You're Four Now

Dear Emerson,

Happy Fourth Birthday to the little girl I never imagined would be my daughter! You are such an incredible little person at age four, and there's a few things I hope I never forget about you right now...

You love, love, love princesses, dolls, dress up clothes, and your brothers and sisters. Daily, I look out in the backyard to see you and Aidan playing together on the swing set.

I love to watch you learn the English language. You can carry on a conversation pretty clearly these days, though your sentences are usually missing a few words. I love that you have picked up the slang/common words your brothers say at the same pace you are picking up everything else. When we ask you to pick up the playroom, you give us an exasperated look and say, "ALL of it?!?", just like your brothers say, and you still love to tattle on your favorite little sister.

You love to "play school". During this past school year, you noticed Dane and Aidan going to school, and I think you missed them while they were gone. You certainly think you were missing out on something pretty fun when they left. You love to fill your backpack with books and toys, march into the room, give me a kiss, and say "Bye mom, Emerson going to school!" (Yes, you still talk in third person. We're working on breaking that little habit.) A few minutes later, you will come back, saying "Hi Mommy! Emerson home from school. Emerson has homework!" You're going to LOVE preschool next year, and have already told us how excited you are to bring a backpack and lunch box to school.

You are as bubbly and outgoing as ever, and you've developed a bit of a bossy streak. I know exactly what your notes home from your teacher are going to say.

You prepared for your birthday party for several months. Everytime I took you to someone else's party (or bridal shower), you started singing "Happy Birthday", and tried to open their gifts. Needless to say, you were pretty excited at your birthday party.

You love to sing and learn new songs. You love to sing at bedtime, and the other night I climbed into your bed and we sang together. I'm afraid you have your mommy's skills at singin', girlie. We sounded horrible, but happy.

Last weekend we celebrated your birthday in style, with an "Elmo-themed" party with your friends.

You got to wear your special "LaLa Elmo" dress, and the rest of us wore red Elmo shirts.

We endured the heat of the day, playing with all of your friends in the Elmo moonwalk. You LOVED hearing everyone sing "Happy Birthday to Emerson" and you knew right when to blow out the candles.

The party menu consisted of a few of your favorite foods: chips and queso, M&Ms, popcorn, and "pink sticks", similar to a candy you loved eating in China.

After your friends left the party, GG, Uncle Tom, and Aunt Carol came over to celebrate GG and your birthdays with some calzone and (more) birthday cake.

Daddy made lots of calzones, stuffed with everything from lunchmeat and cheese, to grilled chicken, garlic, spinach, and cheese, to sausage and garlic. YUM.

Mommy didn't get an "after" picture of the calzones after they came out of the oven, because they were served straight off the pan and into hungry mouths before I could get a picture.

Emerson, I know today there is someone else, a world away in China, who I know loves you very much and is thinking of you today. My thoughts are with her today, and I pray that she somehow knows that you are part of a family who loves you so, so much. I am so thankful for her, and for the people who loved and cared for you the first three years of your life.

Happy fourth birthday, sweet girl! I cannot wait to see what this year holds for you!