emma's first birthday

This girl...so much goodness in one little package.  She turned one-year-old this week :'(

Her personality is beginning to show itself.  There's a lot of sweet with a little spunk--just enough to keep mom and dad on their toes.  She and Dayton light up for each other (may it always be so!).  Emma usually wakes up from her afternoon nap just before Dayton.  As soon as she hears him wake up, she crawls off towards his door where she sits and waits for me to let her in.  As soon as I turn the handle she pushes the door open and babbles with Dayton for a bit.  And he reciprocates the love; often the first words he says in the morning are "Emmaaaaa, wake up Emma!"  We often find him getting out of bed at night to wake her up and play with her through the slats of the crib.  Roommate problems.  :)

She is the queen of disarming smiles but is not easily tickled.  Poor Dayton has to take her doses of that in addition to his own.  Her "spunky side" comes out if I leave the room when she is hungry or tired, or if I have to take away something she wants but can't have (like power cords), it is just the end of her little world.  She gets so sad and lays her head on the floor to whimper, cry, or grunt...whatever seems to best illustrate her displeasure.  She rolls around a few times to make her point.  It is the silliest thing!  

There are so many things we love about Miss Emma.  One special memory I'll have of her baby years is her snuggles.  She's an on-the-go kind of girl, but when it's nap time she's all cuddles.  Plug in the pacifier, wrap her in the Gramma blankie, and this little mover melts into a butterball.  It's such a treat.  She also loves to join in on the wrestling we do with Dayton, climbing on top of anyone that gets pinned.  

We love what she adds to our family dynamic.  For my record keeping, here are her stats from her 1-year check up.  

height: 2' 5" (41%)

weight: 21 lbs 3 oz (71%)

head circ: 18.7" (97%)