Shawn and I try to get her a special gift for her Gotcha Day each year. This year we got her this Precious Moments, titled "I'm so lucky to have you as a daughter." We started her collection on her 1st Christmas and she has a lot already! She's catching up on Mommy's collection now. She really likes getting them :)

Bowling!

She kept lying down on the lanes to watch her ball go down the lane. It was cute. She loved her bowling shoes.

Bowling

We took her bowling for her Gotcha day. It was a nice day spent with Mommy, Daddy, and Emma. She was excited for Mommy & Daddy to pick her up from preschool. She had fun for the first few frames, then she was done :) She did end up finishing her game, but said it was hard work!

New Camera Lens

Mommy finally got the lens for her camera that she's been waiting for! Here are just a few pics that I shot last night. Emma is not being cooperative :)

Aww....

So, since I am having a sentimental day today, I scanned Emma's hospital pic. Look at how little she was. She has kissie lips in this pic because the photographer had just pulled her gloved finger out of her mouth. Emma was starving, so she was sucking on her finger and that was keeping her quiet. She would pull her finger out right before snapping the pic. The outfit in this pic was the only outfit that I bought for her before we brought her home. All I bought were onesies, sleepers, and gowns. So, this was the only pink she had until Grandma and Aunt Kristin brought her some more!

Almost 3 years....

It's been almost 3 years since we finalized Emma's adoption. Her Gotcha Day is coming up next week on the 31st, and I'm feeling extremely sentimental now. As I sit here, I am tearing up thinking about how incredibly lucky Shawn & I are for the blessing of Emma. I still remember being so nervous to go in the judge's chambers that day, and bawling my eyes out when I got questioned about my love for Emma. The attorney asked, "How do you know Emma is bonded to you?" How can I not know? She is my daughter, she is my life, she is my love. She was mine from the second I laid eyes on her in the hallway at St. Ann's. She was mine the second I heard "It's an Emma" in labor and delivery. She was always mine, and always will be. I can't believe it's been 3 years since she officially became Shawn & I's daughter. We are so blessed. Although we struggle with the daily life with a very stubborn 3 year old, I wouldn't trade any of it. The best thing I have ever been in my life is a Mommy, Emma's Mommy.

Emma tells me all the time that I am her best friend. I hope it stays that way. I hope we continue to share this bond throughout the years as Mother and Daughter. I still think I am living a dream some days. I used to think that I would never be a Mother, in my darkest hours, for those of you that knew of our struggles to have a baby. Emma's birthmom gave us the best gift ever in Emma. She is and always will be our Angel. She is an amazing part of our lives and we are blessed to have met her.

On her Gotcha day, I am going to post pics of the last 3 years on that day. It'll be amazing to see the changes in her. Shawn & I always take her to do something special, just the 3 of us that day. Her 1st Gotcha day we went to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton. Last year we went to COSI. I'm not sure what we are going to do this year. We also have a Gotcha Day dinner with the family. This year is going to be the first year with Jacen not being able to be there. That makes me tremendously sad. He said last year on her Gotcha day that he was so happy for that day because it was that day that made him have a sister. He is such a sweet kid...when he wants to be ;)

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rambling at 4am. I promise I will post some pics tomorrow. I still have pics to post from before Emma's field trip. Until then....

Think Pink

Check out the new link for "Think Pink." It's an awesome photography service for breast cancer survivors. The amazing photographer, Erin Johnson, who did Emma's 3rd year pics is one of the photographers.

Field Trip

Emma had a field trip for preschool today to the library. We went to the Lincoln Village branch of Southwestern Public Libraries. We had never been to that one before. We normally go to Hilliard. It was very nice and had a HUGE children's area. All the kids at Cypress Wesleyan Preschool's morning classes were there. They had storytime for the kids and then they got to color and play with puppets. Emma had a great time! I have pictures to upload of her before her trip as I didn't take the camera to the library. She got to wear her "school" shirt for the first time today. She was so excited!

I'm off to work! More later.

A Sun!

Emma has really been in to drawing lately since she got her easel. She drew a sun for me the other day. I couldn't believe it! She did such a good job. The face she did was amazing! My baby is getting SO grown up :)

Emma's Haircut

Here she was content after Leslie put the "cape" on her and Mommy gave her a sucker.

