My sweet Avery Grace!

I need longer weekends! My blog posts are inversely related to the number of hours that I work!!! Last year, when I took some time off from teaching, I blogged almost every day. Right now, I am doing well if I blog every three weeks! I couldn't wait three weeks for this post, however, because I am already two days late in posting a special wish to my beautiful one year old niece, Avery!

It is so important to me that my nieces and nephew(s?) know how much I love them - and LOVE being their aunt! One way for me to set apart a special time for them is to at least post a very special message on their birthdays!

So, here is my blog post for October 28th... HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, SWEET AVERY!

Avery is our miracle girl in so many ways! My brother and sister-in-law had dreamed and prayed for a child - and we were given the gift of Avery. Avery is both strong willed and sweet tempered. She has the most beautiful smile, and I love the way she already loves to read books. We are going to be the best of friends :)



Avery,

A year ago, I stood in the lobby of a hospital waiting for the news of your arrival! We waited and waited and waited... it seemed like you were taking forever to come :) Perhaps we were all just anxious in the waiting room. I took Austin into the hospital gift shop to find a present for his new cousin, and my mom came running into the store. "She's here!" My mom yelled holding up her cell phone! "She's here!"

We found out shortly after that call that you were on your way to the hospital nursery. Every family member waiting in the hospital lobby crammed into an elevator at that moment to see you! We rode up to the nursery floor to stare at you through the window. Your daddy was standing on one side of the glass, and we all admired you from the other side! I held up Austin so he could see his brand new cousin. What I remember most was your beautiful black hair! So much hair!!! You were stunning; even as a newborn.

You are still stunning today. You have the most beautiful fair complexion with black hair and blue eyes. You have a smile that goes from ear to ear and you love to laugh. We love to ask you to "clap" or say "touchdown" and we all love to hold you!

I am so thankful for living so close and getting to spend so much time with you! You are so precious!!

Love,

Aunt Emmy

Happy First Birthday!

I am here! More than anything else, I want my blog to be a place of remembrance for Austin. I want AJ to be able to look back on my writings some day and know more about his life during these early years. Someday, he is going to look and say, "Mom, what happened between September 24 and October 23 in 2010? You didn't write a single thing! I am going to say... "AJ, we were just so busy living life!"

With that said, I have so many pictures and stories from the past month that I will try to update in the upcoming days. Today, however, is time to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Yesterday, October 22, was my niece Megan's first birthday! Happy Birthday, Megan. I love you so much and I LOVE being your aunt.



It is hard to believe that one year ago I was working at my dad's office keeping up with my sister's progress through text messages with my mom. Dad had a morning mediation that day and I couldn't wait for everyone to leave the office so I could get to the hospital! As soon as the office was clear, I jumped in my car and drove to the hospital.

"She's pushing!" Mom told me on the phone.

"I'm on my way!" I shouted back. "I'm coming."

Just as I got off the hospital elevator mom called me and I could hear Megan crying in the background. "She's here!"

I went straight to the room and held my niece for the first time when she was only minutes old.

A few days later, I went to Jenny's to hold Megan and I asked Jenny if we could just play dress up. I just dressed her in all her girl clothes! I have enjoyed dressing her every chance I can get since that first day!



Megan, you have changed so much over the last year, and our love for you has only grown. We love you, sweet girl!