Emms Kate's Fourth Birthday

Happy Birthday, Emma Kate!

The boys celebrating with birthday hats...Jacob is not too sure about that.

 To celebrate Emma Kate's birthday we started the day by going to the doctor for a strep test! She did not have strep, but she had a double ear infection (and Jacob had one too). After the throat culture, through tears, Emma Kate said, "This is NOT a fun way to spend my birthday". Sweet girl! After that we had a good day celebrating even though she did not get to go to school. We had a special lunch at Sonic and she was even allowed to get a slushie for her drink! That night we had spaghetti and meatballs per Emma Kate's request. She enjoyed the day and the constant stream of presents. I can honestly say that each and every present she received was just perfect! She was so thankful for the gifts and was genuinely touched by everyone's thoughtfulness.

Emma Kate at 4 Years Old...

• prefers to be called Emma Kate (she gently reminds us when we forget)
• LOVES preschool
• dances everywhere and is obsessed with Angelina Ballerina and dance class. She is often found teaching dance in her studio, aka her bedroom. She has really improved a lot in the past year.
• very interested in drawing and writing. She has exploded with her writing and each day brings a new skill in her drawing. It is exciting to see that skill develop.
• Everywhere she goes she has a baby with her. EVERYWHERE. She loves each and every baby and stuffed animal in our house. She feeds them and talks to them and teaches them to crawl and talk and bounces them when they cry. Each morning on the way to school I get a very detailed list of directions for how to care for her baby that day and when I pick her up I am asked for a specific report of what happened while she was gone, including how long naps were and how much the baby ate. 
• She adores her brothers and loves to play with them
• is becoming fashion conscious and has an opinion about her outfits and always is eager to change if she doesn't match or looks "silly"
• loves going to the pool and beach. She is just about to move beyond floaties.
• she eats a ton...she is a bottomless pit but continues to be a great eater and loves all fruits and vegetables.
• she is most definitely a rule follower and experiences such freedom within boundaries. 
• She is painfully sensitive and thoughtful. She loves and cares for others. She gave me one of her babies for my birthday. So thoughtful and very sweet since she loves them so much.
• Emma Kate is very sensitive to noise (how does she survive in our house?!) and smells. We are working to help her learn to overcome these sensitivities as they come.
• She is so extroverted and adores talking to whoever will interact with her
• has stopped sucking her thumb!!! She made the decision to stop and that was pretty much it. We did have lots of conversations about that and we did find that she is still sucking it in the middle of the night when she is asleep, but she has broken the habit during the day and at bedtime. Along with that, Ducky stays in her room now and she has even given one to Jacob. She is very concerned that she does not want her teeth to look funny.
• loves Jesus and sings about Him all day and asks great questions trying to better understand who God is.
• she is so helpful and nurturing and the boys essentially have a second mommy...whether they like it or not!

 We could not be more blessed by Emma Kate! She is a precious girl that keeps us laughing and wanting to pull our hair out! Here are a few pictures of Emma through the past four years.

One Week

One Year

Two Years

Three Years

Four Years