Happy 1st Birthday Kara Grace

One year ago today beautiful little Kara was born. It was a whirlwind of the most difficult days of my life, but to watch it be the most wonderful day for an amazing couple has made it all worth while. I have been so very blessed to see pictures and videos of her growing up. Words cannot describe how lucky of a birthmother that I am to have this much communication and so many updates so often. I am very thankful and grateful for Kim and Aaron. They are amazing parents and Kara is so very lucky....her birth father and I are also so very lucky. Kara is so loved beyond words and always will be by 4 parents. This is just the first birthday for them to celebrate with their daughter with so many more to come. Happy 1st Birthday Kara...you are always in my thoughts and heart forever.

Playing in the "snowk!"

The first real snow of the winter finally came Thursday night...and there was A LOT of it! Sadly, I was at work when it all started and had the worst time driving home in it, but after driving 10 mph the whole way and barely able to see 3 feet in front of me, I made it! By Friday morning, there was over a foot of snow outside! Mind you, there was NONE when I left for work Thursday night! Of course it was freezing outside and very windy, so I didn't take Emily outside to play in it until today. Figured I had a day off and the wind was all that terrible, Emily might enjoy playing in the snow! Grandma next door was outside playing with Tina and Kenneth already, and Jen and I took Emily out to join. She had so much fun sledding down the small hill that grandma Sue made for the kids. It is going to be a very cold winter this year, but the kids should have fun playing in it!

In other news: Work is still going great. Keeping me super busy, which I love! I have been training new employee's for a week straight, which slows me up some, but it is ok. I have to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, but luckily I will still have Christmas morning with Emily. I did put in a request to have her birthday off, and my boss already promised to give it to me. She says I am her workaholic and she owes me!

And, Emily has been in this temper tantrum mood lately. If she doesn't get her way, she throws a huge fit. How much can she make me lose what little of my mind I have left?! However, Saturday it was cute. We were leaving Wal-mart...heading towards the doors, and Emily kept screaming because she wanted to walk in front of everyone, but Tina kept trying to get next to her so she wouldn't get lost. After listening to the screaming for about 20 seconds, I had enough and walked up next to her and grabbed her by the hand and started walking with him. Well, she wanted NOTHING to do with that and started yelling, "Help...Help....HELP ME JEN....HELP!" Not only did she start this near the front doors of Walmart, but she continued all the way to the car!!! This stage has to pass soon...I can only pray it passes soon!

3 year pictures!

I went to finish paying off the pictures tonight and I was able to pick up the CD with ALL of the pictures that they took...even the ones that I didn't like so much. Of course I am not going to post those! These are the pictures that I did purchase and I am more than thrilled with them! I can't wait to pick them up next week!

Like mother, like daughter?

Everyone has always said that Emily looks just like me. I have never seen it, but curiosity finally got the best of me! So I went through the one scrapbook of me that I brought back to Michigan and tried to figure it out. I found a picture of me on my 3rd birthday. What do you think? Any similarities? It is a blury picture, but it is a picture of a picture!!

My little chef!

I must admit, when it comes to help, Emily is the best! She absolutely LOVES to help out in the kitchen, whether it be cooking, baking or doing the dishes. I really am a very lucky mom. Now if I could just get her to come to my work and do the dishes there, I would have it made!

This is her first time baking. We were making Tina's birthday cake and Emily had to help out. Aunt Jen assisted and her favorite part was licking off all of the batter!

It seems like there has been so much going on but have had NO time to blog! These pictures are from October 26th! Emily is learning how to count...and past 3 finally! I tried to get her to count to ten on the phone with my mom, but when I would say a number, she would just look and me and say, "yup!" She has been doing the cutest things lately. One day I had to go into work and do some paperwork that I forgot to do the night before, so Emily went with me. The snow had all melted, but everything was still very wet and puddles of water were everywhere. While walking down the sidewalk, she decided that it would be fun to run. I had told her not to run through the puddle, so she stopped running and walked through it! Whoops...I guess I should have been more specific! All I said was, "Oh Emily!" And she looked and me so sincerely and said, "Oh mommy, I walk!"

Another funny story that still has me laughing. On weekends, I actually get to sleep in and not get up for the bus stop or anything. So, I put the gate up and the bottom of the stairs so she doesn't go upstairs and wake everyone up, turn on cartoons, get her breakfast and I take a nap on the couch while she watches cartoons and plays. Well, last weekend I was so tired, I just tired on cartoons and put up the gate and went back to bed. About an hour later, she came up to me pulling off the blanket saying, "Mommy, come here. I need help, mommy....come here!" Pulling on my hand, I figured she really needed help with something so I got up. She held onto my hand and led me out to the kitchen to where I found the milk, cereal and a spoon all lined up on the counter with her Dora step stool sitting on the floor right below. She pointed to the cupboard and said, "Mommy, I need a bowl. I hungry mommy, me eat. Help mommy!" I just laughed and gave her a big hug and kiss before getting the bowl down. I poured her cereal and sat her bowl at the table for her so she could eat!
Also, I have been trying to get her to understand that her uncle is not her daddy and that her daddy is bye -bye right now. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to explain to a 2 year old that her daddy is gone and that the only male figure in her life is not her dad, but her uncle? She hears her cousins calling him dad, so he must be dad! She is so confused, she now calls him "Rob daddy!" As cute as it is, I hope that soon she will understand that her dad is in OR and that Rob is just her uncle. I feel so bad, I have no idea how to even begin how to explain to her about her dad. UGH!!!!

And today we went to get her 3 year pictures done. Yup, a whole month early, but I wanted them by her 3rd birthday. I went in with the mind set of only getting 2 poses...HA! I got 5! Luckily, they are all digital, so I also get them on CD!!! YAY me! I LOVE how they look and can't wait to pick them up in a few weeks. She is a stubborn one though. At home, she loves the camera and will ham it up. Took her to the studio today and you would think I was torturing her or something equally horrible. Luckily, we got some great shots inbetween the crying!

Halloween

I still think that Emily is too young to go trick or treating, but grandma and grandpa next door wanted the kids to come over and trick or treat there. While I was at work, Jen got Emmy ready and all pretty in her princess dress and they went to grandma's house and got some goodies. I do have a feeling however that by next year, Emily is going to be more than ready to go out and get A LOT of candy. For now, I can get away with not taking her out!!!

Snow

Yesterday it snowed for the first time this winter. UGH. Not ready for this yet! But, either way...it snowed. Last year, Emily freaked every time she touched the snow...even with her shoes. Snow last year was called "Ewws." This year, she couldn't wait to go out in it and instead of calling it snow, she pronounces it "snowk!" It is too cute. I took the video of her saying it. Any ways, she had so much fun in it today. It isn't supposed to snow for the rest of the week...I will keep my fingers crossed!