a note for emmett

Dear Emmett,

Today is January 12th, and we celebrate the happiest day of my life. It's two years from the day you came into my life and stole my heart forever. Two years since your tiny, miraculous one pound body came out with a heroic cry and received 9/9 on your apgars.
Since then I've learned what it feels like to have my heart and soul exist in a seperate little body. It's exhilirating and terrifying. Especially because your particular little body tends to gravitate to towards sharp objects, high places, and poisonous substances :)
 I can't remember what a life without you felt like, and I think that's because you have always been in it. We've been together long before this life - and you waited patiently in heaven those 24 years, watching every choice Dad and  I made, waiting to join us again. I truly believe this unique bond you and I share extends far past this earth.
Thank you for teaching me patience, giving me strength I never knew I had, and showing me what pure, perfect joy feels like.
Today we will celebrate from morning until night, because we have a million reasons to.You're perfect in every single way - the very definition of a miracle. I love you forever and ever!

Mom


And in honor of the occassion I wanted to share a page from my journal two years ago.

Feb 11, 2010
"I held you skin to skin for the first time today and it felt so amazing. Your warm little body up against mine - I felt like we were finally connected again, our hearts beating together. I talked to you and hummed so you could hear my voice on my chest and feel like you were back in the womb.
 Emmett, Heavenly father loves you so much. You are such a special little boy and I already know you're going to grow up to do so many important things. He watches over you every single day, and in the hours I'm not here - I know he's always right beside you, comforting you. You're in good hands."

Happy Birthday Bug!!

Sporadic

That is my word when it comes to blogging. I'm known for either posting 7 days in a row or going 3 weeks with ZERO posts. Feast or Famine I guess. Speaking of the word sporadic, by sheer luck I caught a midnight showing of the movie Clueless on Oxygen a couple weeks ago. Talk about a movie that defined my childhood (pre-adolescence?). Watching it was seriously like stepping into a timezone. I immediately was flooded with all the memories of 5th grade, the four of us who referred to each other as Cher, Di, Ty, and Summer, and dressed in plaid skirts and knee highs. Pretty sure we even modeled our parties after that movie. (I know, great role models we emulated in our impressionable youth, right?) When the movie first started, I was like "oh my gosh, this is SO cheesy, I can't believe we all thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread" Then 45 mins later... I was sucked back into the world of valley girls. It was past 1 in the morning and I was trying to hard to keep my eyes open because Cher was being held up in the gas station... but I failed. Sleep overtook me. By the way, did you know the movie was loosely based off of Jane Austen's Emma? I never did!

So back to real life... we have been busy busy but enjoying it! Better to be busy than bored I always say. I recently started managing our apartments which has actually been a lot of fun. I love real estate and managing things, so it's kind of a perfect gig for me! I have also been continually upgrading our aparment, painting, redecorating, swapping furniture... I kind of got the bug.

I have been having so much fun as Emmett is learning more and more about language and how the world works. He has been picking up sign language so fast since he's started watching the Baby Signing Time DVDs, and I feel like that has helped him really improve his verbal language. The signs he uses most are more, hat, shoes, dog, and wash.  But he will randomly do a lot more, and I'm learning he does ones sometimes that I don't even recognize at first! He pinched his finger in the door yesterday and used sign language to tell me it hurt. It was sad but so adorable!  It is hilarious to secretly watch him watching his DVD, and watch him mimic the sign he was just taught with a look of intense concentration on his face! He is starting to say more things i.e. (ball, cheese, bath are just a few that I can remember right now) and understands so much more of what I say. I gave him an Old McDonald book to look at while we were shopping through Costco the other day, and all the sudden I start hearing him singing the tune to "And a Moo Moo here, and a Moo Moo there" except all of the words were replaced with "Moo". It was so funny to me that he just busted it out by himself!

Jared is finishing up the last days of his internship, which officially marks the end of summer (so sad!!) I am going to have to look into an indoor pool or something, even though it wont be the same without the sun!

PS random question... Anyone know how to get rid of fruit flies? I don't even have any fruit in here for them! So annoying! If you have some tips let me know!

Staples of my Childhood

I've been meaning to do this post for months now but have gotten so behind. Better late than never I always say!

Grandma's houses hold so many special childhood memories. Favorite games, movies, decorations that have stuck through the ages. This summer when I went and stayed at my Grandma Whittakers, I decided to document all the "staple" items that were trademarks of Grandma and Grandpa Whittaker for my own memories. The house just wouldn't be the same without them!!

Top Left:

This is the special stone pathway to Grandma's house. Endless hours were spent hopping on one foot, playing hopscotch, practicing my balance beam... My sister Kendall is modeling it for us above.

Top right:

Grandma's special bonzai tree. Grandma's bonzai's are so coveted in her neighborhood, one

time one was completely dug up (roots and all) and stolen overnight. No lie.

Bottom Left:

 The "Green Roses" This is some special flower/cactus they have in New Mexico or something (I finally got the story behind them this summer). But my whole life I thought Grandma's garden was the coolest because she's the only person I've ever seen that had Green Roses.

Bottom Right:

The Entrance to Grandma's house with the standard Ivy and Whittaker sign

Top Left:

The reading baskets. These are scattered throughout the house. Always chock full of books (Lately Grandma gets them from "'the girls' at Curves")

Top Right:

The Ticket!! Grandma and Grandpa are constantly going to movies or as they call them "shows". Therefore the ticket can ALWAYS be spotted lying out. We've all told Grandpa on multiple occassions that the paper is pretty much obselete thanks to Fandango, but he is loyal.

Bottom Left:

 The Octagon window - Need I say more? Usually their neighbor Henry can be spotted outside of it cranking his lawnmower.

Bottom Right:

Grandma's knitting basket. Always in the same place behind her Recliner.

Top Left:

Grandma's Old-fashioned phone. This is even a replacement of the the original one. But my whole life a phone like this has hung there (I think it's cause Grandma is from England)

Top Right:

 The Hat boxes. Grandma always has hat boxes stacked around the house like this for decor. Looking at some of these pictures makes me realize how similar our decorating tastes are! haha

Bottom Left:

The twisty lamp. The living room wouldn't be the same without it

Bottom right:

 The dress up box!! This was all the grand-girls favorite part! Grandma has it stashed with lacy things, heels, etc.

Left:

The bathroom snail that always has an array of towels wrapped in it

Right:

The dust monsters. A favorite toy of grandkids under 5. Grandma was really smart tricking us all into dusting for her.. haha.

And last but not least... their beautiful backyard that Grandpa (and Grandma) spend hours a day working on. I always picture grandpa with his wireless radio headset (AM radio of course) pushing the lawnmower. The yard is always full of colorful flowers, and the tables make it perfect for family get togethers. Many Easter egg hunts have taken place in this yard. As we grew up we learned Grandma and Grandpas favorite hiding spots: the basket that hangs down from the tree, the water fountain, along the fence rail... ahh the nostalgia!

So there you have it! A detailed tour of Grandma and Grandpa Whittaker's. You can see why I loved going there so much!