Learning to Breathe: Dear Emmalee 12

Baby girl, you turned one!

You don't even realize how amazing you are and how much you brighten my day.

"Mama" has become your favorite word. It's the first thing you say when I come in the morning to change your diaper. You are so funny. You say "hola" incensantly too. It's just that you are so kind and friendly.

I don't know how to put into word how much I love you. It's undescribable.

I love watching you play with your "educational" toys. You are so smart.

The thing I've enjoyed the most to watch is seeing how soft and sweet and cuddly you've become.

The other day mommy had a very painful shot given and mommy was very nervous and she cried. You came over and hugged me and made this "awwww" noice. It was the sweetest thing ever!

You like to hug and cuddle more, but you will only lay your head on daddy's shoulder.

Eventhough you've mastered walking, you still give me a hug when you reach me.

I love your big smile with your big rabbit teeth.

I still stare at you with wonderment and amazement at how beautiful and perfect you are.

You love other kids and are not shy at all. When we were waiting on the doctor to check on your baby sister, you made friends with every kid you saw. I'm not used to such innocence and acceptance. No discrimination or prejudice. I truly wish, like Jesus said, I were more like little children, I were more like you.

Your grandma and Uncle Ditto and Aunt Lilly got to really enjoy you this past month. I'm so happy they got to share time with you. Uncle Ditto and Grandma Linda were afraid you were not going to recognize them or like them. You had no problem with grandma because you skype alot with her and immediately knew her. You had some warming up to do with Uncle Ditto, but they both were jealous of your big smile when Aunt Lilly talked to you. I guess you liked her face. She is very pretty. Grandma Linda was a huge help getting you to eat. She made you gain the weight you needed to be back on your normal growth pattern. She was a real champion. You learned to eat yogurt and drink your juice with vitamins, although mommy gave grandma a hard time for getting your outfits dirty really fast. The only thing is that grandma would get you all wind-up and then she would go to bed leaving mommy and daddy to deal with a hyper Emma past 11pm. The good thing is that grandma came for you early in the morning to play with you and allow mom and dad to sleep longer. It was a huge relief. The morning of the new year you had some problem sleeping and barely slept at all. Mom and dad were really tired and sleepy that when we heard grandma was up we didn't wait for her to come for you. We iust let you out to the hall. We had a huge laugh of it when grandma was bugging us for having "kicked" you out of the room. She said you came walking to her with a big smile not realizing your parents had gotten rid of you. I'm sorry baby girl, but we were extremely tired and you kept us up.

We love you so much. Your grandparents here in Honduras were sad they didn't spend christmas with you, but you got to skype with them. You were really excited to see them when we came back. Everybody loves you so much. I hope you know how loved you are and I hope all of us can show you how loved you are because Christ loved us first and loves you more deeply than any of us can.

Here is you one year photoshoot