Happy Birthday Emma!

Our "big" little girl turns the big #5 tomorrow. (Holy Cow) We'll be in Mesa at my brother's wedding, so I'll post this today. 5 Reasons why Emma is special:




1. Emma has unconditional love for everyone in her life. She has never met a stranger and makes it her mission to help everyone around her be happy.




2. Emma is the BEST big sister any child ever had. She works hard all day long to ensure that both of her brothers are content & entertained. Emma tries hard to be a good example and is very good at putting her brothers' happiness before her own.




3. Emma gives the most amazing hugs, and usually attacks you the moment she sees you with a hug that seems to warm your entire soul. When we go places, I have people ask me where Emma is so that they can get hugs from her.




4. Emma goes at 60 miles an hour all day long. She runs, plays, sings, and even thinks at top speed all the time. But that means that she spreads love & enthusiasm at that same amazing rate. Emma can brighten a room in a matter of seconds!




5. That smile! There's nothing in the world like an Emma grin. Like a friend once said "She smiles with her whole body." I'd do just about anything in the world to see her smile.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

We Love You!

My New Header

We took this nativity picture at the same time that the whole Larson clan took a big nativity picture as a present for Nana & Poppa. I was the only sister lucky enough to have a boy, girl & baby the right size to have this done- and man, am I glad that I did! I think it turned out AMAZING, and even had custom Christmas cards made featuring this photo so that I could share it even more.

I had this picture & a couple of others blown up & they sit on my table with my nativity collection. It's the best reminder of the season that I could possibly have in my home.

This is one of them:

I think that Emma's got the Mary bit down pat, except with her it's not an act. She really does love him that much!

Hand Bell Hero!

Like Guitar Hero?

Test your holiday music skills with this game. I tried it & let's just say I need some practice! Happy Holidays!

http://www.freewebarcade.com/game/hand-bell-hero/

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today Andrew turns the big 29- for the 4th time. (For those of you keeping track, that means that he's really 32.) But don't tell him that- he's totally content to stay 29 forever.

We have the best Daddy anybody could ask for, and we want him to know how much we love him.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Decking the Halls (& House)

I decided that Andrew needed a little more Christmas spirit, so I delegated to him the responsibility of decorating the tree this year with the kids. Man, it goes a lot faster when you're not the one having to dig through the boxes, find the hooks, even out the clumps of red glass balls, and referee between the 2 kids fighting over the shiniest ornaments. Thanks, babe!Emma was ecstatic to get to place the star. I guess that makes her more special or something? Whatever makes you happy, kiddo.

Once again, Jack missed out on all the fun!

I guess Frank took the term "stockings" literally. What a hoot!

This year, I also talked Andrew into put up lights on the house. Well, maybe the 9 boxes of lights that I bought & just sat on the counter had something to do with it. Can't let 'em go to waste, right? He refused to let me take pictures, because he was convinced that he was about to fall to his death the entire time. Did I mention that Andrew is afraid of heights?

We were sneaky & put them up while the kids were napping & turned them on before we left for Emma's school potluck. We had this grand vision of coming up the drive & the kids just going nuts. Well, not so much. All we came home to was a dark house & blown fuses in the light strands. So Andrew fixed it. The kids got to scream for all of 3 minutes before the fuse blew again. (At about this time, Andrew is mumbling something about how he'd like to strangle me with these darn lights.) Anyway, after some consultation with his electrician father & some extra extension cords, we have pretty Christmas lights on our house & 2 VERY happy kids. And I must admit, 1 very happy mom. What's Christmas without Christmas lights? What a dad- Thank You, & we love you!

Parenting Tips

Just a few tips for those parents & parents-to-be out there.

I know that I learned a few things!

These pictures are from a book by David and Kelly Sopp called "Safe Baby Handling Tips."

Practice Makes Perfect!

Jack & I have been practicing every day to get this right, and we want to show you what our hard work has produced. Here we go!

Almost!

Almost!
Getting better!
And there it is! Can you believe I got a picture of all 3 smiling when the youngest is only 2 months old? How lucky am I?

To explain this picture- Emma thought that Jack was cold, so she wrapped him up in her favorite blanky. And why is Frank still naked at 5:00 at night? Your guess is as good as mine.

Jack had his 2 month checkup on Monday & he's doing amazing. His growth seems to have tapered off a little, and he now weighs 12 pounds, 2 ounces. He's in the 50% for weight, but he's in the 75% for height. Who knew he was so tall for a 2-month old?

As for Jack's hearing, the Dr says that his ear canals are still so tiny that it's next to impossible to even see into them. So no new info on whether the fluid has drained yet. But, I have been working & experimenting every day with his hearing, and I know that he's hearing great these days. He turns his head to sounds, and he's even been awakened from a dead sleep when his siblings are screaming in the other room. That never happened before! I feel very confident that he's doing well, so I'm going to wait for his 4 month checkup before I request another hearing test for him. Since his ear canals are still so small, what's the point of re-testing him? We'll just let him continue to grow & when he gets another shot, I just know that he's gonna ace that test!

Emma & Frank harrass Jack daily, and he's just such a good sport. I think that he has learned quickly how to just endure their "loves" until they get distracted & leave him alone. He's spending a lot of time being awake these days, so I'm getting to see what a sweet little personality he has. He's really turning into a little angel just like the others are (well, most of the time!)

All in all, Jack is doing great & I couldn't possibly love him more. How on earth did I get blessed with 3 such perfect children?