Leslie cut her hair standing up. Emma totally didn't notice that she was even cutting it. She did such a good job!

Getting a few layers in her hair so that her curls aren't so weighed down. My big girl!!!

Hair Cut

Emma got a hair cut today! (Well, on Friday) She was so nervous. I took her to Kenneth's to see Leslie, who cuts my hair. She was scared when we got there but then Leslie gave her a cool "cape" and she got a sucker while she cut her hair. When she was all done, she asked Leslie when she was going to use the scissors. She didn't even realize that her haircut was already all done. You can't really tell that she had a hair cut...I just had her clean up the ends. Eventually, her hair should even up. I will post pictures tomorrow.

Mommy's Back to Work

Today, well yesterday now, was my first day back to work in 17 days. It was so hard leaving Emma at Miss Carrie's this morning. It didn't help that I totally had a brain fart on when preschool was. I was thinking preschool was at 9:30 and I totally know she goes at 9. So, when Carrie called me at 8:30 wondering where we were...I was like, "OH NO! We're leaving right now." So, we got to Carrie's house at about 8:45 with Carrie waiting in the van for us. I basically had to throw Emma in the van and leave. She was crying :( When I picked Emma up from Miss Carrie's tonight, Carrie said that she stopped crying by the time they got out of their development and she didn't cry when she left her at preschool....she only does that with Mommy!

So, it's back to the daily (or 3 days a week) grind. Shawn is going to get Jacen tonight for the weekend and we are all so excited! I think Shawn is going to take Jacen to the batting cages on Saturday for some Father/Son time while Emma & I go to her friend Ava's birthday party. We should have a good weekend and Emma can't wait to see her brother!!!!

A Grown Up Space

Well, here it is...our (relatively) toy free great room! I love it :) Shawn & I are so excited to have space back for ourselves. Emma still brings toys downstairs to play because she is still a little apprehensive to play upstairs by herself. But, we just have a toy basket under one of the tables that everything goes in to and gets carried upstairs. It feels like we have SO much more room now and I feel like when I clean it actually looks clean :) Just had to share!

Just another ordinary day

Emma was excited to go to preschool today. It was her turn to bring a snack. She brought goldfish crackers and juice boxes. In her class, when it is your snack day, you get to be the line leader and sit next to the teacher during circle time. Emma was so excited that she ran in and told Miss Michele first thing, "I get to be the line leader!" It's so cute how all the kids get so excited for their special day.

Nothing much exciting going on for the week. Mommy has to go back to work on Thursday. We are looking forward to having Jacen come down for the weekend. We are all missing him alot! Emma woke up in the middle of the night last night crying for him. She loves her brother so much. They truly are best friends!

Emma's Playroom!

Emma's playroom is now finished! We did leave the computer desk up there, but the rest of the room is hers. It is so nice having our great room back, but it seems really empty now. We decided to leave her art supplies and easel downstairs because we would like to keep her in our line of vision when painting, etc. She loves her new playroom and thinks it is so cool that she has a room all of her own. It is taking some adjustment for her to play upstairs...right now she wants someone up there with her, but I'm sure that will change. It is nice that it is the loft and we can see her from the great room and she can see downstairs too. Whew! I am so glad it's finished!

Playroom Progress

We have been talking about making the loft a playroom since Emma turned 3. We feel like she is trustworthy enough to be out of our sight to play. And, we want the great room back!!!! Our entire great room is overrun with toys, especially since Christmas. So, Shawn is having his friend Jason over tonight to get the playroom done. I am not much help right now because of my lifting restrictions from my surgery. So, they are going to get all the furniture moved out of the loft and get her playroom set up. I am so excited I can't stand it!!!! I will post pics when it is finished!

Our First Snowfall and Emma's Christmas Program

Emma had her preschool Christmas program on the day of our first real snowfall. For a drive that normally takes us 10 minutes, it took us nearly an hour. We made it to school just in the knick of time! Her Christmas program was so cute and the kids all did so well. They sang some traditional Christmas songs, the Pastor told the Christmas story, and they sang some new songs like "Jesus Jingle Bells." I can't believe my baby is old enough to be in preschool now. She loves it though, and loves her teachers Miss Michele and Miss Cheryl.

P.S. If you can't tell, I am having a terrible bout of insomnia, having been up til 3am the last 2 nights, and am headed there again tonight!